ORIS: Diver Sixty-Five
Last week we were at the 100th anniversary of Baselworld which is the most important show and premier event for the world’s watch and jewellery industry. Rash and I were lucky enough to be invited out by Swiss watch manufacturer Oris to see what was going on.
After being chauffeured in a top-end Porsche, we checked out the exhibition before we were taken to the newly opened Maison Oris in Holstein and received some interesting insights into the brand by some of the leadership and design team. They’ve been making watches since 1904 and with that comes all the standards you’d expect from an established Swiss-watch company. Learning about the design process was interesting especially that designs start with pen to paper before they are mocked up on a computer.
The diver 65 was the main focus for the influencer trip but not necessarily for the whole exhibition as they were launches a few ranges of watches there.
This collection was first introduced in 1965 and has been well received since it was reintroduced in 2015.
The watches in the new collection are reincarnations of the old Oris diver’s watch. Retro markers, a vintage finish combine with contemporary 733 automatic movement to make up this little beauty. Intricate details include a bubble inspired domed sapphire crystal glass with antireflective treatment.
Our two favourites were the Diver Sixty Five NATO & Bracelet. The former encased in a stainless steel folding clasp with a green NATO textile strap to complete the retro look and of course they are waterproof, up to 100m in fact.
I actually went to Baselworld with a fairly limited knowledge of watches but recently I’ve had the itch to buy my first automatic swiss-watch. What was interesting is the Diver Sixty Five collection retail at around £1,500 but still boast all the benefits of premium swiss-watches making, so it’s actually one of the best sub £2000 watches on the market. It was clear quite quickly that you’re going to get a lot more value with Oris compared to many of the other brands.
If the coloured dials aren’t doing it for you, Oris have recently added a silver dial version to the collection. It comes with three bracelet options (black rubber, stainless steel and vintage leather).
Check out some of the watches in the collection along with costs if you’re buying from the U.K:
Our trip concluded with a traditional swiss dinner and late drinks where we were joined by the legendary Oris bear – don’t ask.
A great trip and we agree that Oris should be firmly on a Dapper Chapper’s radar when in the market for a new watch.