Introducing: The Oris Big Crown Calibre 113 And Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control”
Today, Oris is releasing two big and bold watches. First is the Big Crown Calibre 113, and second is the Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control.” The Big Crown comes with the 10-day power reserve of Calibre 113, which debuted in 2017. It includes a non-linear power reserve indicator, day and date, plus a week or business calendar with a pointer hand on a mint-green and rose-pink dial. Does that make you wonder what kind of business the wearer of this new watch is in? The second novelty is the carbon-cased Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” in a brash “Bamforded” colorway. That’s a watch for all you stunt pilots out there.
The Big Crown has been around since 1938 and represents the serious side of Oris — or so I thought. Then came a mint-green and rose-pink creation, telling me that the watchmakers in Hölstein are letting their creativity run free and having heaps of fun designing new watches.
The Big Crown Calibre 113 means business in green and pink
The basis of the colorful new Big Crown Calibre 113 is the 5-bar-water-resistant stainless steel case. This 43 × 13.5mm housing has a 50.5mm lug-to-lug length and a smooth bezel. Inside it, a mint-green dial with rose-pink counters shows the running seconds at 9 o’clock and the non-linear power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock. The hands and indexes received a touch of luminous material, clearly visible under a domed sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on the inside.
The screw-in display case back reveals the hand-wound Calibre 113 within, and that movement is operated via the steel screw-in security crown. This fresh and fruity Big Crown Calibre 113 comes on a three-link stainless steel bracelet outfitted with an Oris-developed folding clasp.
The Oris Calibre 113 debuted eight years ago in an Atelier watch and now appears in the signature Big Crown collection. In addition to hours, minutes, and seconds, this movement shows the day and date and has a non-linear power reserve indicator. What does “non-linear” mean? In this case, it simply means that the scale’s markings are not uniform. As the power reserve wanes, the space between the indications increases, giving you a better sense of how much time is left before you must wind the watch.
The noticeable function, however, is the week indication on the dial’s perimeter, which also shows the months for context. The watch could/should have “Pointer Week” added to the name so it immediately becomes clear this is not just any Big Crown. This funky Big Crown allows you to have a complete business calendar on your wrist. The crown controls all the functions, so it’s easy to use.
The Oris Big Crown Calibre 113 (ref. 113 7800 4057-07 8 21 06) costs €6,350 and is available now.
The Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control”
Eleven years ago, Oris launched the 47mm steel-cased Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter. It was the first automatic watch featuring a mechanical altimeter complication. The ProPilot Altimeter, with its special automatic Oris 793 movement, uses an extra crown at 4 o’clock. This crown activates, corrects, and deactivates the altimeter indication. When entirely screwed-down, the altimeter is inactive, and the watch remains water resistant to 100 meters. Unscrewing the crown, however, switches on the altimeter. The yellow indicator on the dial shows the altitude on a scale of 0–19,700 feet, while the red indicator shows the corresponding air pressure. The same goes for the latest version, but more on that later.
Two years ago, Oris introduced another version of its groundbreaking creation. It still had a 47mm diameter, a nearly 17mm profile, and an impressive 55mm lug-to-lug. However, the change to a lightweight carbon case meant a significant improvement in wearability. The case was developed and perfected by 9T Labs, a spin-off of the ETH Zürich University (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). Made sustainably, the carbon has a unique design with an artistic, natural pattern. In line with the lightweight case comes a gray PVD-plated titanium bezel, case back, and crowns.
A bright new version, created in collaboration with the London-based Bamford Watch Department (BWD), appears now. George Bamford had something specific in mind: “I wanted an ’80s sneaker vibe with colors that really pop. The side effect is that the watch becomes super legible, too. People will recognize this watch from space.” Mission accomplished, right?
Like a 1980s sneaker
The 1980s-inspired colorway that makes the black and dark gray watch pop is yellow, lime, and red. It’s brightly visible under the domed sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on both sides. The watch is a limited edition of 250 pieces and shows the altitude in feet. For those unfamiliar with that unit of measurement, the gray PVD-coated titanium screw-in case back features an engraved feet-to-meters conversion chart.
Before asking what you think of both color-heavy Oris novelties, here are a few other facts. Besides indicating altitude and air pressure, the automatic, Sellita-based caliber 793 shows hours, minutes, central sweeping seconds (with hacking), and a quick-set date at 3 o’clock. It also has a 56-hour power reserve. The Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” (ref. 01 793 7775 8724 / €6,700) is available now, and it comes on a black textile strap. The dial’s colors continue on the back of the strap, which reveals yellow and green leather lining. Lastly, it closes with a gray PVD-plated titanium folding clasp with a fine-adjustment system.
Let us know your thoughts on the Oris Big Crown Calibre 113 and the Oris × Bamford ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” in the comments section below.
