Oris, for most of its existence, has been linked to the making of timepieces for aviators. Prior to launching its first that can be worn on the wrist, Oris has thoroughly manufactured pocket watches for pilots. The ease with which these can be used while flying has been translated to its wristwatches, mostly notable for their crowns that were larger than usual. These were especially helpful to airmen who had to wear gloves while in service as the oversized crown allowed them to adjust their Oris watches with ease.
Compare Oris Big Crown Automatic Watch Prices Online
Release date: 1984
Price: US$1,600 (leather strap), $1,800 (stainless steel), $1,897 (bronze model)
The most iconic of these watches boasting of large crowns is arguably the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, which was not introduced until decades later in 1984 and while at the midst of the quartz revolution. The model, which featured a round case, legible dial, and a hand that pointed to the date in addition to the notable crown, proved to be popular among watch wearers. For the most part, the appearance of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date has been unchanged. In recent years though, the brand has added more to the line with more sizes and colors to choose from.
Specifications:
- Movement: Oris Caliber 754, automatic
- Frequency: 4Hz
- Power reserve: 38h
- Functions: Date, hours, minutes and seconds
- Case Material: Stainless steel, bronze
- Case diameter: 36mm, 40mm
- Glass: sapphire crystal on both front and back
- Water resistance: 50m
Pros
The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date takes design cues from both aviation and sports, which results in a watch with a dominating appearance in both the 40mm and the 36mm variations, although the former is more solid while the latter looks vintage-inspired. The color combination, especially in the 40mm blue dial, is just captivating and aids in making the dial more legible especially when combined with the cathedral hands and the Arabic numerals. Allaying concerns in determining the date through the relatively slimmer date hand is the red accent at its tip, which blends marvelously with the dial’s colors. It may say oversized crown right on the name, but compared to older models, the crown on recent versions lean more on reasonable. If you want to own a completely unique watch, this Oris will satisfy as it is one of the very few watches with a date hand, plus, it comes with an enticing price.
Cons
The price is justified by the unremarkable movement with a decent power reserve of 38 hours that is based on a Sellita movement. For the 36mm watches, there have been complaints that the strap is narrow, giving it a more slender look that is not what is necessarily wanted from a more sporty watch. Except for black, not all colors are available for both sizes; the blue dial is limited to the 40mm, while the green is only available with the 36mm Oris.
Compare With
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Night & Day Large
- Bremont Supermarine Endurance
- Hermès Arceau Chrono Titane
- Zenith Pilot Cronometro Tipo CP-2 Flyback
Image credits: Hodinkee (featured image and article images), Time and Tide Watches, Deployant, Worn & Wound (article images)
