Oris has built a reputation for its collection of purely mechanical models set apart by their distinctive design and signature red rotor. As with all Oris timepieces, this year’s novelties feature clean, streamlined styles and subscribe to the design concept that form follows function.
Another more recent aspect of the brand’s offerings uses unique design to pay homage to celebrated jazz musicians. The new Chet Baker Limited Edition pays tribute to the talent of the legendary musician who became renowned for his various renditions of “My Funny Valentine,” among other classics. The beautifully engraved caseback features a silhouette of Baker with his trumpet, and the watch’s limited number, 1929—the year of Baker’s birth.
The musical theme of the timepiece is continued on the dial, which provides a smooth backdrop for the hour indexes– bars from “My Funny Valentine.” The 12 o’clock position features a musical clef, while the double bar line at 8 o’clock represents the first eight bars of the song, which have to be repeated.
Presented in a unique box with a mechanically driven metronome, the 40mm automatic watch has a price that is yet to be determined.
Dive model
Inspiring a new generation of diving enthusiasts, the new Oris Kittiwake Limited Edition was created to commemorate the deliberate sinking of the USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman.
Built in 1944, the USS Kittiwake served for fifty-four years in many important missions around the world, including the recovery of the black box recorder from the doomed Challenger spaceship in 1986. On January 5th, 2011, the Cayman Government oversaw the deliberate sinking of the Kittiwake to form a new artificial reef.
The Kittiwake logo, on the caseback and the “diver down” warning flag on the luminous black dial, mark the association with this historic ship and its new role as a popular destination for diving enthusiasts.
The ProDiver titanium case with Oris Rotation Safety System is presented on a matching metal bracelet and also comes with a rubber strap featuring an easy adjustable titanium buckle, perfect for wearing over a wetsuit. Water resistant to 100 meters, the automatic Kittiwake Limited Edition retails for $3,500. For each watch manufactured, Oris will make a donation to the Kittiwake artificial reef project.
Pilot models
Oris pays homage to the world of aviation with the new automatic Big Crown Date, with a stealth grey coloring that provides a bold background for the distinctive three-dimensional SuperLuminova numerals and indices on the dial.
The stainless steel case with grey PVD coating incorporates a fluted Big Crown bezel and screwed caseback. Fitted with a brown leather strap, the Big Crown Date has a price that is yet to be determined.
The RAID Suisse-Paris originated in 1991 and involves pre-1975 classic cars participating in a picturesque 600-mile contest that begins in Basel and ends in Paris. As the official time keeper and watch partner of the unique rallye, Oris has launched two new distinctive limited edition watches that were inspired by the dashboard design of the winner of the RAID 2010: the prestige Austin Healey 100M, 1953.
The Oris RAID 2011 Chronograph Edition is produced as a limited series of 500 pieces while the Oris RAID 2011 Alarm Edition comes in a limited edition of just fifty pieces. Featuring the RAID Suisse-Paris logo on the caseback, these two stainless steel automatic watches retail for $4,350 as a set.
Check upcoming issues of International Watch for information about additional Oris 2012 debuts.
