Oris’ reputation within the aviation industry is familiar to most of us. They launched their first pilot’s pocket watch during the early 1910’s before engineering their debut pilot’s wristwatch in 1917 named the Big Crown. A decade on and these designs remain reliable and robust tools for the cockpit with the Oris Big Crown ProPilot leading the way in both popularity and design since it’s launch in 2014. The ProPilot had only been served in stainless steel up until now, but that changes with the release of the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch.
One of the very first watches I reviewed here on Horologii was the original Oris Carl Brashear limited edition in 2016. It marked the brand’s first ever full bronze watch and, in our option, was responsible for starting the craze of bronze watches that would stay for the next five years and longer. After the release of the Carl Brashear watch, Oris continued to experiment with bronze in its diver’s watches announcing the likes of the Holstein Edition 2020 Bronze chronograph, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date in bronze and several stunning two-toned steel and bronze editions of its Sixty Five Divers watch. One design that had yet to be presented in the patina-changing material however was the Big Crown Pilot.
The addition of bronze to the Oris Big Crown Pilot has also completely transformed its persona. It’s gone from a sporty looking tool watch in steel to a vintage-inspired pilots watch in bronze, and we’re all here for it. The bronze case, like all bronze watches, will eventually develop its own patina overtime as it gets exposed to moisture in the air and your own perspiration. This means the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch will ultimately change colour, darkening slightly and reveal its own unique patina bespoke to the wearer.
Also new to the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch is the addition of golden coloured indexes, hours markers and the Oris logo on the dial. It’s a lovely shade of gold and complements the warm shade of the case beautifully. The rest of the dial mimics previous ProPilot models with large applied Arabic numerals engineered from blocks of solid Superluminova for first class readability while the signature propeller-shaped hands for the hours and minutes also glow endlessly in the dark. The dial itself is finished in a matte black colour and finalised by a matching black date window with white lettering at 3 o’clock.
Even before the addition of bronze, the Oris Big Crown ProPilot had a commanding presence on the wrist but now with its handsome bronze engineering it’s 41mm diameter and 12.4mm height is even more eye-catching on the wrist. We particularly love the coin-edged bezel in this material with its knurled detailing nicely pairing with the signature oversized crown. The crown is screw in to match the screwed case back with mineral glass to assist in its 100 metre water resistant rating. Securing the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch is a versatile green Ventile® strap completed with a bronze ‘lift’ clasp inspired by the mechanisms of passenger aircraft seatbelt buckles.
Put on display through the mineral glass case back of the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch is the Oris 751 calibre. The movement is based on the classic Sellita SW 220-1 and equipped with the Swiss watch manufacturer’s iconic red oscillating rotor. We’re also promised 26 jewels, a frequency of 28,800vph and a power reserve of 38 hours.
If you’d like to learn more about the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze watch and order your own, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, speak to one of our team by calling 01335 453453 or message us at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications: Oris Big Crown ProPilot Bronze (01 751 7761 3164-07 3 20 03BRLC)
- Case Size: 41mm
- Case Material: Bronze
- Bezel: Fixed, knurled
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Screwed with mineral glass
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Oris 751 automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Jewels: 26
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Matte black with Superluminova hardware
- Strap: Green Ventile
- Buckle: Bronze folding buckle
- Limited Edition: No
- RRP: £1,650
