Oris Honors Pioneering Humanitarian Organization Wings of Hope With Two New Limited Editions

The intersections between aviation and horology are made most apparent with the time-honored pilot watch. The developments in wristwatches aimed at the specific mission needs of early pilots during the so-called “golden age” of aviation brought the entire concept of a watch worn on the wrist from a kind of practical ornamentation to decidedly critical use as a tool.
 

However, despite modern instrumentation, these timepieces’ traditional functionality, legibility, and style continue their vital role and enduring appeal into the present day. Indeed, a well-made pilot’s watch remains a standard piece of gear for those who work the yolk as much as it’s a fashion accessory for folks who spend their time in first-class seats.
 

Fortunately, these new Oris timepieces now give people the opportunity to look good and help save lives by bringing awareness to a noble cause.

Besides the well-known watch/aviation link, there is also strong connective tissue between aviation and charity. Providing and piloting such awesome machinery in times of crisis can make a big humanitarian difference in the world. And pilots know that.
 

For 60 years, the St. Louis-based Wings of Hope organization, relying heavily on corporate and individual public donations and a dedicated team of volunteers, has been delivering vital medical service and material and providing patient transport to regions that are most vulnerable.
 

Need urgent transportation of vital medical equipment and personnel during the pandemic? Wings of Hope was involved. Shuttling patients free of charge in need of critical care unavailable locally? Wings of Hope is there. Operating in the United States and around the world, more than 65,000 people used the organization’s services last year alone, and its work has garnered two Nobel Peace Prize nominations, to boot.
 

Based on the signature Oris Big Crown pilot watch and powered by the Oris Calibre 401 automatic movement, both Wings of Hope Limited Edition models deliver five-day performance (you can read that on the dial). It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate timepiece to honor the hard-working pilots and staff who give so much of their time and effort to others in need.
 

The 40mm Wings of Hope steel execution (limited to 1,000 pieces) includes not only the standard pilot watch’s oversized crown for easy gloved manipulation but also features an off-white dial with prominent Super-LumiNova-coated Arabic hour indices and blade hands.

 

A blue-gauged, red-handed small seconds sub-dial with a stop seconds function at 6 o’clock adds a bit of rakish pizzazz to the package. But minimal and brilliantly legible for quick wrist glances in the cockpit, the steel Wings of Hope Limited Edition is the very essence of a classic pilot watch in form and function. At its core, this timepiece is all about working precise and hard in flight or in everyday terrestrial life.
 

The 40mm Wings of Hope Limited Edition timepiece in steel is limited to 1,000 and lists for $3,700. Meanwhile, the 38mm Wings of Hope Gold Limited Edition (100 pieces) goes for $17,000.
 

Both are available now at Oris retailers worldwide and via the watchmaker’s e-commerce site. Find out more at the Oris website.

(Photography by Kat Shoulders)