On 15th October this year, Swiss watch maker Oris unveiled Calibre 400, the brand’s new generation mechanical self-winding movement featuring enhanced anti-magnetic features and an incredible power reserve of five days. The brand now presents its new diving watch model Aquis Date Calibre 400, the first Oris timepiece to be equipped with the newly released movement.
The much-awaited Oris in-house Calibre 400 set a new standard for automatic mechanical movements. This modern mechanical movement was developed entirely in-house by Oris watchmakers and Engineers. It comes with 10-year recommended service intervals and a 10-year warranty.
Oris’s engineers identified that one of the most frequent issues with automatic mechanical movements concerns the ball-bearing system that allows the free-spinning oscillating weight (or rotor) to rotate. This is a critical element of an automatic watch – as the rotor spins, it generates power that’s stored in the mainspring, which is housed in the barrel.
Oris removed the ball bearing altogether and replaced it with a low-friction slide bearing system, in which a metal stud runs through a lubricated sleeve. This is much less complex, highly efficient, and involves far less wear and tear, making it less prone to breakdowns.
The movement provides an impressive 120 hours (5 days) power-reserve via twin barrels, both of which house an extended mainspring, each long enough to store two-and-a-half days of power.
Most mechanical watch movements will be magnetised if exposed to the strong magnetic forces we encounter in daily life. When this happens, they become less accurate, and can stop altogether. To make it highly antimagnetic, Oris engineered Calibre 400 using more than 30 non-ferrous and anti-magnetic components, including a silicon escape wheel and a silicon anchor. In testing by the renowned Laboratoire Dubois, Calibre 400 deviated by less than 10 seconds a day after exposure to 2,250 gauss.
For context, the latest version of the ISO 764 standard for anti-magnetic watches requires that to qualify as anti-magnetic, a watch must be accurate to within 30 seconds a day after exposure to 200 gauss. Calibre 400 recorded one third of the deviation allowed after exposure to more than 11 times the force permitted, making it a highly anti-magnetic movement.
The movement features 21 jewels and beats at 28’800 vph (4Hz). It follows the three-hands and date lay-out featuring centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds functions and a date window at 6’ o clock.
The Oris 400 movement measures 30.00 mm (13 1/4’’’) diameter. It is larger than Cal. 733 (Base Sellita SW 200-1 movement, 25.60 mm or 11½’’’), which has been used for the Aquis Date models since long time.
The Calibre 400 features the same dial lay-out as the SW 200-1 movement: Three hands and date. The new automatic calibre also incorporates instantaneous date mechanism, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second. In terms of autonomy, the Calibre 400, which is a twin-barrel movement, provides 120 hours of power reserve where as SW 200-1 offers a power reserve of 38 hours.
Naturally, the first watch to house Oris’s innovative automatic movement is the Aquis Date, a popular model from the brand’s contemporary diver’s watch collection.
For this new Aquis Date watch, Oris has selected a large diameter case probably due to the large diameter of the Calibre 400 in comparison with SW 200-1 movement. This 43.50 mm diameter stainless steel watch also features a large sapphire crystal case-back for a generous view of the movement. The new diving instrument still maintains its robust and stylish exterior.
At the same time, the watch is still water-resistant to 30 bar (300 metres), has a uni-directional rotating bezel with a scratchproof ceramic insert for safely timing dives, and SuperLumiNova® hands and indices. It’s also equipped with Oris’s newest patented development, the Quick Strap Change system, engineered so a bracelet or strap can be released simply by lifting a flap.
The new Aquis Date, powered by Calibre 400, has a number of differences to the standard model. The words ‘5 DAYS’ written on the gradient blue dial of the new model indicate the presence of Calibre 400. The date window is also larger and the date disc is black, rather than white.
The brand is also offering a 10-year warranty on all Oris watches powered by the new movement when you register them at MyOris. In addition, Oris is also proposing 10-year recommended service intervals on Calibre 400 watches.
Technical details
Model: Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400
Reference: 400 7763 4135-07 8 24 09PEB
Case
Multi-piece stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic insert
Size: 43.50 mm (1.713 inches)
Dial
Gradient blue
Luminous material Hands and indices with
Super-LumiNova®
Top glass: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back: Stainless steel, screwed, see-through sapphire glass
Operating devices: Stainless steel screw-in security crown with crown protection
Bracelet
Black rubber strap or stainless steel metal bracelet, both with security folding clasp with extension and Quick Strap Change
Water resistance: 30 bar (300 m)
Movement
Oris Calibre 400
Accuracy: -3/+5 seconds a day (within COSC tolerances)
Highly anti-magnetic
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 120 hours
Functions
Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o’clock, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
Warranty*
Extended to 10 years with MyOris sign-up. Applies to watch and movement
10-year recommended service intervals
Suggested retail price
CHF 3,200 on bracelet
CHF 3,100 on strap
Available from
November 2020
*Extended warranties: Oris offers extended five-year warranties on all Oris watches with Oris Calibres 110-115 when owners register with MyOris. In addition, the brand offers an extended three-year warranty on all Oris watches with Sellita movements when owners register with MyOris.
