Swiss watch maker Oris has been creating innovative, high-functioning pilot’s watches for almost a century. This year a new model – the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Chronograph – joins the family.
The new Big Crown ProPilot Chronograph extends the design philosophy of Oris’ pilot watch family with its round steel case, oversized crown and Arabic numerals (designed specifically for this watch), and balanced, clearly legible dial. Its anthracite, sunray pattern dial and polished top ring give it a slick, stylish feel that makes it every bit as at home under a suit cuff as when paired with flight suit.
The new watch also features a telemeter scale, running around the outside of the dial. A telemeter is a device for measuring the distance between you and an event you see first and hear second.
Traditionally, telemeters were used in surveying and then in wristwatches by the military to calculate how far away the enemy were. The graduation on the telemeter scale is based on the speed of sound, 343 m/s.
The Big Crown ProPilot was launched in 2014 and has quickly become one of the most iconic lines in the Oris collection. Innovative pieces such as the Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter – the world’s first automatic mechanical watch with a mechanical altimeter – have put the ProPilot on the map and won it the respect of the watchmaking and professional pilot communities.
The collection’s aviation-inspired features include a coin-edged bezel, designed to mirror the geometry of a jet-engine turbine, and the oversized crown, a feature first introduced into watches during the early years of flight and designed so gloved airmen could still operate their watches.
The new Big Crown ProPilot Chronograph houses a Oris Cal 774 Swiss Made mechanical automatic chronograph movement that powers a small-seconds counter at 9 o’clock, and chronograph central seconds and hours and minutes counters, as well as a date function.
Its 44mm stainless steel case comes on either a dark brown, black and grey leather strap or a choice of black, grey or olive textile straps with a folding clasp inspired by the design of passenger airline seatbelt buckles; or on a stainless steel bracelet.
The stylish, elegant Oris Big Crown ProPilot Chronograph pilot’s watch will be available from December, priced CHF 3,100 on a strap or CHF 3,300 on a metal bracelet.
Technical details
Model: Oris Big Crown ProPilot Chronograph, Reference 01 774 7699 4063
Movement
Automatic movement Oris Cal. 774, based on Sellita SW 500, with chronograph function and date between 4 and 5 o’clock
Dimensions: Ø 30.00 mm, 13 1/4’’’
Centre hands for hours, minutes and chronograph 1/4 seconds, 3 subsidiary dials for continuous seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours counter, date window, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
Red rotor
Power reserve: 48 hrs
Vibrations: 28’800 A/h, 4 Hz
Jewels: 25
Case
Multi-piece stainless steel case with screw-in security crown
Diameter: 44mm
Lug width: 22mm
Water-resistant to 10 bar/100m
Sapphire crystal domed on both sides and with anti-reflective coating inside
Screwed stainless steel case back with see-through mineral glass
Dial
Anthracite dial with sunray pattern and Super-LumiNova® printed numerals
Polished nickel hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova®
Polished nickel chronograph central seconds hand with white tip
White hands for chronograph hour/minute counters and running seconds
Strap
Dark brown, grey or black leather strap and olive, black or grey textile strap with buckle for stageless length adjustment
Alternatively available with a stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp
Swiss Retail price
CHF 3,100 with leather or textile strap, CHF 3,300 with stainless steel bracelet
