Saturday, May 13, 2017
My Oris “dressier” watch hasn’t seen a lot of wrist time lately, so I put it on this morning. The fact that this watch has a 10-day reserve, a beautiful (but simple) movement and is relatively thin makes it a keeper in my book.
This was one of Oris’ first in-house movements in decades. It was first seen in the limited-edition Oris 110 which launched in 2014 to commemorate the company’s 110th anniversary. (That edition was limited to 110 pieces in stainless steel and another 110 in gold.)
The Caliber 111 would be launched the following year with the same 110 movement, but adding a date complication. Today, almost a dozen Oris watches use this newer movement – which I think is fantastic.
While not overly decorated, it’s a workhorse that can make it over 10-days without a wind. The sapphire caseback on the 110 showcases the insanely gigantic barrel as well as the balance wheel. I love to look at this movement.
The big crown makes winding this thing a breeze and the non-linear power reserve showcased in the front of the dial let’s you know when you get close to empty. I think the subsidiary seconds and power reserve nicely balance each other out, and the date aperture also seems to be in a good place.
The rest of the dial looks really nice too. The silver-grey sunburst dial really catches the light and the detail around the power reserve creates a nice contrast. The hands have a little green lume on them – not as much as I’d like – but you can get a feel for the time in the dark.
The applied hour markers and “12” and “6” look very Panerai-like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This isn’t a small watch by any means – but it doesn’t wear like the 43mm specification would make you think.
The deployant clasp is very Oris, with just a little more polishing than is one some of my other sportier watches. The grey leather strap is super-nice and makes this the go-to grey watch in my collection.
Certainly, Oris is trying to go up-market with watches like the 111 (and the LE 110), and the price point on this watch shows it. Will this choice payoff? Well, for smaller jewelers (like Throckmorton’s here in Austin) who sell only a very few watch brands (and Oris is their flagship brand), it’s great for them to have a higher-end, dressier watch that can compete. But it does put Oris in a space where it’s competing with other, more recognized and familiar brands.
You can see more pictures of my Oris 111 in the gallery here.
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