I’m not a bronze watch guy. Bronze looks like gold and, historically, bronze pieces discolor quickly and rarely look good a few years into regular wear. That’s before I met Oris’ answer to the bronze watch craze, the Big Crown Pointer Date, a 40mm piece that could make me appreciate bronze anew.
The Pointer Date is Oris’ most historically accurate piece and features a center hand that flips around the face and points to the current date. It features large, luminous hands that are styled in between Rolex’s Mercedes-style pointers and the hands of an old pocket watch. The piece is enrobed in bronze and is surprisingly warm and beautiful.
The $2,000 piece is 40mm and has a screw-down crown and exhibition back with Oris’ traditional red rotor. It’s a classic piece – the lines are clean and the coin-edged bezel looks like something out of a WWII movie – while the build quality and size are far more modern. This model includes a deerskin band that looks quite nice next to the bronze case.
Again, bronze is an acquired taste. I haven’t tested the longevity of the finish on this guy yet but it’s definitely designed to change over time.
“In a world of clinical perfection and digitalisation, people appreciate objects that tell their own story. As this watch patinates, that?s what it will do,” said Oris’ Honorary Chairman Dr. Rolf Portmann. The goal, then, is for this thing to grow and change as you do.
This Oris looks and works great. It’s a great addition to the Pointer Date family and will look good on medium to smaller wrists. Give it a whirl and maybe you’ll go bronze, too.
Specs
Case Multi-piece bronze case
Size 40.00 mm (1.575 inches)
Dial Bronze dial
Luminous material Indices, numbers and hands printed with Super-LumiNova?
Top glass?Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside?
Case back?Stainless steel, screwed, see-through mineral glass?
Operating devices?Bronze screw-in security crown
Strap?Brown chamois deer leather, bronze buckle
Water-resistance?5 bar
Movement?Oris 754
Functions?Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date centre hand, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second?Winding?Automatic winding, bi-directionally rotating Red RotorTM?Power Reserve?38 hours
