A press event on 19 May afternoon, Oris introduced its BaselWorld 2009.
2:30pm Some press members arrived.
The showcased pieces ...
The Star of the afternoon - The new ProDiver Chronograph
About 3pm, Mr. Paul Phua, General Manager of Swiss Prestige ( a subsidiary of ORIS), started
the presentation with an introduction of the ORIS.
Oris was founded in 1904. After the management buy-out in 1982, the company name was
changed to Oris SA (SA stands for Société Anonyme ,French for Limited Company).
Since 2005 the shares of Oris SA have been held by Oris Holding AG. Oris Holding is privately
owned mainly by the board members and the management.
The current Chief Executive Officer is Mr. Ulrich W. Herzog.
Ulrich W. Herzog
Also touched on the sales by Continents : Europe 38%, Asia 42%, America 18%,
Oceania 2% (2007) and the market segmentation (as shown in the picture below).
Primarily ORIS focuses on 4 pillars :
1) The Diving
2) The Motor Sport
3) The Aviation &
4) The Culture
1) The Diving Pillar
The Diameter 51mm ORIS ProDiver Chronograph
This piece was created as Oris felt the current dive watches in the market lacked of safety and
professional functionality.
Oris then invested in research & development to the following functional specifications :
1. Highest safety standard for timer function
2. Non-fading timer scale of top ring
3. Strong protection against knocks
4. Strong protection of crown and pushers
5. Best time readability in darkness
6. Water-resistant within professional diving depth
7. Highest standard of folding buckle
8. Flexibility to wear watch over wetsuit
After months of cooperation with Swiss offshore diver Roman Frischknecht, with the German
Technical Center for Ships and Naval Weapons (WTD71) and with the Scottish Underwater
Centre in Fort William resulted in some stunning new technical features.
The Oris ProDiver comes as a set comprising a replacement rubber strap, a set of tools to
change the strap and a certificate containing full details of this latest innovation in the world of
professional divers’ watches. The set is presented in a special waterproof case.
The waterproof case ...air valve.
Oris ProDiver Chronograph Ø 51.00mm
For the press release, please click here.
- Automatic mechanical movement with chronograph function. Centralised hour and minute displays, small second at 9 o’clock.
Centralised second counter, decentralised minute and hour counters. Date at 6 o’clock.
- Multi-piece titanium case. Screwed case back with special metres-feet scale engravings. Sapphire glass domed on both
sides with inner anti-reflective coating.
- Unidirectional rotating rubber, steel and ceramic bezel protected by ‘Rotation Safety System’
- Automatic helium valve
-
Black two piece dial with printed wave pattern. Applied indices with
Superluminova inlay. Nickel hands with Superluminova inlay.
- Stainless steel screw down crown and pushers with side protection system
- Extendable rubber strap with folding safety clasp. Also available with extendable multi-piece titanium bracelet.
- Water resistant to 100 bar/1000 metres
- Set includes case, separate metal bracelet and tools.
The inserted timer scale, which is made of scratch resistant polished ceramic, is held in place
with custom-made screws with triple slots.
These can only be opened with a special tool. The enamel white non-fading figures allow for
excellent readability under water.
The two colours of the chronograph’s minute counter correspond to the two coloured sections
on the hour counter.
This is a unique design element that makes it clearly visible to the diver whether the minutes
are counted in the first or second half hour of the elapsed time.
The dial and hands were designed according to ISO standard and in cooperation with our
professional diving partners.
The white Superluminova gives not only excellent visibility underwater, but also one of the longest
lasting visibilities of all Superluminova colours. The dial carries the traditional Oris divers’ wave
pattern on its black background.
The vulcanised rubber grip on the outer rotating bezel was another design challenge for the
developers of this watch.
It protects the watch against lateral knocks. The wave-like finger grips have an ergonomic form,
the same as the air valve grips of an oxygen cylinder.
The case back carries a special set of engravings with a metres to feet conversion scale which
goes up to 1000m/3281 ft: the maximum water resistance of the ProDiver.
This conversion scale allows for rapid calculation by divers working in countries where both
metric and imperial measurements are used.
To guarantee the ProDiver’s water resistance to 1000m, the stainless steel chronograph pushers
and the crown can be screwed to the case. Their valve shape also makes them easy to handle
and offers excellent grip. All three are embedded into a stainless steel safety barrier, which is
protected with a black high resistant DLC(Diamond Like Carbon) coating.
The Oris Rotation Safety System. Oris has applied for a patent for this new development. The
rotating bezel of a traditional divers watch can only be turned anticlockwise, preventing the dive
time from being extended.
With the new Oris Rotation Safety System only the rubber coated outside section of the bezel
turns and not the timer scale itself. Only when the outer bezel is lifted can the timer scale be
released and turned anticlockwise. After the timer has been set the outer bezel simply needs to
be pushed down until the “click” to relock it.
Well-made titanium bracelets, edges all polished.
A look of the rubber straps before changing ...
The watch in the rubber straps.
The self-regulating helium valve is built into the side of the case at 9 o’clock.
The innovative clasp allows the ProDiver strap to be adjusted rapidly.
The ‘sliding sledge’ of the clasp for the rubber strap can be rapidly adjusted to guarantee the
perfect fit when underwater pressure makes the wetsuit less voluminous.
The rubber strap has been designed with an “anchor”, an additional safety feature to prevent
the watch from being lost.
Wristshots of ProDiver
2) Motor Sport
The Oris Ø 44.50 mm RUF CTR3 Chronograph Limited Edition
RUF Automobile GmbH was founded in Pfaffenhausen, Germany in 1939 by Alois Ruf snr.
Since then the company has gone from strength to strength under the leadership of Alois Ruf jnr,
producing around 35 hand-made high-performance sports cars each year since 1974.
The RUF CTR3 (a scale model) is a supercar like no other. Its six-cylinder engine produces 700 hp
and gives the car a top speed of 375 kmph and acceleration of 0 – 100kmph in just 3.2 seconds.
Oris RUF CTR3 Chronograph Limited Edition Ø 44.50 mm
For the press release, please click here.
- Automatic mechanical movement with stop watch function, centralised hour and minute displays, decentralised hour and
minute counters, centralised second counter, date at 6 o’clock
- Two piece black dial with printed Superluminova numerals, polished nickel hands with luminous inlay, RUF logo
- Multi-piece titanium case with screwed mineral glass case back, sapphire glass domed on both sides with inner and outer
anti-reflective coating,
- ceramic tachymeter top ring
- Limited number engraved on case side at 9 o’clock
- Stainless steel Quick Lock Crown and pushers
- Black leather strap with green inlay and titanium folding safety clasp
- Water resistant to 10 bar/ 100m
- Presentation box set with certificate and model car
The front of the CTR3 provided the shape inspiration for the flexible lugs which join the watch strap
to the case.
3) Aviation
Blue Eagles LE Ø 45.00mm
For the press release, please click here.
The first 24 hour movement launched by Oris Feedback from the pilots during the development
and testing process was essential to make the Oris Blue Eagles Limited Edition a new hero
amongst aviation watches. Pilots and other aviation staff are in action 24 hours a day around the
world. A strong reason for Oris to launch its first movement where the hour hand turns once every
24 hours. An additional inside turning bezel operated with the distinctive Oris vertical crown allows
a second 24-hour time display to be set.
Technical Specification
• Mechanical automatic movement. Centralised 24 hour and minute display, small second display
at 9 o’clock. Date at 3 o’clock. Centralised second time zone.
• Stainless steel case secured with 7 screws. Top ring and case back black DLC coated.
Case back with mineral glass. Sapphire glass domed on both sides with double
anti-reflective coating. Moveable inner dial ring operated
by vertical crown located at 2 o’clock
• Black dial with applied indices and printed Superluminova numbers. Hands with luminous inlay.
• Limited to 1969 pieces. Limited edition number engraved at 9 o’clock
• Stainless steel Quick Lock crown.
• Black leather strap with contrasting stitching and special folding clasp
• Water resistant to 10 bar/100m.
• Presentation box set with flight instrument box, certificate and Blue Eagles crest.
Its reading 22:24.
The “half moon” indicates daylight time between 0600-1800 h on both time scales.
‘Blue Eagles’ crest
The multi-piece stainless steel case has a special two-colour sandwich construction with
a black DLC (Diamond like Carbon) coated top ring and case back.
Safety is always the first consideration for the Blue Eagles team, and this watch is fitted with
the Oris Quick Lock Crown system to prevent accidental adjustment.
A cut-out of the Blue Eagle. Unfortunately the seal-bag was not open.
The case back is engraved with the head of an eagle and carries the words ‘Blue Eagles’
on the reverse of the vertical crown.
4) Culture
Oris Bob Dylan Limited Edition
For the press release , please click here.
As a tribute to Bob Dylan, Oris has created a special edition Rectangular model, limited to just
3000 pieces worldwide. The stainless steel cased watches carry Bob Dylan’s signature on the
finely patterned dial. His portrait is engraved on the case back along with the limited edition
number of the watch.
Specifications
Size : 37.80mm x 39.00 mm
• Automatic mechanical movement, centralised hour, minute and second displays. Date at 6 o’clock.
• Black patterned dial with applied numerals, nickel hands with luminous inlay.
• Multi piece stainless steel case, case back fixed with four screws. Special case back engraving, and small glass window.
• Sapphire glass domed on both sides and with inner and outer antireflective coating.
• Stainless steel crown
• Black leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp
• Water resistant to 3 bar
Come with a Hohner Marine Band harmonica – the instrument for which Dylan is best known.
Kong