Keeping up with ORIS this season
By Yasemin Gumushan | 3 minute read
Since its inception in 1904, Oris have held craftmanship in their souls. Their mechanical watches always conform to the Oris credo: “Things must make sense”. Fast forward to today, Oris continue to pave their own paths. Constantly striving to make better manual watches that offer beautiful, innovative functions and advanced performance levels, here at Calibre, we explore their latest timepieces this season and talk with our expert buyers about Oris' new releases.
Sun Wukong Limited Edition
There’s no better way to mark the 60th anniversary of the classic Chinese animated film, The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven , than with a memorable limited-edition watch.
Limited to 2,000 piece, the Sun Wukong Limited Edition is an exclusive version of Oris’ high-performance Aquis Date diver’s watch. Designed and produced in partnership with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio CO, the film was originally released during the Second Golden Era of the Chinese film industry.
The Monkey King, or Sun Wukong in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure from the 16th century Chinese classic novel Journey to the West . The iconic story tells of how Sun Wukong, a monkey born from stone, rebels against heaven with supernatural powers. Acquiring a red pillar with golden tips that he shrinks, the Monkey King fights his enemies and their unjust ways. Today, the Monkey King is an icon of Chinese culture recognised around the world.
Oris’ designers took inspiration from the Monkey King’s staff: the magical red and golden pillar which fights for the greater good. Here, the seconds hand becomes the weapon with a striking red colour complete with golden tips. Expressing how fast the Monkey King spins it in battle, Oris designers abstracted the form, adding repeating flashes of blue that diminish and return in size and colour to suggest constant motion.
Playful and unique, the Sun Wukong Limited Edition carries the same quality signifiers and exceptional performance which the Aquis Date has become known and loved for. It has a 41.5mm stainless steel case and an ocean blue uni-directional rotating bezel that plays an appreciable role in the piece’s character. Water resistant to 300 metres, the watch includes crown protectors, a screw-down crown and a stainless-steel bracelet with an extendable folding clasp.
Completing the story, the case back is engraved with the head of Sun Wukong and his staff, while the same dial abstraction repeats on the special presentation case.
Big Crown Pointer Date Calibre 403
Introduced in 1938, the Big Crown Pointer Date is Oris’s signature design. Having been in constant production for more than 80 years, the Big Crown Pointer Date Calibre 403 marks the start of a new chapter in the story of an icon.
The original had two distinctive features – an oversized crown so the watch could be operated by gloved airmen, and a central hand that pointed to a date scale around the edge of the dial. The form has become Oris’s signature design, a Swiss watchmaking icon, and a byword for beautiful, functional, timeless watchmaking.
Embarking on its latest adventure, the Big Crown Pointer Date is getting one of the most significant upgrades in its distinguished history. The updated 38mm model carries Calibre 403, one of the Oris Calibre 400 Series of high-performance in-house engineered automatics. Calibre 403 first appeared in the 250-piece Hölstein Edition 2021, but this is the first time it features in a collection piece. It provides the watch with small seconds and pointer date complications. As with every movement in the Calibre 400 Series, Calibre 403 has elevated levels of anti-magnetism, a five-day power reserve and a 10-year warranty. Guaranteed to provide exceptional performance.
“People who love Oris have been asking for this, it’s a privilege as Oris guardians to begin this new chapter in the Big Crown story.” Oris Co-CEO, Rolf Studer
Oris Rectangular
It’s back. In fact, it never really went away. The Oris Rectangular returns with new proportions, dial design, and peppy dial and leather strap options, fit for every season. The Rectangular’s classic, dressy, unisex form is defined by its four-sided stainless-steel case and integrated straps. The dials come in white, blue, anthracite and Bordeaux with a design heavily influenced by the Art Deco style. Numerals at 12, 9 and 3 play with symmetry and asymmetry, while sword-shaped hands and a date window at 6 o’clock make the dial striking. Powered by the Oris Calibre 561, a Swiss Made automatic mechanical time-and-date movement, watch enthusiasts can admire the piece through a mineral glass case back. The Oris Rectangular is proof a watch doesn’t have to be round to find the right angle.
EXPERT THOUGHTS
We invited our expert Watch Buying team to share their thoughts on these exciting pieces.
Let’s start by introducing Oris, how would you describe their ethos and brand?
Oris are extremely proud of their brand ethos ‘Change for the better’ which they never lose sight of when creating new watches and their in house movements. Oris are committed to protecting our planet and have been involved with numerous sustainability projects which have supported various foundations across the world that mainly focus on protecting sealife and our oceans and rivers. In addition to this, Oris continue to develop their in-house movements which see in one the brands latest November releases.
We’re very excited for Oris newness, can you tell us a bit more about what makes the Sun Wukong Limited Edition so special?
The Sun WuKong model is part of our bestselling Aquis subfamily. It’s limited to 2,000 pieces and was released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the animated feature film ‘Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven’. With a sleek yet playful spin on the Aquis design, the watch aims to bring to life one of the most famous Chinese cultural icons. It’s available on a 41.5mm case and stainless-steel bracelet and also has a 30 bar water resistance.
What are your favourite features of this unique and charismatic piece?
The unique dial has recurrent flashes of blue and a second hand which has been made to resemble the Monkey Kings’ weapon in red with golden tip really make the dial really stand out. Another great feature is the case back, engraved with the head of Sun WuKong and his staff. Overall, it is an amazingly fun piece!
Can you share the qualities of the Oris Calibre 403 and what this means for the Big Crown Pointer Date?
The Big Crown Pointer Date has been in production for more than 80 years and has become one of Oris' most recognisable models. This latest addition to the Big Crown family appears to be more similar to the original model, however Oris' new in-house movement, Calibre 403, gives this model a new upgrade and is the first time the Calibre 403 has been featured in a collection piece. The Calibre 403, like the Calibre 400 series, features high anti-magnetic levels, a five-day power reserve, and a 10-year guarantee. The Calibre 403 also provides the watch with small seconds and pointer date complications.
Do you have a favourite piece from Oris this season, and why?
There are a lot of favourites, but a standout model for me would have to be the Upcycle Aquis, as each piece is truly unique. Available in two sizes and on a stainless-steel bracelet. The dial is my favourite feature on these pieces as they are made from recycled plastic which produces individual patterns, so no two dials are the same! Although, the Sun WuKong will be a strong contender on my list of favourites!
