Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. A new Burgundy Dial for the Oris Big Crown x Cervo Volante
The brand's classic pilot's watch returns with a warm burgundy dial paired with a sustainably sourced deer hide strap.
One of Oris‘ most emblematic watches, the Big Crown Pointer Date pilot watch has enjoyed a surprisingly long lifespan and is rightfully considered the brand’s icon. Introduced in 1938, the Big Crown was conceived as a tool watch for military and civilian pilots. As part of the brand’s ongoing “Change for the Better” sustainability campaign, Oris teamed up with the Swiss leather goods company Cervo Volante in 2022 to provide sustainably sourced deer hide straps. The latest collaboration is a special edition based on the 40mm Big Crown with an autumnal, burgundy-coloured dial paired with a Cervo Volante strap.
One of the brand’s most popular collections, the Big Crown Pointer Date comes in a variety of sizes, metals, and dial colours. The vast Big Crown family has branched in different directions, with contemporary models and more vintage-inspired references; the watch selected for the latest collaboration belongs to the latter. Interestingly, the burgundy dial colour selected for this collaboration piece is very similar to the one featured on the all-bronze reference of 2022.
Housed in a 40mm stainless steel case with the signature fluted bezel, oversized screw-down crown and a double-domed sapphire crystal protecting the dial, the case is water-resistant to 50 metres, has a thickness of 12.2mm and a lug-to-lug span of 48.2mm. The top surface of the lugs is brushed, contrasting with the polished fluted bezel framing the dial.
Inspired by the autumn colours of the forests surrounding the Oris factory in Hölstein, the warm burgundy dial sets off the vintage details nicely. The cathedral-shaped hands and the stylised typeface selected for the Arabic numerals are textbook old-school pilot watch. Legibility is paramount in a pilot’s watch, and the burgundy dial contrasts well with all the markings. Moreover, the hours, the cathedral hands and the markers on the minutes track are treated with Super-LumiNova. The additional calendar hand features an inverted arrow pointer highlighted in red as it circles the peripheral date track.
With no natural predators to keep their numbers in check, red deer threaten the alpine forest ecosystem. According to Cervo Volante, Switzerland culls about 15,000 wild red deer each year. Instead of letting their hides go to waste, Cervo Volante transforms them into high-quality deer hide products, including watch straps. The leather is treated in one of Switzerland’s last remaining vegetable tanneries, and imperfections are left untouched. For this latest collaboration, the watch is paired with a dark brown Cervo Volante deer skin strap with a quick-change system.
The watch is powered by the Oris 754 calibre, an automatic movement based on the Sellita SW 200-1 (a clone of the ETA 2824) with a pointer date module. It features the brand’s signature red rotor, operates at 4Hz, delivers a 41-hour power reserve and includes a stop-seconds device.
This special, non-limited edition Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Cervo Volante retails for CHF 2,250. More information at oris.ch.
