Swiss watch brand Oris celebrates the uniquely historic role of its signature Big Crown Pointer Date by casing it in solid bronze and using a bespoke finish that makes each bronze dial a one-of-a-kind.
Oris’s Big Crown Pointer Date first entered the Oris collection in 1938, more than eight decades ago. Its creators made a watch for glove-wearing aviators – hence the oversized crown and clear Arabic-numeral dial – but they also made a beautiful object.
The Big Crown Pointer Date’s continued relevance owes much to the original design. But it’s also a reflection of its role in Oris’s revival after the 1970s Quartz Crisis, and in the revival of the Swiss watch industry.
The role of the Big Crown Pointer Date in Oris’s decision in the mid- to late 1980s to rebuild the company with only mechanical watches was critical. It had a story, a purpose and an emotional value that the quartz-powered novelties of the day simply couldn’t compete with. It became an Oris signature and a symbol of the Swiss watch industry’s dramatic revival.
Today, more than 30 years later, Oris is introducing the Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date. The bronze case and dial symbolize Oris’s industrial philosophy and the eternal value of a Swiss Made mechanical watch.
The solid bronze dial is chemically treated and coated with a transparent matt lacquer to create a unique finish for every piece.
History of Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
Oris was founded in 1904, and around 1910 made its first watch for pilots. Louis Blériot had flown across the English Channel in 1908.
Shortly after, Oris created a pocket watch with an image of a Blériot plane engraved onto the case. That was followed in 1917 by the company’s first pilot’s wristwatch, a clever piece that could only be adjusted when a button above the crown was activated. Two years ago, Oris created a centenary edition of this landmark watch.
In 1938, Oris produced a watch that would become known as the Big Crown Pointer Date. It had an over-sized crown that could be easily operated by a pilot, even when wearing gloves; large Arabic numerals, so the time could be read quickly; a fluted bezel; and a central hand with a pointer tip that indicated the date.
Technical details
Model: Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date
Case
Multi-piece bronze case
Size 40.00 mm (1.575 inches)
Top glass: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back: Stainless steel, screwed, see-through mineral glass
Operating devices: Bronze screw-in security crown
Water resistance: 5 bar
Dial
Bronze dial
Indices, numbers and hands printed with Super-LumiNova®
Movement
Number Oris 754
Automatic winding, bi-directionally rotating Red Rotor™
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Functions
Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date centre hand, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
Strap
Brown chamois deer leather, bronze buckle
Swiss retail price
CHF 1,900
Available from
December 2019
