A tribute to the railway that brought prosperity to Hölstein

Without the Waldenburger historic railway, there might not be the Oris we know today. The independent Swiss watchmaker has created a watch which pays tribute to the unique role the railway has played in the brand's own origin story — one that is quite different than so many Swiss watch companies. It began in 1904 with two watchmakers, Paul Cattin and Georges Christian. The pair were based in the watchmaking heartland of Le Locle, but rather than found their company there, they ventured west towards Basel. They settled in Hölstein, an unassuming village nestled in the beautiful Waldenburg Valley, and one whose manufacturing heart would soon depend on the railway for its growth. 

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is, without question, the most important watch in Oris' rich history. First introduced in 1938 as a pilot’s watch, it has been a collection mainstay ever since, becoming Oris’s signature design. Its oversized crown was originally intended for gloved airmen but now serves a more aesthetic purpose, while the iconic pointer date function is now internationally recognized as a symbol of Oris’s mechanical inventiveness.

The watch has a 40mm stainless steel case and fluted bezel, and a domed sapphire crystal over a black dial decorated with large, lumed Arabic numerals and a railway-track minute scale. It’s powered by the Oris Calibre 754, which fuels the brand's enigmatif Pointer Date function, whereby a central, red-tipped hand points to a date scale running around the perimeter of the dial. It’s finished on a dark brown strap made of sustainable deer leather supplied by partner Cervo Volante. 

Specifications

• Movement: Automatic Oris 754 (base SW 200-1)
• Functions: Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date centre hand, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
• Power Reserve: 38 hrs
• Case: Stainless steel case
• Size: 40mm
• Dial: Painted with hands & markers coated with Superluminova C1/C3
• Crystal: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
• Case Back: Stainless steel, engraved with Waldenburgerbahn locomotive & limited edition number
• Water Resistance: 5 bar (50 meters)
• Strap: Leather
• Packaging: Leather travel pouch and card holder, and special Hölstein map cleaning cloth
  
• Limited Edition: 1,000 pieces