The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, in Bronze and with 36mm Case

It is not the first time that Oris uses bronze to craft its watch cases. We’ve seen it twice already on the highly coveted Carl Brashear editions – both the three-hander and the chronograph. Yet, for Baselworld 2018, the brand will make this material standard, as one of its timepieces, the very nice Big Crown Pointer Date will be offered in bronze in a non-limited edition. And that’s not the only good news… Think smaller diameter! Meet the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bronze 36mm.

Six months ago, Oris re-introduced one of its most iconic timepieces, the Pointer Date, with the D.26 286 HB-RAG Limited Edition. As is often the case with Oris, this limited edition signalled its return as a regular production piece.  What we didn’t expect was this to be a bronze, 36mm watch. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is a classic among Oris classics.  First launched in 1984, it was based on an Oris watch from 1938 with its hallmark calendar pointer, a feature that has become a key element of the collection.

The new version of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is rather special. Indeed, it features a case made of bronze and not of stainless steel (even if Oris also announced some steel versions to be released soon). Bronze isn’t new to Oris but it is the first time that it is used in a standard piece. The case and the crown are crafted from this metal, while the case back, with a sapphire window, is made from steel (for hypoallergenic reasons). The vintage look of this Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bronze is reinforced by a naturally tanned light brown leather strap.

The other good news regards the 36mm diameter. Yes, you heard correctly, the watch has a small diameter. Oris usually goes large but this time, it decided differently. And that’s good news. The bronze case is matched to an original light green dial, inspired by a colour from Le Corbusier’s Architectural Polychromy. This dial is combined with gold-plated cathedral hands. The display is classic with hours, minutes, seconds and the date hand on a central axis, with the date track situated on the periphery of the dial – a signature style of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date. The movement inside is a reliable Sellita SW 200-1, slightly modified to accommodate the new display.

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bronze 36mm (ref. 01 754 7749 3167 LS) will be priced at CHF 1,800 –  a very reasonable price for such an interesting package. More new on oris.ch.