2020 has been a packed year of releases for Oris, with high-profile unveilings across many of the brand’s flagship lines and an impressive new in-house movement. While the updates to the Aquis line and the debut of the Calibre 400 movement may have caused the greatest stir, the brand has also released several dramatic limited-edition variants of the Big Crown Pointer Date line. The Big Crown Pointer Date is one of the most versatile models in the independent brand’s collection, and for its latest release Oris pairs with high profile online watch magazine Fratello to create a customized variation on the theme. The limited-edition Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello blends together warm and distinctive cues from previous releases in the line while adding a handful of unique vintage-inspired touches for a subtle and polished look.
The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello opts to render the line’s retro sporty 40mm case in bronze. This is not the first bronze case in the Big Crown Pointer Date line, but the look remains eye-catching, with a light pinkish alloy that looks in initial images to avoid the oversaturated look some copper-heavy bronze designs exhibit. The case design itself is simple, but distinctive, with brushed wide set tapering lugs, the titular oversized pillbox crown, and the line’s signature rounded coin-edged bezel recessed slightly into the lugs. The stainless steel solid caseback features a simple engraving of the Fratello emblem, flanked by a matching coin edge for a touch of added visual flair.
Like the case the glossy oxblood dial of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello is not entirely new, having first appeared in 2018, but the new model adds a handful of handsome unique touches. This is the first pairing of the oxblood dial color with a bronze case, a pairing which resonates well in initial images with complementary desaturated warm tones. In addition, this new variant adds gilt elements including dial text, the outer date track, and the railroad minutes track, creating a touch of added visual sparkle in changing light while reinforcing the midcentury vintage feel of the dial design. One additional vintage touch comes at 6 o’clock, where the standard “Automatic” dial text is replaced with “Anti-Shock.” While nearly every modern watch movement incorporates some level of shock resistance, Fratello cites this element as a subtle nod to historic early Oris models, proudly displaying shock resistance on the dial at a time when such features were far from standard. The rest of the dial design, from the cathedral hands to the slim rounded Arabic hour numerals, is carried over from the standard Big Crown Pointer Date to maintain continuity within the line.
Oris powers the Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello with the Sellita based Oris 754 automatic movement. The Oris 754 is a long-running staple within the brand’s lineup and offers solid if slightly unspectacular performance. Power reserve stands at 38 hours with a 28,800 bph beat rate.
The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello is packaged with a pair of exclusive strap options designed in tandem with the watch itself. The first and more luxurious of the two is a highly textured quick release leather strap in a muted taupe brown. Although the top side of the strap is quiet and versatile, keeping visual focus on the case and dial, the inner lining is finished in a dial matching oxblood red. For the second strap, Oris goes in a sportier direction with a NATO strap in cool medium gray with bronze hardware.
By combining existing design elements into a new vintage-inspired interpretation, the limited edition Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello stands out as one of the brand’s cleanest and most refined releases this year. Only 300 examples of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello will be made, with 250 models available now through Fratello’s website while the remaining 50 will be sold through Oris boutiques. MSRP for the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello stands at €1,950. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.