I’ll be forthright in saying that Oris watches have never really captivated me much, probably due to my general disinterest in watches with common off-the-rack movements (a personal problem, I realize!), but I will add that the brand definitely produces some attractive models, at times. And in fairness, after their own 10-day manufacture caliber–the Oris 110–got a debut 2014, one could say the brand from Holstein was finally stepping boldly in the direction of addressing the wants of snobs such as yours truly, with some interesting and exclusive movements that showed ingenuity and interesting mechanical attributes.
All of that aside, the watch in question today is a 2,011 piece limited production variant of the Big Crown ProPilot. Evocative and fresh, this Oris watch pays tribute to the Okavango Air Rescue, which has been operating and saving lives over the vast, breathtaking landscape of Botswana since…you guessed it, 2011. Although this one “just” runs a simple Sellita (SW 220-1) based automatic movement, and not an Oris manufacture caliber, as discussed before, the watch is very nicely specced overall, comes with some appealing accessories, and has that feel of something special. It also manages to avoid the overdone limited edition trumpery that some brands we don’t need to mention, such as Panerai or Hublot, tend to end up mired in. Oh, whoops–yet for some reason I just can’t bring myself to delete that!
Anyway, back to the Oris! The new ProPilot Okavango Air Rescue watch is nicely sized, at an unbloated, yet modern 41mm. The case is predominantly brushed, lending it a toolish, relaxed air that will do nicely for the vast majority of situations that many of us seem to wear our watches in, while being able to stand up to the knocks and indignities of everyday life. Related to that, 100 meters of rated water resistance make it a capable watch for jumping in the water from time to time…and with that, maybe even aiding in rescuing some unfortunate person from being snapped up by a hungry Nile crocodile, if we are keeping with the watch’s thematic inspiration. A touch I really enjoy on this Oris ProPilot is the knurled bezel, which is both distinctive and attractive, and the pattern is echoed on the nicely sized crown, too. And then there’s the dial itself, which stands out for its rich, natural green color and organically textured surface. The reason for the latter is another charming little detail of this special edition, meant to evoke the verdant geography of the region and its extensive grassland which supports all manner of African wildlife. As any proper watch intended for adventuring should, the time and date indications are immediately legible; I think the hands suit the character of the watch nicely, and the little pop of red on the tip of the seconds hand keeps the sporty aspirations of this Oris watch right where they should be. Turning the watch over, you’ll find a nicely detailed caseback with a central medallion depicting a plane cruising over Okavango grassland in relief, with the numbered limited edition discreetly shown just below. I think this L.E. caseback looks great, honestly, yet another of those many–but not excessive–details that contribute to the adventurous spirit of this Oris model.
Above all, Oris has done a great job in making this piece truly fun, and I feel that’s something many, often very fine, watches can lack, amidst all the headier discussions of pricing and heritage. For one thing, Oris includes two very nice straps with the watch, including one of the well designed and unusual elastic nylon straps by Erika’s Originals (specially designed for this model, in an appropriate shade of green, of course!), a small company that has made quite a name for themselves amongst enthusiasts who enjoy NATOs, but want something different. An additional, richly colored leather strap with signed tang buckle is a beautiful option too, and to top it all off, Oris supplies each ProPilot Okavango Air Rescue watch with a cool leather travel pouch that absolutely looks the part, and should sturdily hold both the watch, and whichever additional strap(s) you decide to take with you on a journey. It goes without saying that this watch will be a strap monster par excellence, and I would hope the buyers of this piece take full advantage of that. Again, it just seems like a damn fun watch to wear, and to be honest, the full Oris collection seems to have many watches that offer much of the same. That in itself is a worthy brand achievement, and I commend them for it.
