AHEAD OF TIME
Breathing the spirit of independence, Oris consolidates its remarkable identity with its collection at Baselworld 2018
BIG CROWN PROPILOT CALIBRE 114
Oris was founded in 1904 at the dawn of aviation, and made its first pilot’s pocket watch in the early 1910s. That was followed by the company’s first pilot’s wristwatch in 1917, a watch that featured an ingenious mechanism that meant the watch could only be adjusted when a button was pressed at 2 o’clock. The same spirit of invention inspired the Oris Big Crown, which debuted in 1938. Today, Oris’s pilot’s watch collection is full of innovative watches that are trusted by pilots all over the world.
Second time zones, or GMT functions, were first introduced for pilots during the early period of the jet age, the 1950s. Today, these watches are worn not just by pilots, but also by international businessmen and frequent travellers.
Oris has made dozens of highfunctioning second time zone watches in its long history ‒ but the Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 114 marks a new high point. Its 24-hour time zone, indicated by a central pointer hour hand, offers local time adjustment to the nearest half hour, useful if you’re travelling to or from countries such as India or Australia.
Besides that, the Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 114 features a robust stainless steel case and a bold, clearly legible dial. And it comes on a variety of dials, case finishing, straps and bracelets to suit tastes and occasion.
The Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 114 is another example of Oris’s authentic approach to watchmaking. The independent Swiss company continues to make watches that make sense in the real world, watches that are used and trusted by specialists and worn by discerning watch buyers.
CARL BRASHEAR CHRONOGRAPH LIMITED EDITION
Carl Brashear was one of the most inspirational figures of the 20th century, defying racial tensions, disability and the weight of history to become the U.S. Navy’s first African American and first amputee Master Diver. In honour of the heroic figure, Oris is delighted to announce the second limited edition watch made in his memory, a bronze-cased, twocounter chronograph.
Born in 1931. Brashear joined the U.S. Navy in 1948 as a 17-year-old, shortly after the U.S. Military desegregated, and quickly decided he wanted to become a deep-sea diver. In 1966, he lost the lower part of his left leg in an accident during a mission to salvage a hydrogen bomb. After an exhausting period of rehabilitation, he became the U.S. Navy’s first amputee diver in 1968, and then qualified as a Master
Diver in 1970, the first African American to do so.
The Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition uses bronze for its case, bezel, crown and pushers, a highly unusual material in watchmaking. Bronze ages over time, subject to atmospheric moisture and the pH levels in the wearer’s perspiration.
The dial’s balanced, symmetrical layout is known as ‘bicompax’ and gives the watch its classic chronograph look, which is further enhanced by the absence of a date indicator. The subdial at 3 o’clock is a 30-minute counter; the subdial at 9 o’clock a small seconds. The dial is blue, a handsome complement to the bronze case and a reminder of the deep water into which Brashear ventured so often and so bravely. The watch comes on a vintage brown leather strap.
SOURCE OF LIFE LIMITED EDITION
Despite growing awareness and the efforts of government and international non-profit organisations, the world’s water continues to come under threat. Oris is proud to introduce the Source of Life Limited Edition, a philosophical watch inspired by the River Rhine that highlights the plight of the world’s water sources and marks a new chapter in Oris’s mission to bring change for the better.
In keeping with Oris’s philosophy to ‘Go your own way’, every model in the line combines innovation, high-performance and high-quality Swiss design and engineering. The Oris Source of Life Limited Edition embraces that theme, recognising the role water plays in feeding, sustaining and connecting life.
The watch’s case back is embossed with a map of the River Rhine, which runs 1,233km (766 miles) through six countries from its source at the Lai da Tuma, or Tomasee.
The watch’s automatic movement provides it with its standout complication, an inventive circular date indicator shown by a scale running from 1 to 31 around the centre of the watch’s dial. Inside it is a channel with a white indicator that aligns with the scale and makes a full tour of the dial once a month to show the date.
In addition, the watch also has a sweeping seconds hand with a ‘lollipop’ filled with luminescent Super-LumiNova®. The Oris Source of Life Limited Edition comes on either a stainless steel metal bracelet or a grey rubber strap, both of which have stainless steel folding clasps that can be extended to be worn over a wetsuit. To reflect the height above sea level of the Lai da Tuma, 2,343 pieces will be made.