Cotton Candy And Coney Island With Oris

The hot and humid summer season has us yearning for the cool ocean breezes of Coney Island. New York’s legendary seaside neighborhood otherwise known as the “Playground of the World.” Since the 1870s, its strip of amusement parks, restaurants, and sideshows has attracted both the well-heeled and the hoi polloi. From the thrilling views atop the Wonder Wheel to the old-world Russian Teahouses, the nostalgic romance of Coney Island offers something for everyone.
 

Introduced in the spring of 2021, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy collection also has universal appeal. Housed in a 38mm bronze case with a lightweight, tapered bracelet, these sport watches are designed to suit any sized wrist. Powered by the Oris 733 caliber (a modified Sellita SW 200-1) and priced at just $2,750, it’s a slice of luxury that’s accessible to most.

The most striking feature of the collection is its true pastel pink, blue, and green dial options. These watches feel like summer encapsulated in a timepiece. What better way to beat the heat than taking this trio on a trip to Coney Island?

For first-time visitors, the most authentic way to reach Coney Island is by subway. That is how native New Yorkers access the boardwalk, and it feels a bit like time travel.

The beach is served by four trains – the D, F, N, and Q – but whichever line you take, you’ll arrive at the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Station that was built over a century ago in 1917. Once there, walk across Surf Avenue toward the various amusements, including the Cyclone, B&B Carousel, the Thunderbolt, and, of course, the Wonder Wheel.
 

You may want to get your ride on earlier in the day to beat the crowds. The thrill of these attractions lies partially in their age. When it comes to thrills, there is something about the way the gondolas on the Wonder Wheel sway back and forth (helpful hint: the red and blue cars swing while the white cars don’t) or how the tracks on the Cyclone click and clack, lending extra chills to the experience.
 

Just like the legendary case of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five evokes memories of sports watches of the 1960s, these attractions bring on powerful and pleasant memories of the past.

Unlike these rides, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy also evokes a fresh new feeling thanks to its slightly smaller case size, the use of bronze as a case material, and, of course, the colorful dials.
 

You don’t often see muted pastels used on a watch’s face – and we’re certain that we’ve never seen one surrounded by bronze – but the effect is the visual equivalent of a cool ocean breeze during a heatwave.

The Riegelmann Boardwalk (a.k.a. the Coney Island Boardwalk) is a 2.7-mile-long strip of wooden planks arranged in a chevron that connects most of the seaside attractions, including the New York Aquarium, Luna Park, and, most importantly, the arcades. These game stands offer up everything from claw machines to shooting galleries. 
 

In the 1920s, when many of these machines were first introduced, they were the equivalent of today’s interactive experiences. People have always been charmed by action and reaction, and in a slightly roundabout way, I think this explains the growing popularity of bronze as a case material.

Think about it. The patina of the bronze reacts and changes the more it is exposed to the environment and your body chemistry. And, like many arcade games, it is enticing and exciting because the outcome is a little unpredictable.
 

Here, we exposed the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy to both the salty sea air and the sweat-inducing tension of a shooting gallery (because here at Watchonista, we take winning prizes by shooting pellets into a clown’s mouth very seriously!). And although we didn’t notice an instant change, we recognize that results may vary. But we also took some comfort in knowing that patina can be “cleaned” if the wearer chooses to do so.