Oris has been loving bronze lately. They’ve made nearly every watch in their stable out of the stuff and the Big Pilot, their 41mm aviator watch, has just gotten the patina treatment.
The Big Crown ProPilot Big Date Bronze features the same pared-down design as the original ProPilot and has a large date window (not to be confused with a big date complication that shows the date using two different wheels.) The bronze body looks great and the face is lumed so you can see your bronze beauty during night flights.
From the release:
Oris has been experimenting with bronze in its diver’s watches for years – now, for the first time, the independent Swiss watch company has given its highly competent Big Crown ProPilot Big Date fresh flair by casing it in bronze, too. The warm tones of the new model come from its bronze case, fluted bezel, and signature oversized crown, which are complemented by a deep black dial with printed golden indices. This is a true pilot’s watch, so the hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova® and the applied hour markers made from solid Super-LumiNova®, creating high contrast and first-class readability. Finishing off the stylish look is a hard-wearing green Ventile® strap with Oris’s playful ‘Lift’ clasp, also in bronze, a device inspired by passenger aircraft seat-belt buckles. As with every Oris, inside the watch is a highly reliable Swiss Made mechanical movement. In this case, that movement is a precision automatic with an oversized ‘big’ date.
It’s a cute piece with a lot of wearability. I’m not a huge fan of bronze — it tends to rub off on my skin — but you could do worse for about $1,950.
