Oak & Oscar Atwood Flyback Chronograph

Today, almost a year after its introduction, we are adopting the Oak & Oscar Atwood Flyback Chronograph for spin. Unlike my colleague Mike, I’m not very familiar with Chicago-based brands that I’ve been in the watch business for 10 years. Next to Atwood, the brand currently also offers Humboldt GMT and Olmsted 38. It is worth noting that the company offers only three models, one is a flyback chronograph. You don’t see it often, so I look forward to checking it out.

Mike wrote about Atwood when it was released last year, and he also introduced a vintage version of the watch. But I don’t think he’s sharing his hands-on experience with it yet, so let’s get into business.

Oak and Oscar Atwood in hand

Mike has already explained the details in his article, so we’ll quickly look into the specs of the watch here. Atwood has a 39mm stainless steel case with a 46mm lug-to-lug length and a 12.9mm thick, including a domed sapphire crystal top. In your hand, the Atwood feels like a compact watch packed with lots of great features. The case is completely brushed. This means there’s no refined bevel at all and it feels like a proper tool watch. The excavated lug holes add to this powerful character.

The same goes for the three rows of bracelets that come with Atwood. Also, there are all brush finishes, and its links are completely clear for optimal comfort on the wrist. Safety Latch Latch Folding Clasp Clasp features a fine-tuning system on the go when your wrist bulges or contracts. The bracelet doesn’t come with a quick release spring bar, but the tool comes with a watch, so using it to use the holes doesn’t matter, for example, replacing the bracelet on the included green textile NATO strap.

Hand-winding flyback chrono

Mike has already pointed out Atwood’s unusual choice last year. It’s still far from a general choice, as I don’t remember seeing this amt5100m movement in any other watch. In my eyes, it stands out from Oak & Oscar Atwood. Better yet, it provides flyback functionality for resetting and restarting the chronograph. You can use the large push-pull crown to wrap around the movement at 3am. This process feels very smooth and should give the watch enough power to keep the full breeze clicking for 58 hours.

The chronograph pushers on both sides of the crown also feel very smooth when operated. I found it particularly good when paired with the flyback feature, as I want to repeatedly push the reset button. It’s so cool to see the chronograph hand in the center jump and immediately start sweeping again. The Sellita manufactured movement operates at a frequency of 28,800VPH and features 23 gems. This is displayed through the display caseback and screwed into the midcase to maintain a water resistance of 50 meters.

Powder-like white panda dial

Another cool feature is the Atwood sandwich dial. There are three variants to choose from. One is the white and charcoal panda I had in the office, with two reverse panda options. One is mainly navy blue and the other is charcoal. All dials have a powdery matte finish, and the white is really white. A nice detail is that all hands have the same powder finish as the dial. The orange central chronograph hand also matches the remaining colorful accents on the dial well.

Both the hour and minute hands are filled with Super Luminova BGW9, like Minute Trucks. This is an interesting room application, and perhaps the least practical, but at least provides nightly readability.

On the wrist

The Oak & Oscar Atwood fits very well on my 17cm (6.7 inch) wrist. As mentioned before, it is a compact package with a rather short lug and is suitable for many sizes of wrists. And what hit me was that it was a rather modest watch. The case is completely brushed and houses a completely matte dial so it doesn’t sparkle. In that sense, it is a true sports watch. The orange accents add to its sporty character and stand out a little more.

Final Thoughts

For $2,650 for a heavy-duty stainless steel bracelet, Oak & Oscar Atwood is a big deal in my book. The watches are all matte finishes, but run very well. The action against the pusher feels much smoother than some of the more expensive chronographs I have tried. Oak & Oscar throws additional textile NATO straps, strap changing tools, and canvas watch pouch. If it’s not a complete package, I don’t know what.

In the comments below, let us know what you think of the Oak & Oscar Atwood Flyback Chronograph.

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