The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Big Date Bronze is more than just a vintage timepiece.
Oris has been making vintage aviator watches for quite some time now, with their source of inspiration from their experience in making them over two great wars. You could even say they were the early pioneers in pilot's watches. This year, they've unveiled their latest aviator, the Big Crown ProPliot Big Date Bronze, and it's vintage classicism at its finest.
What makes the watch outstanding is its aesthetics, which stays very much the same as what you'd imagine they would have looked like 70 years or so ago. Sporting a round case with angled fluted bezel for that sporty utilitarian look, plus a set of sturdily integrated lugs, the Big Crown ProPliot Big Date Bronze is both tough and handsome.
The highly contrasting details on the dial, with large Arabic numerals and hands coated with bright luminescence, are also a vital requirement for pilots who did night reconnaissance missions, not just for telling the time, but also for guiding them in the right direction in the night. The big crown also has an important role, as it provides a good grip for the aviators when they need to access it with gloved hands.
The strong contrast between the black dial, and the white numerals and hands, make readability easy. And with bronze markers, the watch is even more appealing.
While bronze has been around for thousands of years, even making its way into early diving equipment, it has only been appreciated by the watch industry more recently. This is thanks to its oxidation effects which changes the colour of the material, leaving it with a unique patina of its own. Without a doubt, the rugged yet trendy material is what's setting the Big Crown ProPilot Big Date Bronze apart from the rest of its siblings.
At the heart of the timepiece is an Oris reengineered automatic Calibre 751, based on the Sellita SW220-1 with a 38-hour power reserve that regulates the movement with precision. In a cheeky twist, Oris has added a passenger belt release safety catch style clasp to hold the Ventile strap together, in bronze, naturally.
