Oriss Swiss Watches, a 110 year old Luxury Brand

Time is indeed a luxury. Hence I like to add a little luxury to the way I see my time. A trait that well reflects in the watches that I chose for self or family. Hmm, and who makes watches better than Swiss-smiths? :)

While the Swiss are known to perfect the art of timekeeping, given the sea of wonderful brands and designs that they offer, it has become very difficult to swim through and pick a watch. The specification makes me no better person especially when it comes to buying a watch for a male member of the family. Cause specification is endless. Then comes the look factor. The wear-ability factor and most importantly, would he like what I choose for him? Will it make sense? To top the confusion, if the male member happens to be a "high flying" fighter pilot of the family? yeah, the confusion becomes worst and you look for something that would not just entice him but make sure that he uses the product.

And men! going by my experience, give them good watches, they love it. It does what chocolates and flowers do to women. It is also a safe buy :)

While the market is inundated with brands here and there including the clothing major foraying into this arena with products flaunting in their signature collection. I stumbled across a name that has been there. Been there from a century and a decade plus. The name is- Oris.

Watchmaking takes to the skies with The New Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter

The histories of watchmaking and aviation are inextricably linked. Flying was the future of the 20th Century. It was fast, exciting, dangerous, and the men and women who took to the skies became heroic figures. Like the aircraft themselves, early navigational flying aids were very basic and gave birth to the need of quality timekeeping instruments for Pilots so they could depend on when planning routes and maneuvers, and undertaking airborne missions. Though Pocket watches rule the trend during the early flight years at the beginning of the 20th century. However, if you see that pilots, who would be gloved to protect them from the elements, fumbling around in a pocket for an important reading was totally impractical and a bad idea. 

In the sea of innovation came Oris that developed Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter to serve as a high-performance instrument for pilots, mountaineers, explorers and research scientists, who work at altitude. Its sturdy 47mm multi-piece stainless steel case houses an Oris automatic movement, and a Swiss mechanical barometric altimeter and barometer movement. Phew!

The story continues in 2014 when ORIS introduced the Big Crown ProPilot collection, a series of mechanical watches designed to cope with the extremely complicated and demanding life in the cockpit. After the initial 3 models a date, day/date, both with an enlarged font sized, and a chronograph, ORIS has recently unveiled the most complicated pilot's watch it has ever made- the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter. 

I am told that the new watch is a pioneer innovation demonstrating the brand's exceptional watchmaking knowledge and horological ambition, both being built supremely over their 110 years of watchmaking history. 

The moment Is aw it, I was like- yes this is what I want for my fighter pilot. But why?

How the patented Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter works-

It has 2 crowns. The crown at 2'0 clock is a conventional crown to adjust time and date. Also to wind the watch [the automatic movement has 38-hour power reserve].  The second screw drew crown at 4'0 clock operates the altimeter. It has positions rangings from 0 to 2 ro calibrate the altimeter. Once set, the watch shows the current altitude via the yellow indicator and the corresponding air pressure via the red indicator. Phew! That is a lot of know-how I gathered while researching through this watch. In the end, all that I could reminisce and tell was that the watch is the world's first automatic mechanical altimeter watch developed for ambitious explorers. <moment of victory, a sudden triumph]. 

This has alone made Mr Fighter Pilot aka my cousin smile broadly, ear to ear and, me heaving a sigh that Phew! the efforts paid and gift was accepted by the receiver. 

The watch is very much available in the market [since September 2014] and if you ae interested, here's few specifications that you may like to know-

• Oris automatic mechanical movement Cal. 733, based on SW200 with date window at 3 o’clock 

• Black dial with printed Arabic numerals filled with Super-LumiNova®, same as hour and minute hands 

• Screw-in stainless steel crowns. Patented Oris altimeter adjustment and venting crown, incl. a PTFE vapour barrier

• Integrated Swiss mechanical barometric altimeter and barometer movement 

•  Sapphire crystal domed and with anti-reflective coating on both sides

•  Multi-piece stainless steel case. Water-resistant to 10 bar/100m 

• Screwed case back 

• Altimeter hand made from laminated carbon fibre 

• Textile strap with stainless steel folding clasp. Also available with leather strap or metal bracelet 

• Swiss Retail Price CHF 3,300 with textile strap, CHF 3,500 with metal bracelet 

Price: On request