Oris Caliber 110. 2014 is a crucial year for Oris. 110 years have gone by since two watchmakers, Paul Cattin and Georges Christian founded the Oris watch company in the Jura region. The name Oris originated from a brook in the town of Hölstein. It is now time to explore the most relevant phases in this maison’s history again, a maison which piloted the invention of some original technical solutions in mechanical watchmaking.
Personally, I usually associate Oris watches just to professional diving timepieces (maybe because I own one). They are aesthetically appealing, sturdy, very high quality for their price tag, and, when made in a limited edition with a military touch, like the Col Moschin for instance, they are even more attractive. They sometimes boast distinguishing technical features, such as the depth gauge device, provided on the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, launched last year at Baselworld 2013.
This year, to celebrate such an important anniversary, and with Baselworld’s official opening just a few days away, Oris has launched a limited series timepiece which gives us the opportunity to recall some achievements in Oris’s watchmaking history, and also show that the maison has somewhat returned to its roots, when it used to develop its movements in-house. Today Oris is dedicated to upgrading ETA sourced movements. The Oris Pointer Date caliber 373 is an example from its early period. The 1997’s caliber 690 is an example from the later period, regarded as the first world timer to change time zone by pushing two buttons on the case.
Not only does the the Oris Caliber 110 revise the Caliber 690’s aesthetics, it simplifies it: it gets rid of the double stepped bezel, the dial’s design is very clean, and it maintains a two-counter layout. The real game changer beats inside its case, and it is the Caliber 110, entirely developed in-house by Oris, not only because it is manually wound, but because it boasts an impressive 10 days of Power Reserve, given by…a single barrel, a technical accomplishment achieved through very rigorous miniaturization on a 1,8m long spring!
The Oris Caliber 110 boasts another attractive technical feature from an enthusiast’s standpoint, so unique to deserve a patent. In the Power Reserve indicator placed at 3 o’clock the spaces between the marks are not equal: the marks are thick when the power reserve is between 6 and 10 days, and they become thinner as the power reserve indicator moves towards zero. The Oris Caliber 110, made in no more than 110 pieces in stainless steel and 110 in pink gold, displays a 43mm wide case, and it will certainly be the key player in Oris’s booth at Baselworld 2014. It has indeed enough features to be considered as an example of the next Aviator’s timepiece from Oris. Reviewed for you, live, at Baselworld 2014.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Oris)
Gaetano C. @Horbiter®
