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

Here's my choice as a first-time buyer of a watch from a watch brand. It's a difficult choice until you've taken the plunge, where I change my mind every day, even on the style of watch I'm looking for (field, diver, aviator?). This 40mm Oris Big Crown Pointer Date with a bronze bezel won out because it ticks many of the boxes that appealed to me: 1. the very beautiful cathedral hands; 2. the contrasting dial with the deep midnight blue and white Arabic numerals: surely one of the most contrasting on this model; 3. the gilt dial gives a very dressy look with the gold hands, and the matching logo and railway track; 4. the bronze bezel, matching the gilt, makes the watch even dressier; 5. the fourth hand pointer date function adds to its originality; 6. finally, this model was unanimously approved when I asked my family for their opinion. After a few months on my wrist, I'm still very satisfied with this choice. The watch is comfortable and very attractive to me. I changed the strap for a black leather Oris model with a folding clasp, which is more practical and attractive. Its 40 mm size fits my 17 cm wrist well. I also appreciate the precision of this watch, with a deviation of < 5 seconds per day. Finally, since it's a gender-neutral color that my wife also liked, I found her the same model in size 36, just to match... and to relieve her guilt. What I like less is the lack of contrast on the gold-colored date numerals against a dark blue background, which makes it difficult to read the date. I also don't like letting the bronze bezel oxidize, as I don't find it compatible with the dressy look. I reactivate its shine every month with lemon juice on a cotton swab.

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.