Sometimes, you just have to go with the tag that the marketing campaign uses, and I will admit, “Back into the blue” is lifted straight from Oris’s press kit. But it fits, doesn’t it? This pretty diver, with retro cues and a light blue chapter ring, pays homage to the original Oris Divers Sixty-Five, while staking itself out as a modern diver.
As you can see with the Vintage Oris Divers Sixty-Five above, the new model nails the look of the font and chapter ring. I think the new handset is more readable and moving the date window down to 6:00 makes everything less cramped. You also get a rotating bezel, something missing on the vintage watch. But nothing telegraphs a vintage look more than the bubble curved, domed crystal, and the modern version does theirs in sapphire. The movement gets (of course) a modern upgrade, with a modified Sellita SW200 (Oris Cal. 733) automatic driving the watch.
If you are not in love with the “Deauville” blue, the 40mm watch is also available with a black dial and the same retro-looking Super-LumiNova radium-colored paint The black is a closer match to the original watch, but the blue is also decidedly retro. The watch comes on either a black rubber strap or a black textile strap, and lists for 1,750 CHF, which is about $1,750 USD with the current exchange rate. At nearly $2,000 with a depth rating of only 100 meters (I know that I often complain about dive watches being overbuilt, but 100 meters is the minimum requirements for a diver), I am not going to claim that this watch is a bargain. But it is pretty, and the bubble domed crystal is sapphire, something you may not get with a less expensive “vintage” watch. Plus, this one comes with a real heritage, an actual homage to a watch built by Oris 50 years ago. www.oris.ch
Watch Overview:
- Brand & Model: Oris Divers Sixty-Five
- Price: 1,750 CHF (approx. $1,750 USD)
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone who wants a retro diver with a vintage pedigree.
- Would I wear one myself based on what I’ve seen?: I would definitely wear it, in either the blue or the black.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Color match the date wheel.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: All the retro cues, the font, the color of the lume, and the bubble domed sapphire crystal.
Tech Specs from Oris:
- Movement: Oris Cal. 733 (based on Sellita SW200)
- Functions: Three hander with date, unidirectional bezel
- Case: Stainless steel
- Crystal: Bubble domed sapphire
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Lug width: 20 mm
- Straps: Black rubber or textile
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Thickness: Not specified
