Oris Big Crown Pointer Date - References, Prices and Owners' Reviews

I acquired this watch about 7 years ago by chance, after discovering it on eBay. It's a limited edition of 2,000 pieces, released in 2003, called Wings Around the World II – Voyage to the Ice. This watch was created thanks to Oris's sponsorship of Polly Vacher, an English aviator who completed a solo round-the-world flight between 2003 and 2004. Her flight, aboard a single-engine aircraft, was for charity, benefiting Flying Scholarships for the Disabled. She flew over every continent, as well as the North Pole and Antarctica. I own a two-tone model (steel and, I think, rose gold plating), which seems much rarer than the all-steel version. The watch pictured is not on its original leather strap. After several years of use, it finally gave up the ghost. I replaced it with this strap I bought on Etsy, which I think matches the watch perfectly. Technically, it's 12 mm thick, has a 40 mm case diameter (44 mm with the crown), and is powered by an Oris caliber 654, based on the ETA 2824-2 (probably modified only for date display via the hand). A superb watch that I've continued to appreciate over the years!

A watch that embodies both timeless elegance and practical functionality, sporting a vintage design inspired by iconic aviator watches of the past. The red/burgundy dial plays perfectly with the light, while the distinctively styled Arabic numerals and the railway are enhanced by cathedral hands and the "date pointer". Finally, a well-integrated date on a watch! The 40 mm case, the fluted bezel (repeated around the case back), the screwed "large crown" and a thickness of 12 mm with a domed glass make it a watch balanced between presence on the wrist and wearability. Here on a cork strap, I also wear it on its original leather, a "vintage" tropic or even a Milanese mesh that echoes its bezel. For me, it is the almost perfect daily watch.

What can I say about this watch? It is simply superb. Whether it is its fluted bezel, its hands, its subtle grey dial or its imposing crown, no lack of taste tarnishes the beauty of this charming Oris. I would add that I love the famous pointer date and that its deer bracelet is both beautiful and comfortable. Its 38 mm diameter seemed small to me but in fact it is in perfect harmony with the vintage style of this model. A discreet and refined watch.