The Big Crown Pointer Date was introduced in 1938. Our signature design returns with a fresh look and a joyful new colour palette
THE BIG CROWN IS REBORN
The Big Crown Pointer Date has been in constant production since 1938. Today, new editions and joyful new colours breathe fresh life into our icon
The story of the Big Crown Pointer Date is the stuff of Oris legend. Its genesis began in the 1930s when Oris was a fast-growing independent company, known around the world for its precision wristwatches.
The brief was to produce a watch that would serve a new clientele with very specific needs. For pilots, a watch would need to be as precise and reliable as any, but it would also need to be easy to use and read. Cockpits were uncomfortable
places: cramped, hard, often cold, and always unforgiving.
IT'S A WATCH TO BE ENJOYED BY EVERY NEW GENERATION
Oris's solution was to produce a simple round watch in a stainless steel case, with a black dial and large Arabic numerals at 12, 3 and 9, and an oversized crown that could be gripped by a gloved aviator. It would also feature a date complication, indicated by a central hand with a red arrow tip. This way, it would be functional and legible, a toolwatch for one of the most demanding jobs imaginable.
Little would its creators have known, but their practical, high- functioning watch of 1938 would become a design staple, one of the most recognisable watches in all of watchmaking. Today, almost 90 years since that first release, the Big Crown Pointer Date - as it's become known - is our signature design and a Swiss watchmaking icon.
Naturally, the original purpose behind the watch is no longer the reason it's still here. This is a watch we go on making because it's a beautiful reminder of our story. But not only that. Great design lasts forever, and the Big Crown Pointer Date has its rightful place in the canon of great designs, to be enjoyed by every new generation.
This year, we return to it, subtly modernising its design and adding new colours, a new metal bracelet, and case and movement choices. These enhance its versatility and confirm one thing: the timeless joy of the Big Crown Pointer Date.
HIGHER PLANE
The new Big Crown Pointer Date collection brings fresh, joyful colours, a new bracelet design, and a choice of case sizes and automatic movements
So what's new? This year's Big Crown Pointer Date collection offers a fresh colour palette, a new metal bracelet and a smaller 34.00 mm model, all automatics.
Let's begin with colours and movements. There are two variants at 40.00 mm with warm terracotta or green dials and Calibre 403, giving them a small seconds indication at 6 o'clock, as well as all the benefits of an Oris Calibre 400 Series movement (see panel, page right). Three further 40.00 mm variants with either yellow, lilac or blue dials in inviting hues will be powered by a Swiss Made automatic. And then the 34.00 mm model will come with either a textured beige dial or a black dial set with 12 lab- grown baguette diamond indices. It will also be powered by a Swiss Made automatic, in line with Oris's 100 per cent mechanical approach to watchmaking.
Also new is the sporty stainless steel H-link metal bracelet with brushed and polished links. It comes with an Oris-developed butterfly clasp that gives the bracelet a seamless, fluid finish when fastened. The Calibre 403 versions also come on a sustainable deer leather strap, supplied by our Swiss friends at Cervo Volante, whose deer leather is responsibly sourced and tanned in a chemical-free process.
It's a fresh, versatile collection, a contemporary take on the timeless Big Crown Pointer Date design.
A FRESH, VERSATILE COLLECTION WITH WARM, INVITING HUES
AUTOMATIC UPGRADES
The Big Crown Pointer Date Calibre 403 is equipped with one of our five-day automatics. Calibre 400 Series movements come with three real-world performance promises
ANTI-MAGNETIC
Calibre 400 Series movements have more than 30 anti-magnetic parts and exceed the norms of the ISO 764 enhanced anti-magnetic standard.
FIVE-DAY POWER RESERVE
A mechanical watch may not be worn every day. Calibre 400 Series movements have five-day power reserves, so they'll over the weekend.
10-YEAR WARRANTY
Reliability comes as standard with any Oris watch carrying a Calibre 400 Series movement. Register with MyOris activate a 10-year warranty.
INTERVIEW: ROLF STUDER
TAKING IT UP A LEVEL
A rebrand, a refresh of Oris's signature collection, and the revival of the Muppet's partnership: it's been a busy year already for Oris's CEO
Rolf, let's start with the first thing we see: Oris has had a brand refresh. What's the thinking?
Yes, it's a joy to unveil the new Oris branding, which we've been working on for the past year. We're really pleased with it because it captures who we are and what we do. We make beautiful mechanical watches designed to make people smile, which sounds simplistic sometimes, but in this crazy, unpredictable world, it's a real privilege to be in that position. It's a story of simplification, really. No strapline, no overwrought messaging: instead, it's about strong, optimistic colours and typefaces, the integration of the Oris Bear, and a focus on what we do best, which is to be serious about watchmaking without being So serious about ourselves. Oris is a social, welcoming, conscious company, fiercely independent, bold in our choices - the primary colour in our branding is rose pink! - and we're confident in our approach and attitude.
Yes, about that pink…
It's fresh, it's contemporary, it's warm, it's life-giving. And it's also the colour of our historic home in Hölstein.
The year started with the release of the "Miss Piggy" and the Divers 60th Anniversary Edition. What impact have they had?
They made a lot of noise! Particularly the ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition, which our customers had been calling for. The smaller case and hot pink dial are unmissable, and it's given us a great platform from which to leap into this year. And we got a great reception to the 60th Anniversary Edition, which has such a lovely, familiar retro feel to it. No one's pretending times aren't tough, for the watch industry, too, so to see the smiles on people's faces when we introduced these watches was very satisfying for us all.
And at Watches and Wonders Geneva, the return of the Big Crown Pointer Date. Again, lots of colour. What's behind the new collection?
We talk a lot about the Big Crown Pointer Date and about how it's been in constant production since 1938, because it's significant. Oris wouldn't be Oris without it. But there's more to it, for me. We live in an era of constant upheaval, which is difficult for most of us. In uncertain times, it's incredibly reassuring to know that some things do last. Fundamentally, that's the promise of any mechanical watch, but for us, it's most true of the Big Crown Pointer Date. The design is so simple, so timeless and so iconic, and we wanted to breathe fresh life into it and to give our customers access to it in a new way. The colour choices are all tied to the philosophy I've just talked about - they're warm, inviting and joyful. How could you look at a yellow-dialled Big Crown Pointer Date and not smile? It's that simple.
You mentioned "access in a new way". What do you mean by that?
This new collection has 11 references. Some carry our Calibre 403, which comes with performance advantages - five days of power reserve, anti- magnetic, 10-year service intervals and warranties - that are the product of years of in-house R&D. As you'd expect, these dictate a higher price point. But we also wanted to open up the collection, so we're offering a version with Calibre 754, a high-quality movement that has fuelled Pointer Date watches for years and years, and a smaller 34.00 mm version, which is a new size. And if you want, there's a diamond-set version of that, too. It's a really well rounded collection, with lots of access points.
Who is this smaller version for?
I'm a big believer in making watches intentionally for women. Of course, anyone can wear the 34.00 mm, just as anyone can wear the 40.00 mm, but our aim was to introduce a version of our signature design that was more elegant, more jewel-like and that would appeal to women. It's time this industry stopped wondering - women love mechanical watches, too!
Why use lab-grown diamonds?
It's a contemporary, conflict-free way to approach the topic of diamonds, and part of our sustainability efforts. They make sense from an environmental and social point of view.
And tell us about the new bracelet...
We worked hard on perfecting the design and I think the effect of the brushed and polished H-links is the perfect expression of Oris's easy personality. The clasp was a labour of love, too, and again, the result is so sleek and ergonomic and so generous to the touch. But I'm also really pleased with the effect it has on the watch, which becomes a multi- activity watch on a bracelet, sportier if you like, giving the Big Crown new areas of use. This is another thing our customers were asking for, and because we're independent we could invest the time in perfecting a new design. And of course, you can still choose to wear it on a leather strap. Personally, I love the Cervo Volante sustainable deer leather strap version, but that's just my preference.
HOW COULD YOU LOOK AT A YELLOW-DIALLED BIG CROWN POINTER DATE AND NOT SMILE?
BIG CROWN POINTER
DATE CALIBRE 403
The flagship edition of the new Big Crown Pointer Date is powered by Oris Calibre 403, a five-day automatic with a 10-year warranty
IN DETAIL
Case Multi-piece stainless
steel case
Size 40.00 mm
Thickness 12.30 mm
Dial Green, terracotta
Luminous material Hands,
numerals and indices filled
with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire, domed on
sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back Stainless steel, screwed,
see-through sapphire glass
Operating devices Stainless
steel screw-in security crown
Bracelet Multi-piece stainless
steel metal bracelet with
Oris-developed folding clasp,
or brown Cervo Volante
sustainable deer leather strap
with stainless steel folding clasp
Lug to lug 47.50 mm
Water resistance 5 bar
MOVEMENT
Number Oris Calibre 403
Functions Centre hands for
hours, minutes and date, small
seconds at 6 o'clock, fine timing
device and stop-second
Accuracy -3/+5 seconds a
day (within COSC tolerances)
Extra features Highly anti- magnetic
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 120 hours
Warranty Extended to 10 years with MyOris sign-up. Applies to watch and movement. 10-year recommended service intervals, five-year recommended water- resistance check
Swiss retail price
Leather strap CHF 3'600
Metal bracelet CHF 3'800
Availability In stores now
BIG CROWN POINTER DATE
This 40.00 mm version of the new Big Crown Pointer Date comes with a choice of three dial colours and on a new sporty metal bracelet
IN DETAIL
Case Multi-piece stainless
steel case
Size 40.00 mm
Thickness 12.00 mm
Dial Yellow, lilac or blue
Luminous material Hands,
numerals and indices filled
with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire, domed on
sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back Stainless steel, screwed,
see-through mineral glass
Operating devices Stainless
steel screw-in security crown
Bracelet Multi-piece stainless
steel metal bracelet with
Oris-developed folding clasp
Lug to lug 47.50 mm
Water resistance 5 bar
MOVEMENT
Number Oris 754
Functions Centre hands for
hours, minutes, seconds and date,
instantaneous date, fine timing
device and stop-second
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 41 hours
Warranty Extended to three years
with MyOris sign-up. Applies to
watch and movement. Five-year
recommended water-resistance
check
Swiss retail price CHF 2'000
Availability In stores now
BIG CROWN 34.00 MM
The smaller Big Crown adds a new case size to the collection, as well as two new dial colours, diamonds and a sporty metal bracelet
IN DETAIL
Case Multi-piece stainless
steel case
Size 34.00 mm
Thickness 11.10 mm
Dial Textured brown or black
with 12 lab-grown diamonds
Top glass Sapphire, domed on
sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back Stainless steel, screwed,
see-through mineral glass
Operating devices Stainless
steel screw-in security crown
Bracelet Multi-piece stainless
steel metal bracelet with
Oris-developed folding clasp
Lug to lug 41.00 mm
Water resistance 5 bar
MOVEMENT
Number Oris 531
Functions Hours, minutes and
central sweep seconds hands
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 42 hours
Warranty Extended to three years with MyOris sign-up. Applies to watch and movement. Five-year recommended water-resistance check
Swiss retail price
Brown dial CHF 1'900
Black with diamonds CHF 2'800
Availability In stores now
