The Big Crown Pointer Date has been Oris’s signature design since it was introduced in 1938. This year, a new chapter begins with a model powered by the in-house Oris Calibre 403 automatic.
Introduced in 1938, the Big Crown Pointer Date has been in constant production for more than 80 years. The original had two distinctive features – an oversized crown so the watch could be operated by gloved airmen, and a central hand that pointed to a date scale around the edge of the dial. The form has become Oris’s signature design, a Swiss watchmaking icon, and a byword for beautiful, functional, timeless watchmaking. Now, the Big Crown Pointer Date is getting one of the most significant upgrades in its illustrious history. The updated 38 mm model carries Calibre 403, one of the Oris Calibre 400 Series of high-performance in-houseengineered automatics. Calibre 403 first appeared in the 250-piece Hölstein Edition 2021, but this is the first time it features in a collection piece. It provides the watch with small seconds and pointer date complications. As with every movement in the Calibre 400 Series, Calibre 403 has elevated levels of anti-magnetism, a five-day power reserve and a 10-year warranty. It’s also accurate to -3/+5 seconds a day – which would comfortably pass chronometer testing – and has 10-year recommended service intervals. “People who love Oris have been asking for this,” says Oris Co-CEO Rolf Studer. “It’s a privilege as Oris guardians to begin this new chapter in the Big Crown story.”