After an overly humid start to October, fall vibes are in full effect at HODINKEE's New York office, and we'd like to help you inaugurate the season by highlighting three Oris watches now available in the Shop. These timepieces, a pair of Big Crown Pointer Dates in 36mm and 40mm and a blue-dialed Artelier Date 40mm, have an everyday-wear appeal that makes them ideal for everything from surviving midterm season to enjoying the crisp autumn weather outdoors. Coming from two vastly different collections within Oris's greater catalog, the watches contrast in how they depict the passage of time, yet a comparison brings out many of the small details that make the brand's timepieces so endearing.
Of the three watches we're introducing into the Shop today, the pair of Big Crown Pointer Dates should be the most familiar. Oris introduced its first watch with the straight-forward complication in the late 1930s. Originally intended for use by pilots, Oris placed a priority on the watch's readability during development, endowing it with a fourth hand to indicate the date, so mid-century aviators could tell what day it was at a glance, and a larger-than-typical crown, so the time could be adjusted despite the bulky presence of flight gloves.
The Big Crown Pointer Date also serves as a testament to Oris's past, as it was the commercial viability of this specific model that allowed the company to continue the production of mechanical watches during the industry-wide Quartz Crisis. As a result, the Big Crown Pointer Date has become perhaps the most recognizable Oris timepiece, the sort of watch that can complement any growing collection.
The two models that we're highlighting today are virtually identical other than the 4mm size difference, making the duo somewhat of a his-and-hers situation, though most men could wear the 36mm, and most women could pull off the 40mm with zero hesitation. What the watches have in common includes an attractive navy blue dial, a coin-edge bezel made of solid bronze, a domed sapphire crystal, and the namesake analog pointer date complication. The emblematic crown maintains its substantial presence and is made of stainless steel, the same material as the case, a combination that creates a striking, two-tone look when combined with the bronze bezel.
While the Big Crown Pointer Date is illustrative of Oris's 100-plus-year history through its mid-century, purpose-built design, the Artelier collection has a much more modern and dress-oriented character. This is the first time that the HODINKEE Shop has offered a timepiece from the Artelier series, and the version we've selected is quite the looker, featuring a soft blue dial decorated with a spiraling, stamped pattern that references the intricacies of hand-turned guilloché. Its overall effect brings a level of texture and presence on the wrist not often seen at this price point.
The dial is further complemented by applied hour markers, a date window at six o'clock, and a curved sapphire crystal. At 40mm in stainless steel, the case and dark brown leather strap provide a snug fit on the wrist. It's an overall classy take on the dress watch archetype, one that lacks pretension and would work just as well on the wrist of a university freshman as it would underneath the cuff of a dyed-in-the-wool professor.
All three of the new additions to our Oris offerings are priced right around the brand's sweet spot of $2,000, with the Artelier Date standing out as a particular value at $1,650. Head over to the HODINKEE Shop to learn more about these and other watches from Oris.