Oris Big Crown 80th Anniversary Edition 40mm Mens Watch

Ref. 01 754 7741 3167-07 5 20 58BR

The Big Crown Pointer Date began in 1938 as a working pilot's tool: an oversized crown for gloved hands, and a central pointer hand indicating the date rather than a conventional disc. That second detail is the complication the watch is still named for. This 80th anniversary edition marks that origin in bronze — a material chosen not for fashion but because it weathers like the industrial objects Oris has always made watches alongside. The case will patina as the alloy oxidises, and no two will end up the same colour. The green dial was matched to that process deliberately; as the bronze darkens, the two read as a pair. At 40mm across and 48mm lug-to-lug, the proportions sit closer to the original spirit of the watch than the larger sizes the Big Crown has grown to in recent years. The curved lugs follow the wrist rather than bridging it, and the plain vegetable-tanned leather strap — no stitching, no contrast thread — keeps the whole thing settled and unpretentious on the wrist. The red-tipped pointer date hand is the one accent that interrupts the otherwise warm palette, and it earns its place by being genuinely useful. The calibre 754 runs on a Sellita SW200-1 base, which means any competent independent watchmaker can service it without sending it back to Hölstein. The stainless steel caseback with its mineral glass window is a practical choice on a bronze case — steel resists the same oxidation the bronze embraces, so the movement stays protected while the exterior gets on with ageing.

Reference

01 754 7741 3167-07 5 20 58BR

Brand

Oris

Case size

40mm

Case thickness

12mm

Case material

Bronze

Case shape

Round

Dial

Green

Crystal

Sapphire

Movement

Automatic

Calibre

754

Functions

Date

Water resistance

50m

Bracelet / strap

Leather strap

Strap colour

Brown

Clasp

Buckle

Lume

Super-LumiNova

Retailer

Goldsmiths