Back in May, Ken went hands on with an Oris 65 (which you can read here), but we’re revisiting it again today. I had been talking with the brand to see what might be available for review loans, and had actually been trying for the smaller 40mm version. Well, long story short, when the box came in, it was the same model that Ken reviewed. However, this has a lovely deep blue dial, so let’s see how my experience stacked up with the Oris Divers Sixty-Five.
As Ken talked about in his review, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is very much a vintage-inspired watch. The case profile presents as quite svelte, and the domed crystal (sapphire in this case) protrudes up above the bezel plane, giving more of that vintage look and feel. Now, you might notice that I said the case profile presents as svelte. This is because, in actuality, it just stand up from your wrist just like many other dive watches (and the 14mm height spec attests to this). Oris did a good job here, though, masking that by drawing your eye to the thin, polished sides of the case, sandwiched between the solid caseback and the domed crystal.
Also, for this review of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five, I did not have a strong preference on the strap among the various options (with some lovely colors in the mix as well). For this deep midnight blue dial (which was tricky to photograph and pick up that blue, I’ll tell you), it came along on a dark blue and black nylon strap. At first appearances, it looks like a NATO strap, and in many ways it is. The big differences here are the fact that you’re not tucking in loose ends into keepers (a plus), and it comes with a deployment clasp (again, a plus).
In my prior Oris review, I had my first time with a textile strap from the brand, and I loved it. The infinitely-adjustable length (perfect fit for the win) and the plane seatbelt-inspired clasp was a treat. So, for me, a high bar is set for an Oris textile strap. While this nylon one is nice, it is nowhere near as nice as what comes on the Big Crown line. The big issue here is how things set the length. There are two posts (on opposing sides) that you lock the holes on the strap into. So, not quite as adjustable as those other textile straps. Second, I had some issues now and again with the one posts scraping the underside of my wrist (not constant, but worth noting). Finally, the loose bit of strap stays tucked underneath. Which, on one hand is a simple way of strap management, but I always ended up with some bit of it sticking out slightly.
Now, it’s not all doom and gloom with the strap on the Oris Divers Sixty-Five. The weave on the nylon is tight, and looks like it’ll last a good long time. There are pieces that pass over the spring bars, so should one break, your watch won’t plummet to the ground. Along with that, the single keeper is signed, as is the buckle. The buckle itself has a nice, tight lock, and I did not have any issues with it digging into my wrist, even though it does add some bulk there. In other words, these straps (which, come to think of it, remind me of seatbelt material as well) are good – they’re just not as good as the canvas options you see in other spots of the Oris lineup.
Well, that was a lot more about the strap of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five than I had intended to talk about, but there you have it. The watch the strap is paired to is a stunner, for sure. With the 42mm case size (and a relatively thin bezel), you have a wide expanse of that blue dial, against which the cream-colored indices and handset stand out in sharp relief. It’s a classic color combination that works well, and provides a nice contrast for reading the time quickly. The date window cutout is actually a trapezoidal shape, which is a small detail, but shows the designers were thinking. Shame it’s not a darker date wheel background, but perhaps that’s another vintage aspect.
Also vintage on the Oris Divers Sixty-Five? The aluminum insert that surrounds that smooth, domed crystal (again, sapphire, not plexiglass or plastic like you’d have had back in the day). This is a 120-click uni-directional bezel, so casual divers should be happy (us desk divers should be as well). The texture on the polished edges makes for an easy grip, and the one lumed pip on the bezel let’s you know which was is up for the watch in the dark. Well, unless you’ve got it rotated around, I guess. Good thing the 12 o’clock indice has that trapezoidal home plate look to it.
When I got the Oris Divers Sixty-Five in to the review desk, it was pretty clear to me it was going to be intended for more casual wear. This is primarily because of the strap. I found myself wearing it mostly to the office, though there was one day (#wearatiewednesday of course) that I dressed it up a bit, and it worked, sort of. If you don’t opt for the bracelet on the watch (always a good idea in my opinion, as you can easily pick up straps down the road), plan to pick up a nice leather or suede strap to pop on (perhaps from CheapestNatoStraps or Crown & Buckle) – in that case, I think you can easily take the watch in a more formal direction.
Frankly, I’d say that the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a vintage dive watch for someone who likes vintage and likes dive watches – but really is not going to do some diving. It’s got that slimmed-down, old-school tool watch design language that really can work across a variety of scenarios, provided it’s on the right strap for the setting.
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five is available now at $1,990 (it’s a touch more on the bracelet) in a variety of color configurations (as well as strap options, for that matter). Ken liked it, I liked it, and I think there’s a good chance that you’ll like it too. oris.ch
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Oris Diver Sixty Five
- Price: $1,990 (as tested)
- Who we think it might be for: You’re a desk diver, but you like the looks of old dive watches
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Yes, this is a nice one (though I’d still be eyeballing that 40mm one with the large indices)
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Figure out how to get the Big Crown seatbelt clasp deployment on these nylon straps
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The deep, dark dial
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Technical Specifications from Oris
- Brand Model: Oris Diver Sixty Five Ref. No. 01 733 7720 4051 RS
- Movement: Automatic movement Oris Cal. 733, based on Sellita SW 200-1, with date at 3 o’clock
- Size of case diameter (mm): 42mm
- Case height (mm): 14mm
- Weight: 87 grams with leather strap
- Case material: Stainless Steel
- Case Back: Screwed stainless steel case back engraved with Oris shield emblem
- Crown: Signed, screw-in stainless steel crown
- Crystal material: Bubble-curved sapphire crystal domed on both sides with anti-reflective coating inside
- Water resistance (m/ft/atm): Water resistant to 10 bar/100m
- Strap/Bracelet material: 21mm wide at the Brown leather strap, black rubber strap, or a stainless steel bracelet
- Illumination: Super-LumiNova®
