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Following last year’s adjustments, Oris looks to further consolidate their iconic collections! Now, it’s the Big Crown lineup’s turn for a makeover, with new colours to boot!

There’s always something to be said about independence in creativity. Having your own slice of agency as a creative can line you up for things you couldn’t have possibly dreamed of, angling you towards hidden passions that you may not have pursued otherwise. If I may toot the company horn for a second, my own residency here at Watch Advice is a case in point; Getting into watches, I never would have thought that I would end up here, writing about them in my own style – especially with the level of access to the industry that I have now!

Corporate schmoozing aside, though, my point still stands: creative freedom is an incredible, though undoubtedly rare, commodity to possess. In the watch world, scant few companies can describe themselves as ‘creatively liberated,’ but one of the chosen few is none other than Oris. Championing the phrase “Go your own way” as much as Fleetwood Mac has, the Hölstein brand has made themselves a comfortable niche in the watch industry, manufacturing high-quality pieces with as many ambitious design elements and dazzling technologies as they see fit.

One of those watches, crafted all the way back in the 1930s, was the Big Crown collection. Featuring simplistic and easy-to-read aesthetics, these watches were purpose-built for pilots and suited their incredibly specific needs. An aircraft – especially in the 20th Century – was not the most pleasant place to be. It was worse than crying babies and annoying seatmates, though; The airplane was a very unforgiving, cramped environment that still required precision tech. Upon the release of the Big Crown, Oris’ latest creation not only became a smash hit, but an iconic staple of the brand for the next ninety years! Ever since, Oris has committed themselves to continually modernising and innovating the Big Crown to keep it in touch with the modern times, yet preserving its legacy by maintaining the traditional look.

“The design is so simple, so timeless and so iconic, and we wanted to breathe fresh life into it and to give our customers access to it in a new way. The colour choices are all tied to the philosophy I’ve just talked about – they’re warm, inviting and joyful. How could you look at a yellow-dialled Big Crown Pointer Date and not smile? It’s that simple.“

Rolf Studer, Oris CEO

So, for Watches & Wonders 2025, what have Oris done to keep the Big Crown fresh? Well, for starters, a new colour palette! The brand has elected to release a whopping sevem new steel references in the collection, spanning three different sizes, all with unique colourways. Starting us off are the new pair of 40mm Big Crown Pointer Dates, which come in either a green or pinkish-orange hue that the brand calls ‘terracotta.’ These pieces, equipped with Oris’ new steel bracelets, also come with a leather strap offering – courtesy of their longtime partners at Cervo Volante – and should wear comfortably on many wrists with the 47.5mm lug-to-lug and 12.3mm thickness. The second offering is another Pointer Date rendition, which comes at a smaller 38mm, measuring up at the same lug-to-lug, with a 0.3mm reduction in thickness. These versions come in either yellow, a dark lilac, or blue, and are only offered on the steel bracelet. Finally, the third version angles towards the ladies with a bold yet restrained 34mm x 41mm x 11.1mm case size. In these pieces, also only offered on steel, either come in a modest textured brown dial, or a slightly more extravagant version in black accompanied by 12 lab-grown diamonds.

Another interesting change of note is that Oris has begun to commit to the new design aesthetic of the Big Crown Pointer Date – a look that has been present at least since 2021. Compared to the older references, these versions sport clean, contemporary Arabic numerals, compounded with a slightly contrasting yet colour-matched date pointer hand. While this used to be exclusive to the Cal. 473 and Cal. 403 Big Crown Pointer Date references, this expansion of the aesthetic drives Oris further into the modern watch market, and adds a much-needed touch of versatility – with a dash of whimsy – to the heritage collection.

With the new set of watches comes the Oris standard of quality watchmaking. Three movements can be found across the six references: the 40mm duo are powered by the in-house Calibre 403; the 38mm uses the Sellita-based Oris 754; and the ladies’ 34mm uses the relatively new Oris 531, which is based on an ETA calibre that debuted alongside the Propilot X Miss Piggy in January.

While the 754 and 531 are capable enough to be of note – with the luxury standard 4Hz (28,800VpH) beat rate and 38-hour power reserves – it’s the Cal. 403 that truly steals the show here. Using the architecture of 2020’s Cal. 400, the Cal. 403 boasts the same 4Hz beat rate as its contemporaries, yet does so with chronometric accuracy and a whopping five-day power reserve! However, I do say ‘chronometric accuracy’ euphemistically, as while it runs well within COSC Chronometer certification, the movement has yet to be officially certified by the organisation. This may have been a deliberate choice on Oris’ part, because while I have no doubt that Oris could pass the certification with flying colours, it would also drastically increase the price. Still, Oris maintains supreme confidence in the movement that they have created – so much so, that they still offer an incredible 10-year warranty for any issues regarding the Cal. 400 series of movements.

My Thoughts

With last year’s Watches and Wonders releases going relatively under the radar, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Oris this year. The bar had been set to a reasonable standard, and the Swiss brand is hardly one to make insanely bombastic statements. While some might bemoan this sentiment, I believe that careful consideration and adjustments have superior longevity to an extravagant timepiece of extreme decadence. Therefore, I believe that the direction that Oris has clearly maintained from last year will only serve to help them even more in the long run.

Related Reading: Hands-On With The Oris Aquis Great Barrier Reef IV

That’s not to say that these pieces aren’t worth talking about, though! As opposed to the Aquis adjustments of last year – which remastered the collection in the most minute of details – the Big Crown lineup’s new palette of colours breathes fresh life into the collection. Not only that, they have also brought it into the modern watch landscape by finally committing to the contemporary aesthetic they introduced so long ago, making the roster of Big Crown watches considerably more tempting for the prospective buyer. I don’t doubt this is the last I hear of them, because I look forward to seeing them make landfall right here in Australia – and I’m sure I’ll get my hands on them soon enough!

References & Specifications

Australian RRP: AU$6,300 (leather)/AU$6,500 (steel)

Australian RRP: AU$3,500

Australian RRP: AU$3,400 (brown)/AU$4,900 (diamonds)

Availability: Available now, from Oris.com and all authorised retailers.