Oris Watch Blog

Oris - Year in Review

Oris watches I felt have lifted their present in the world of Swiss watches internationally this year.  With some great new designs and innovations Oris is proving to be a world leader in great watches.  From the new Big Crown Pointer Date with additions like the Sapphire Crystal glass making them scratch proof.  Also to that watch they have added a screw down crown making them waterproof down to 10 bar.  This is a great step forward and makes for a more useable watch.  A watch that really surprised me this year was the new Big Crown Small Second Pointer Day great additions to the aviation range.  Its large clean dial with the strong contrast on the black dial really made it stand out from the pack.

The success this year of Oris watches I believe was built early with the launch of the amazing ProDiver at Baselworld which caught the attention of the entire watch community.  Oris have produced an outstanding dive watch that I can see will be the foundation of their diver range for many years to come.  The patented lift and spin locking bezel was a master stroke.  Adding to the ceramic bezel sliding sledge clasp all fantastic features of this watch and at 51mm an impressive watch that is complimented by the Titan C Small Seconds range.  Oris are really building on their reputation for producing functional and stylish watches.  Titanium made a big appearance this year in the dive watches, the Lady Diamond that still creates debate about its design through to the Rectangular Titanium Chronograph.  Every one of these watches created waves this year.

Artelier Alarms were a major step forward for Oris this year.  A massive watch with the thick case and elegant presence on the wrist, Oris also pushed the boundaries with the movement for this watch.  A totally new movement that has an independent power reserve for both the alarm and the hands really demonstrating to the world that Oris are serious about their movement design.

The Limited Editions this year have also been of great contrast to each other.  From the Kazuki Nakajima, the GP70 through to the RUF TT3 in the motor sport range.  The Bob Dylan Limited Edition in the Culture range that created a lot of divided discussion on the merits of its design.  Not forgetting the BC4 Blue Eagle which I feel has been overshadowed by the hugely successful Swiss Hunter Team a massive watch with a true aviation dial, that down the track will be ranked alongside other great Oris limited editions like the Carlos Coste or Charlie Parker.

Next year and beyond looks exciting in the world of mechanical watches, especially if Oris continue to push forward with new designs and movements.