Luxury watches are indeed classy and sophisticated. Since they have this distinct timeless beauty, many people want to invest in them, or even just want to build a watch collection. They may somehow lose a fraction of their worth overtime, but the uniqueness gives a timeless beauty to each design.
Oris is a Swiss watch brand that has grown in popularity as the most well-known mid-priced watch brand on the market today. Their watch line is comparable to some of the most prestigious luxury brands but at a lower cost. Oris watches are also noted for using only mechanical watch movements in all of their models, which makes them appealing to watch collectors. Let’s learn more about Oris, a well-known men’s watch.
The Beginning of Oris
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Oris was discovered by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian in the Swiss town of Hölstein. After they purchased the recently shuttered Lohner & Co watch manufacturer, they named their own watch brand “Oris”. It had grown to be the major employer in Hölstein by 1911, with over 300 employees who were provided houses and apartments. This gave the employees motivation to hire more workers to create watches.
In 1925, the company added bracelet buckles to their pocket watches, converting them into full-fledged wristwatches. Oscar Herzog, Christian’s brother-in-law, takes over as General Manager a year after Georges Christian’s death. Herzog guides Oris through the many highs and lows of watchmaking in the twentieth century. Oris develops its own watch escapements as an integrated producer. The company employs a large number of highly trained watchmakers and was one of the first to provide equal chances to men and women. The company grew big enough to establish factories located in Hölstein, Holderbank, Como, Courgenay, Herbetswil, and Ziefen.
Oris unveils its first pilot’s watch, which features a large crown and a Pointer Calendar function. The name of the line comes from the watch’s oversized crown, which was designed to help pilots adjust their watches while wearing leather gloves. In 1938, aviation was designated as one of the four ‘Oris Worlds.’
In 1965, Oris introduced a cutting-edge diver’s watch featuring a unidirectional rotating bezel with a timer scale, large, luminescent numerals, and 100 meters of water resistance. After 50 years, the watch will be re-released, becoming one of the company’s most successful debuts. The Oris Calibre 652 features a better lever escapement. The Observatoire Astronomique et Chronométrique has certified it as a full chronometer, the highest level of precision in 1967.
The Top 5 Men’s Favorite Oris Watches
Oris timepieces offer some of the greatest value for money in the premium timepiece business. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, now is a great time to check over their catalog and consider purchasing one for yourself. Here are my top five picks for men’s Oris watches:
Oris Aquis Date Blue Dial Watch
The Oris Aquis series of diving watches is one of the most popular and well-recommended on the market today. It has a lot of styles, is quite useful, and is precisely made with the utmost care, as Oris is known for. The Oris Aquis Date Blue Dial has a slimmer design than its predecessors, which is one of its most striking qualities. This is emphasized even further by the use of a thinner strap. This dive watch is also made to be as light as possible without compromising overall durability. The straps used are interchangeable, and you can choose between rubber and leather. The Oris Aquis Date Blue Dial’s main feature is its 300-meter water resistance, which is sufficient for most water sports like swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Watch
The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is a vintage-inspired watch with modern functionality. Aesthetically, the retro-modern blend makes it a very appealing watch. The Oris Big Crown is a wonderful dress watch, but the vintage style and leather straps also make it a nice everyday casual watch. It has a subtle and understated appeal that makes it stand out from the crowd. With a diameter of 40mm, as the names indicate, this clock is quite large, and to match with the analog display, the elegant case has an auto-winding mechanism.
Oris Audi Sports Watch
The Oris Audi Sports is one of the best pieces in Oris’ catalog, both stylish and useful. The Oris Audis Sports lives up to its name with top-notch precision in timekeeping. This timepiece has a 25-jewel movement that clocks at an incredible 28,800VPH for ultimate precision. With its solid titanium construction, anti-glare sapphire crystal window, and luminous hands, this timepiece is also dependable. It also has a bi-directional rotating bezel and two sundials, one for 30 minutes and the other for 12 hours.
Oris BC4 Chronograph Watch
The Oris BC4 is a racer’s dream. The design of the watch immediately brings to mind the dashboard of an automobile. This Oris timepiece is not only fashionable, but it is also quite useful, with a 43mm diameter dial that contains a variety of timekeeping features. Intricate non cyclical patterns adorn the sub-dials, wonderfully capturing time’s never-ending movement. With a case diameter of 43mm, this timepiece is likewise quite big. The sub-dials are extremely accurate, accurately tracking hours (12), minutes (30), and seconds (60).
Oris Big Crown ProPilot X Watch
The Big Crown ProPilot X provides great durability without increasing weight, with a 44mm titanium case. A skeleton dial, especially on mechanically driven watches, is usually a delightful touch. The ProPilot X, with its signature hand-winding mechanical movement, exemplifies Oris’ craftsmanship. This watch is also water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters.
Final Thoughts
Oris is one of the most adaptable mid-priced watch brands available today and they’re also well-known for their high-end mechanical movements. Oris watches should always be at the top of your shortlist if you want a wristwatch that oozes luxury and can compete with some of the finest premium-grade brands on the market today at a more affordable price.
Many of their calibers are based on ébauche movements, which are a type of template in which Oris receives an unfinished, modular movement and adds their characteristics to suit the needs of the watch in which it will be used. Is Oris a Reliable Brand? Yes, they are quite reliable. So pick one and add it to your collection of timepieces.
