Oris have been killing it when it comes to colour recently. The Big Crown Pointer Date range refresh presented a variety of distinctive shades that stand out compared to the prevalent colours that have dominated the watch industry for years (not one tiffany blue dial in sight). That attention to colour continues with the launch of the Big Crown Calibre 113, combining one of the Hölstein brand’s flagship movements and the Big Crown series in pink and green.
When we talk about Oris’ flagship movements today we’re generally talking about the Calibre 400 series that was introduced in 2021 with its 5-day power reserve and improved anti-magnetic resistance thanks to silicon components. However, before the 400 series, that flagship used to be the Calibre 110 from 2014, released in celebration of the brand’s 110th anniversary. It’s a series that has been conspicuously absent since the advent of the 400, which is a shame because it remains an impressive set of movements in its own right with a stunning 10-day power reserve.
The Calibre 113 featured here is the business calendar variant of the 110. A business calendar is a version of the complete calendar that features the 52 weeks of the year in addition to the regular functions of days, date, months. Importantly it’s not an annual calendar meaning it can’t account for the varying number of days in each month, so it will need correcting a handful of times across the year.
What’s particularly fun about the Big Crown Calibre 113 is that the dial has been laid out in a manner that at first glance it appears to be a sporty chronograph. It’s upon closer inspection that you realise it’s a calendar. It has a bicompax subdial layout with small seconds at 9 o’clock, a non-linear power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and the central hand (the one that isn’t hours or minutes) is not chronograph seconds but the weeks and months pointer hand.
In terms of colours, the subdials are a dark rose pink while the base dial is green in a shade part way between mint and sage. It’s finished with a grainy texture that gives the watch an almost organic feeling, like the dial is the stem and leaves of a plant and the pink accents are beautiful flowers. The day and date windows have also been colour matched so that they don’t stand out egregiously, though legibility is thankfully maintained by stark white numerals and beige scales.
You can view the titular Calibre 113 through the exhibition caseback, where the focal point is the oversize power barrel that provides the exemplary 10-day power reserve. It’s a manual-wind movement so there’s no rotor to obscure your vision either. I briefly mentioned the non-linear power reserve indicator and you can see an inscription highlighting this element on the caseback above the balance wheel. Non-linear means that the intervals on the scale are not the same across the length of the scale – specifically the initial days are quite small while the later days are bigger, making it more apparent when the watch is running low on power as the hand begins to move faster towards the end of the scale.
It’s fun to see Oris bring one of their older but still impressive movements out of unofficial retirement. The Big Crown Calibre 113 is priced at CHF 6,350 (approx. £5,880), making it one of the most expensive Big Crowns in the collection but for good reason. It would be fun to see some of the other 110 series make a comeback too. I’d love to see a new dual time zone 112.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oris.
