It’s natural that after years of service, a watch collection gets an overhaul and redesign in keeping with the times. Back in the spring it was the Big Crown Pointer Date that received a colourful rework, now it’s the turn of the Oris ProPilot Date, the Big Crown’s more stalwart, modern counterpart. The update is primarily a visual one though the movement has also been swapped out for a higher spec model as well. There’s also a Desert special edition for Dubai Watch Week. Without further ado, let’s dig in.
Starting with the case, it still measures 41mm inspired by the field of aviation with a wide display for improved readability at a glance. However, the lines are a bit sharper now with a more pronounced vertical finishing that makes it feel a bit more industrial in its aesthetic. That is upheld by the jet turbine inspired bezel, which is also more pronounced. Similarly, the crown has a sharper taper where it meets the case, allowing you to get a better hold of it when using it. The Desert special edition swaps out case middle and lugs for high tech carbon fibre.
The dial has been modernised with a layered, structured appearance thanks to the addition of a raised minute scale around the edge of the display. The main dial also now features a grained texture instead of the smooth dials of previous editions. There have also been some adjustments to the typography of the Arabic numerals, with the most notable change being the 7, which has an angled finish to its stem rather than a continuous line. Additionally, the hands, which used to be fully lumed, now have lumed tips to give them a more modern visual. For colour, the dials are available in muted tones of black, chalk or moss. Well, it is a more professional instrument, what were you expecting? Terracotta? For the Desert edition the dial is unsurprisingly sand tone.
Below the dial is housed the Oris Calibre 733, which is their Sellita SW200-1 base movement. What’s important is that compared to the Calibre 751 of the previous models (base Sellita SW220-1) it has the modern, updated power reserve of 41-hour instead of 38. It also moves the date window from 3 o’clock to 6, offering better symmetry for the display.
Ultimately, this redesign feels like a hybrid that’s part way between the old ProPilot models and the hyper modern ProPilot X, bring some of the more experimental aspects of that series to the main line of watches. It’s a modern pilot’s watch rather than a vintage inspired one, the gap to the Big Crown collection getting even wider. On bracelet it’s priced at £1,950 while the Desert edition is £2,700.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oris.
