Oris has one of the most impressive one-two punches of Geneva Watch Days this year, first with the Altimeter Mission Timer, and second with a new Big Crown that makes use of the brand’s 10 day caliber 113. The Big Crown collection is having a big year all around, welcoming a selection of new dials earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, but this new reference represents the biggest change to date. Not only does it welcome the 10 day movement, it also brings a day, date, and weekly calendar into the picture, and they’ve gone about it in a uniquely Oris manner, complete with a show stopping color palette.
This is the most complicated Big Crown to date, and it’s dialed up to 11 in pretty much every way. That includes the case, which is sized at 43mm to house this movement, and the payoff is, well, 10 days of reserve. Flipping the watch over reveals the movement in all its glory, stretching from edge to edge, and dominated by a massive mainspring barrel. This specific caliber was introduced in 2017, though it’s based on the caliber 110 which was introduced in 2010 as a part of the brand’s 110 year anniversary. Since then, we’ve seen it used sparingly, but it’s one that makes a good deal of sense in the Big Crown collection.
Like the new Big Crowns released at Watches & Wonders, this expression utilizes a unique color palette that includes a sea foam green, and deep pink, a pair that comes together way better than you might expect on paper. Subtle white and yellow accents are also thrown into the mix for an all around visual that, for lack of a better word, pops. But this watch is more than that, bringing together a unique slew of complications offered by the caliber 113.
At a glance, there are two registers on either side of the dial, one of which houses the running seconds indication (nine o’clock), and the other which displays the power reserve indication (three o’clock). A third hand can also be seen at the hand stack, but rather than pointing at the date, this one points at the current week of the year. The representative months join their week display at the edge of the dial. Finally, the day of the week is nested in an aperture just above the hand stack, while the date itself sits symmetrically placed at the bottom of the dial.
I love this eclectic collection of complications, which make the unusual color choices all the more fitting. Pink triangles are set at the tip of each hour marker, which feels like a playful indication that underscores the intent of this watch. Like a lot of Oris watches these days, that intent seems to be centered around creating something lasting, and above all, fun. In time, these are the kinds of watches you remember. Oris