Oris and the Williams F1 Team Collaborate on the New Martini Racing Limited Edition Chronograph

Oris partnered with the Williams Formula 1 team back in 2003 and the two have successfully launched many limited edition watches in the last 15 years. This partnership continues with the debut of the Oris Martini Racing Limited Edition, which commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Martini Racing Team, Williams’ principal sponsor. Design cues on the dial follow those on Martini race cars and there’s a special engraving on the steel caseback. The overall design is based on the previous Oris Williams Chronograph.

The multi-piece stainless steel case is 44mm in diameter, which is the same as earlier models and has a flat sapphire crystal with an internal anti-reflective coating. The bezel doubles as a tachymeter scale and the stainless steel caseback is engraved with Martini Racing’s 50th-anniversary logo. The knurled crown and pushers are also steel, and the case is water-resistant to 100m (10ATM).

The dial is black carbon fibre with large 3 and 9 numerals within a smaller 60-minute scale. Blue and red stripes curve around the left portion of the dial, matching the stripes on Martini race cars. The outer rings of the sub-dials at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock are also dark blue. The central chronograph hand (tipped with white) and 30-minute and 12-hour sub-dial hands are blue, while the seconds hand in the 9 o’clock sub-dial is white. The indices and hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova. A date window appears at the bottom of the 12-hour sub-dial (6 o’clock) and an exposed portion of the date wheel curves around the right side of the dial. A seconds track runs around the outer-most perimeter. It’s a busy yet functional dial.

The automatic movement is an Oris calibre 774, based on the Sellita SW500. It has 25 jewels, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) with a 48-hour power reserve. Functions include hours, minutes, chronograph ¼ seconds, continuous sub-dial seconds (hacking), 30-minute and 12-hour counters, and date. Part of the movement’s rotor is red but hidden behind the steel caseback.

The Oris Martini Racing Limited Edition is limited to 500 pieces and comes with either a black rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet, both with folding steel clasps. The watches will be available in November with a retail price of CHF 2,850 for the rubber strap and CHF 3,050 for the steel bracelet. More details on oris.ch.