Hands-On: The New Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date With An Indian Summer Dial

Fall is hitting us hard here in the Netherlands this week. Temperatures are dropping, and so are the leaves. But autumn doesn’t have to be a season defined by rain and storms. In Canada, especially, the period from September to November can be quite enjoyable, with the sun hitting the multicolored leaves on the country’s beautiful maple trees. Perhaps those maple leaves were the inspiration for the new Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date. Its gradient dial goes from bright orange to deep red, perfectly resembling the color palette of those magnificent maple trees during the Indian summer.

Oris had some great releases during Geneva Watch Days last month. The Big Crown Calibre 113 and the Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” were big, bold, and colorful watches. But what also stood out were their prices north of €6,000. We don’t often see those from the Hölstein brand, so we’re happy to present another Sellita-powered Big Crown Pointer Date at a more affordable price. Let’s take a look.

The Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date

If you’re a regular Fratello reader, you know we’re big fans of Oris’s Big Crown Pointer Date. In 2020, we launched our limited-edition BCPD with an oxblood-red dial and a bronze case. Today’s Big Crown Pointer Date shares the same case dimensions as that watch. That means its stainless steel has a 40mm diameter, a 48.2mm lug-to-lug, and a 12.2mm thickness, including the double-domed sapphire crystal.

The case flanks are polished, while the top is vertically brushed. In addition, this is one of the “old-school” BCPDs, so it features an elegant coin-edge bezel.

That also means that this Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date is powered by the brand’s caliber 754 — a Sellita SW200-1 modified with a pointer date complication and a red Oris rotor. This automatic movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, holds a power reserve of 41 hours, and features 26 jewels. Almost any watchmaker in the world can service it, and it also keeps the price down, which is something you can’t say about Oris’s watches powered by its proprietary Calibre 400. You can operate the movement with the large screw-down crown, which also helps keep the watch water resistant to 50 meters.

An Indian-summer-like dial

Then, we get to the unique features of the Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date. First, there’s the gradient dial, reminiscent of changing maple leaves in the setting Indian summer sun. It’s bright orange in the center and changes into a deep red toward the perimeter. That’s also where you find the scale for the classic pointer date. Working inward again, we find oversized Arabic numerals for the hours, including one of my favorite numeral designs in the watch industry for the 4. All the printing is white, and so is the Super-LumiNova inside the majestic cathedral hands. The pointer date hand, however, has a green tip that refers to the strap made of sustainable deer leather.

Oris has already worked with Cervo Volante for several years. The company specializes in Goodyear-welted deerskin shoes and high-quality leather accessories, all made by hand to the highest ecological standards out of Swiss deer hides that would otherwise be discarded. The deerskin strap on this special-edition Big Crown Pointer Date is mahogany brown and displays a fine texture. It also features two white stitches on each piece and a stainless steel pin buckle.

Available now

The new Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date truly pops with its bright orange gradient dial. The mahogany-brown deerskin strap also perfectly complements the dial’s deep red edges. I own the limited-edition bronze Fratello BCPD and still thoroughly enjoy its playful design. That’s also precisely the feeling I get when I look at this new special edition in collaboration with Cervo Volante. The old-school Oris Big Crown Pointer Date still deserves to exist alongside the more modern version in the brand’s portfolio.

And that’s not only because of its looks but also because, at €2,250 / US$2,600 / £1,900, it’s more affordable. This is a watch that can make you smile while not breaking the bank. I think that’s exactly what Oris watches should be all about.

What do you think of the new Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date? Let me know in the comments below.