Up in the Air with Oris

Oris opened the door to a long relationship with aviation when the Oris Pointer Date was introduced in 1938. Inspired by British fighter pilots, that watch had an oversized crown allowing gloved pilots the ability to operate the watch functions. Furthermore, the dial design and central hand introduced a unique date indication. Through the decades, these signature elements have been integrated into the extensive Oris Big Crown range from the Oris BC3, Oris BC4 and the recent Oris ProPilot collections.

At Reno
Currently, the Oris Swiss Air Racing team is a key focus for Oris in aviation with the talented team pilot, Don Vito Wyprächtiger, at the helm. He is the first Swiss man to qualify to race in the Reno Air Races, a fierce and dangerous competition that for the past five decades has drawn crowds of more than 200,000 people to the Nevada desert.

In the Formula Gold Race, Wyprächtiger navigated his Scarlett Screamer through a complicated course of pylons among archrivals thirty feet above the ground, all while reaching average speeds of 240 mph in a battle to the finish line.

This year, Wyprächtiger was defending his first place title at the Reno Air Races. However, he was narrowly beaten to finish in second place overall.
“We’re extremely proud and congratulate Don Vito Wypraechtiger and the Swiss Air Racing Team,” said Ulrich Herzog, Oris executive chairman. “Under extremely difficult conditions, they fought back to finish in second place – that took courage and commitment, qualities we greatly admire.”

To commemorate Wyprächtiger’s victory last year as the first non-American to win the Gold Race in the history of the Reno Air Races, Oris introduces the Oris Air Racing Edition IV. The sleek 45mm black DLC case houses the automatic caliber 735, based on Sellita SW220-1, with a date and day window at 3 o’clock. The collection is limited to 1,000 pieces and incorporates touches celebrating the moment from the engraving of the Scarlett Screamer on the case back.

FOR PILOTS, BY PILOTS
Oris also released the 47mm Oris Big Crown ProPilot with an altimeter function. In order to reduce the size of the altimeter, Oris patented a laminated carbon fiber altimeter hand weighing only 0.0012 grams. This combination provides a rigid and lightweight hand for the mechanism to power and deliver accurate readings.

The movement is protected from outside elements by a membrane to create a vapor barrier in the venting crown. To operate the altimeter, the wearer uses the patented venting crown located at 4 o’clock. Essentially, there are three positions to this crown, each providing a different operation. To calibrate the current altitude and air pressure, open the vent to allow air to reach the aneroid capsule system or screw down the crown to create a 100-meter water-resistant case. The crown at the 2 o’clock position is used to set the time as well as wind the watch.