Oris have a longstanding relationship with the sport of baseball. A sharp eye will notice the brand’s watches on the wrists of managers around the league, and that was especially the case this week during “Lou Gehrig Day”. In honor of the famous Yankee, Oris has released a new limited edition Big Crown Pointer Date, their third such baseball related release, and this one is aimed at raising global awareness of ALS, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Lou and Eleanor Gehrig Family Foundation. In a show of solidarity, 15 active managers wore the watch for their June 2nd outings, with a special launch event happening at Yankee stadium.
The watch itself is a continuation of a series of Big Crown Pointer Date references, each released around baseball players, with the first two being dedicated to Roberto Clemente and Henry Aaron and their respective causes. Like those watches, the Lou Gehrig edition is a celebration of the player with plenty of easter eggs to be found. As a whole, it remains an eminently handsome watch that should offer plenty of appeal to even the most casual of baseball fans.
When it comes to special editions like this, it helps to start with a great base, and the Big Crown Pointer Date is exactly that. The watch begins with a steel 40mm case with that classic coin edge bezel, and a total thickness of just over 12mm. The case gets a mix of brushed and polished surfaces with a straightforward lug design that makes it pretty easy to get along with on the wrist. As ever, the watch is using the Oris caliber 754-1, which is based on the Sellita SW200-1.
What sets this particular BCPD apart is, well, everything else. That begins with the general palette being used, which mirrors the Yankee uniform worn by Gehrig, who played from 1923 right through to 1939. Within that span, he played 2,130 consecutive games. The silver dial has a light vertical brush, and gets dark blue and white accents. Within the date index surrounding the dial, the number 4 is rendered in blue, a nod to the number worn by Gehrig. A closed caseback bears the likeness of Gehrig and a microphone, honoring the scene of his famous July 4, 1939 “The luckiest man on the face of the Earth” speech marking his retirement.
Almost two years to the day after giving that speech at Yankee stadium, Gehrig would succumb to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 37. Today, the Gehrig family foundation supports families affected by ALS, and helps to fund research and treatments for the disease, for which there is no cure. With that, Oris is partnering with the foundation to contribute to the same causes with the sale of this watch. Oris will produce 2,130 examples of the Lou Gehrig BCPD, and each will be priced at $2,850. Oris
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