The Oris Big Cron ProPilot Caliber 114 is the latest update to the ProPilot collection. It also serves as the introduction for the brand’s latest in-house developed caliber. The big news here is the power reserve. At 10 days, this is one of the heartiest movements Oris has come out with. The patented non-linear power-reserve indicator, oversized crown, and faceted bezel (inspired by jet engine blaeds) are all here like previous ProPilot models, but the watch includes a new addition: a 24-hour second time zone with half-hour indication. Not only is this a first for Oris, it’s the first time this has been done every by a Swiss brand in a mechanical timepiece. While this might not be the most useful for those who tend to stay in the Western hemisphere, if your summer vacantion plan includes jaunts between India and Australia, half-hour indications will come in mighty handy. Interestingly, the base for the Caliber 114 uses the same architecture as Calibers 110 through 113. How the 10-day power reserve was possible was through the introduction of a sinlge oversized barrel. The power-reserve indicator – which boasts greater accuracy as the days go by – is controlled by a handmade worm gear designed specifically for Oris’s movement suite. The Big Crown ProPilot Caliber 114 is water resistant to 100 meters. It comes on either a Louisiana Crocodile leather strap ($6,100), a stainless-steel bracelet ($5,900), or a black, olive or gray textile strap ($5,800).
Another highlight for Oris was Big Crown Pointer date.
Originally introduced in the 1980s, the first Big Crown Pointer Date helped bring back mechanical watchmaking to the Oris manufacture after the quartz crisis. It quickly became a best seller and was highly recognizable thanks to the smooth case, tapered lugs, coin-edged bezel, oversized crown, and central date pointer hand. The new Pointer Date for 2018 has been reworked for a more modern palate. The Oris team slimmed up the case to make it more business appropriate and added a bubble-curved sapphire crystal. There are two sizes here, 36 and 40 mm, and multiple different color options. Referencing the cherished Swiss-French architect/designer/writer Le Corbusier’s Polychromie Architecturale school, there are two distinct versions: one in light green and a gray-blue that works really well with the bright red tip of the pointer hand. That’s not all – Oris is also introducing the Pointer Date in a bronze version. Ramping up the vintage love, this version only comes in 36 mm and the faded green color. It’s one of the first bronze timepieces targeted to the female market. All the new Pointer Date models use the Oris Caliber 754, based on Sellita SW 200-1. Both stainless-steel models are priced at $1,600 on a strap and $1,800 on a stainless-steel bracelet. The bronze model is priced at $1,900.
