The Oris heritage spans over 100 years so it’s no surprise that hidden away in their archives are plenty of interesting designs to draw inspiration from. One such design is the ‘Bullseye’, so named by Oris collectors. It’s a sector style display featuring a concentric ring in black against a white or grey backdrop – making it something of a reverse tuxedo display. Its first recorded use by Oris was back in 1910 on clocks and its last recorded use was in 1998. But now it’s back with the new Big Crown Pointer Date ‘Bullseye’.
The basis of the watch is the 38mm Big Crown Pointer Date, which is the slightly older variant seen on models like the original Cervo Volante collection as opposed to the recently modernised 40mm Big Crown Pointer Date. The fact that the ‘Bullseye’ is a heritage design means that using the more classical design with its cathedral hands makes a lot of sense, boosting the overall retro feel of the piece.
For the dial itself, it starts in the centre with an off-white disc (Oris refer to this colour as cool grey) followed by a black ring for the hour markers, outside of that is a white ring for the railway minute track and date function. The date is given in red to add a spot of colour, tying it into the red-tipped date pointer hand. It makes for a very smart display with a bit more going on than a simple monochrome design, ideal for those collectors who prefer a bit more character to their watches.
Below the updated ‘Bullseye’ display is the Oris Calibre 754, which is one of their Sellita based movements. It features a 41-hour power reserve with hours, minutes, seconds and the titular pointer date function. You can view it through the exhibition caseback where the red accents of the dial are echoed on the oscillating rotor. While looking at the back you can also see the quick release of the black Cervo Volante strap, produced from sustainable deer leather.
The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date ‘Bullseye’ is priced at £1,800, which puts it in the same ballpark as its 38mm Big Crown cousins. I’m so used to seeing the Big Crown Pointer Date with monochrome displays that seeing them switch it up here is a pleasant variation.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oris.
