Oris are now a well established Swiss watch manufacture, with a solid reputation, a variety of designs and a faithful fan base. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date models offer a variety of configurations: cases, dials, straps. I was impressed when I tried them on at a local AD, and quickly fell in love with two dial variants: the grey/blue version and the red, both with steel cases.

Whilst trying the watch out, I settled on choosing the red dial over the blue, because it really stands out and is very different from everything else out there. Also I don’t have any red dials in my collection (yes, that is me trying to justify another totally unnecessary watch purchase by inventing completely stupid reasons). The watch can come on a metal bracelet, a “suede” strap, or classic brown leather. I didn’t want another metal bracelet, and the quality of the suede seemed quite poor in the shop, so I ordered one on a classic brown leather strap.

And there is a major drawback from the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date. The strap is not to the standard of the rest of the watch. It is stiff and rugged, and not a very nice color too. It feels like a cheap 20$ strap bought with a discount on a dodgy internet website. Even the buckle is pretty standard. It would have been nice to have at least a deployant clasp on this watch. How on earth can Oris offer it on this piece of crap leather I wonder? Thankfully the strap has quick release springbars so at least you can easily remove it without leaving any mark on the lugs. But then you are confronted with a second problem: what type of strap can you put on this watch? Pairing with the dial colour is not that easy. I managed a good match with a khaki green barenia leather strap that is of much higher quality and suits the watch very well.

Aside from that, the watch in itself is a great piece of design and craftsmanship. Of course the dial is the star of the show. Call it Burgundy red, lie de vin, brownish red, oxblood or whatever you want, it’s just astoundingly beautiful. The color ranges from deep brown, to electric red depending on the ambient light. The lacquered surface is spotless and brings awesome reflections and depth. The cathedral hands and nice fonts of the numerals printed on the dial are great looking too, and everything is very well balanced. The hands show great readability and have a strong lume presence. On the dial however the lume plots are anecdotic and of not much use.

The best part about this watch is probably the pointer date complication. It adds just that little bit of vintage vibes and a dose of fun. The date track is on the outer edge of the dial, and you can read it via a hand with a sort of inverted triangle at the tip. It is bright red and clearly visible. This certainly isn’t the most practical way to read the date, but it still works and suits the spirit of this wristwatch. The case is beautifully done, with a gorgeous and very fine angled coin edge bezel. The lugs are nicely worked, and the general feel is of high quality. The large crown makes manipulating and regulating the time and date a real pleasure: all in smoothness.

The watch is quite large and slightly bulky at 40mm diameter and has a reasonable yet obvious thicknness. It may be just a little too large for my 16cm wrist, the lugs being longer than on my 42mm Pelagos for instance. The movement is an automatic sellita movement, with an added module for the pointer date complication. This is a very reliable and sturdy movement, which you can admire through a see-throuch caseback. I would have liked an option with a solid case back and a nice engraving though. Oris choosing to use this movement means you can get this watch without digging into the kids’ savings accounts too much. If you are looking for an aviation inspired wristwatch with a nice choice of colors and great value, do try it!