Grail watches are supposed to embody the best. “Best”, however, is a subjective term. That’s why everyone’s grail is different. What I consider best for me is a watch that doesn’t require careful handling. My best is a watch that can keep up with me in all that I do. Beyond that, I want the […]
Category: Oris Watches
Oris Hölstein Edition 2022
While most watch brands are still mining the 1970s and 1980s for revival ideas, Oris has skipped ahead to the 1990s for its Oris 2022 Hölstein Edition. The Oris Hölstein Edition 2022 brings back the Oris Full Steel Worldtimer, originally launched in 1998, using what was then a “groundbreaking movement” that had debuted a year […]
Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400
Meet the new Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400. It’s made of titanium and comes with a grey, blue, or salmon dial. Inside is the Oris Calibre 400. When the in-house Oris caliber 400 was introduced in June of 2021, it set a new standard for Oris, and on a larger scale, the industry. It was […]
Oris Divers Sixty-Five 40
Vintage-inspired dive watches have flooded the market over the last decade. Many of these modern day retro divers are from newly-founded microbrands looking to capitalize on the trend. Oris, however, is no new kid on the block. Operating as an independent Swiss manufacturer since 1904, Oris has a rich history from which to seek internal […]
Oris Aquis Date 36 Stainless Steel
Today I’m doing a Oris watch review. The Oris Aquis is a very popular timepiece that’s part of the their collection of luxury diving watches. Oris watches have been under production in Switzerland for over a century now. Having perfected traditional watch making techniques and developing a huge range of styles, Oris are now one […]
Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date
As part of the 2022 Oris Preview set in Vail, Colorado the brand announced a new set of Big Crown Pointer Date watches with a fun twist. Now I’m not usually one for bronze watches and I’m certainly not in my element out here in Vail (Florida man ’til death), but I’d be lying if […]
Oris Big Crown X Cervo Volante
Oris has collaborated with sustainable Swiss deer leather brand Oris Big Crown X Cervo Volante for its latest watch, the latest addition to the brand’s ‘Change for the Better’ strategy. The straps and packaging of the three new Oris Big Crown X Cervo Volante watches are made using leather produced from the annual cull of […]
Oris Divers Sixty-Five
Oris unveiled a new stainless steel version of its retro Oris Divers Sixty-Five collection today. With a case size of 40 mm x 12.8 mm, with a lug width of 20 mm, the Divers Sixty-Five is well-sized, and with an outsourced Sellita movement inside — as opposed to the in-house caliber 400 that powers the recently released Oris […]
Oris AQUIS DATE CALIBRE 400
Divers are among the most popular watches on the market, if not the most popular, due to their highly robust builds and familiar aesthetic. As a result, the segment is highly competitive and brands now have to find fresh ways to draw interest to their references. Fully aware of this trend, Oris has really begun to shift things into fifth gear – creating new in-house calibers with longer power reserves and warranty coverage. Many were excited to see the new calibre 400 inside of the Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 43.5mm, but today the brand is scaling it back a bit by introducing the Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm in three colours: blue, anthracite, and green..The stainless-steel Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm is 2mm smaller in diameter than its 43.5mm predecessor, effectively becoming that much more comparable in size to a Black Bay Heritage or Rolex Submariner – both of which are 41mm. The 40-42mm size seems to have become the sweet spot for consumers when it comes to sports watches, so many will be pleased to have a more manageable configuration for the wrist. Unfortunately, Oris has not disclosed the thickness in the press release, but the previous generation Aquis Date 41.5mm with a Sellita movement is 13mm thick so it is safe to assume the new Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm should be around the same.In terms of its case finish, we have the usual satin-brushed case with polished lugs that extend the mirror finishing throughout the shouldering links of the bracelet – its centre links satin-brushed throughout. As a dive watch, the Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm has a depth rating of 300 metres – it’s water resistance further secured with a screw-down crown protected by crown guards..Framing each dial is a colour-matching ceramic timing bezel, well-knurled to make it grippable for the wearer’s wet hand. All three, blue, anthracite, and green, have a rich sunburst finish with a subtle psuedo-fume effect towards the darker outer edge of the minutes track. The hour indexes and hours, minutes, and central seconds hands are all filled with SuperLuminova . The only missing hour index is at 6’ to make space for a white on black date disc that blends well into the darkened edges of each color dial. It should be noted that since the discontinuation of the Rolex “Hulk” Submariner the green variant of the Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm is a fantastic alternative to consider.The Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5mm can be purchased on either a stainless-steel bracelet or black rubber strap, both outfitted with “Quick Strap Change” technology that allows you to quickly swap between the pair by simply depressing the underside trigger to detach it.. My advice: go for the bracelet. It is CHF 100 or $200 USD more than the rubber configuration, but it is safe to assume it would cost more than that to purchase the bracelet separately – or at the very least the rubber strap will be less expensive to purchase separately then the bracelet.The main event with this introduction is the Calibre 400 making its way into a 41.5mm Aquis Date. To recap, the Oris Calibre 400 is an in-house movement with 120 hours (five days) of power reserve and its performance is backed by an extended 10-year warranty and 10-year service intervals. It is highly accurate as well, running within COSC tolerances at +5/-3 seconds per day. An interesting note about the Calibre 400 is that the twin barrels that provide the 120 hours of power reserve are positioned to look like ears, and when the rotor aligns just right it serves as a nose and mouth – the result being an Oris bear motif. Don’t believe me? Well fortunately you can see for yourself thanks to the screwed-down exhibition caseback.
Oris Rega Fleet Limited Edition
Oris’ partnership with the iconic Swiss Air-Rescue Rega continues with a third limited-edition watch that flies even higher than before. If it wasn’t for aviation, it’s possible the Swiss watch industry would never have taken off. Early pilots discovered a watch was a vital tool and turned to makers of Swiss pocket watches for tools […]