Watch Talk: Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400 Laser
The Facts:
Initially introduced in 2022 the Oris ProPilot X added a new aviation-inspired, all titanium cased piece to the Oris roster powered by Oris’ own calibre 400 movement. The screw-down crown case is entirely brushed, with no polishing in sight with an almost stonewashed effect, lending the piece a more rugged and modern aesthetic with domed sapphire crystal and open case-back. The dial is minimalist in style with a standard hour, minute and second hands and a small date window at 6 o’clock. The stand out point on release was the Calibre 400 movement, the newest generation for Oris offering 120 hours (5 Days) of power reserve and 10-year warranty. The original iteration was offered in three colourways blue, grey and salmon and was later joined by a green edition featuring everyone’s favourite talking frog Kermit, with Kermit’s face appearing on the first of the month. Many would have assumed that this was it for the ProPilot X range for the time being but at the recent Dubai Watch Week, Oris revealed a new addition to the ProPilot X range.
Courtesy of Oris Watches
The ProPilot X Calibre 400 Laser features exactly the same 39mm case and calibre 400 movement (full specs can be found below) at a slightly higher price of £4050, but this time the talking point wasn’t talking frogs, but was the dial itself. In what Oris describes as a watchmaking first, their newest version exhibits a lasered dial that doesn’t use any colour pigments and instead utilises reflected light to offer an iridescent (think oil on water) finish that is manipulated in different ways depending on the positioning comparative to the light giving you a completely unique view whenever you go to check the time. Compared to its predecessor, you lose the date window and the indices and dial text are lasered to give a 3D effect rather than the painted dials on the original. In relation to the lasering technique Oris say it’s state-of-the-art and was developed in partnership with Switzerland’s ETH Zürich university and it’s the first time it has ever been used in watchmaking.
The Specs:
REFERENCE - 01 400 7778 7150-07 7 20 01TLC
CASE - ProPilot X, 39.00 mm, Titanium
MATERIAL - Multi-piece titanium case
SIZE - 39.00 mm
TOP GLASS - Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
CASE BACK - Titanium, screwed, see-through sapphire glass
OPERATING DEVICES - Titanium screw-in security crown
WATER RESISTANCE - 10 bar
INTERHORN WIDTH - 20 mm
MOVEMENT - Automatic winding hour, minute, second developed by Oris
NUMBER - Oris 400
DIMENSIONS Ø - 30.00 mm, 13 1/4’’’
FUNCTIONS - Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, fine timing device and stop-second
WINDING - Automatic winding
POWER-RESERVE - 120 hrs
VIBRATIONS - 28’800 A/h, 4 Hz
JEWELS - 21
DIAL - Multicoloured
MATERIAL - Multi colour dial
LUMINOUS MATERIAL - Indices and hands Superluminova Black NL BL
STRAP/BRACELET - Titanium
MATERIAL - Multi-piece Titanium metal bracelet, folding clasp
Courtesy of Oris Watches
The Opinion:
Without getting hands-on with a watch it is alway difficult to judge fully what that watch can deliver and how it will perform, but at face value you can never knock a company trying to push boundaries and incorporate new technologies into their product lines. Oris has seemingly placed their technological trialing into the hands of the ProPilot line as in 2019 we saw the release of the Calibre 115 skeleton watches an early indication of that ProPilot would become, in 2022 they released the full range featuring their newest in-house Calibre 400, earlier this year they added something “fun” to the design in terms of Kermit and now we see the lasered dial taking center stage. For me this is quite refreshing to see, more brands would do well to take this idea on and dedicate a product line to ‘what if’ and I think it’s exciting to imagine what may come next for the Oris ProPilot range.
In terms of the basics, the 39mm size is great to see and something I’m glad they didn’t twist on as paired with the light titanium casing makes for a comfortable daily wearer. It would have been easy for Oris to make a mammoth 45mm watch for further immersion into the iridescent illusion, but they stuck with 39mm and for that I am certainly grateful. Though it had it’s initial troubles, Oris has rescued the Calibre 400 movement from its bumpy start and with that 5 days reserve and 10-year servicing period, it’s definitely something that other companies should take note of.
Courtesy of Oris Watches
Now down to the lasered dial, it’s an interesting one. From the point of view of aesthetics I love the idea that every time I glance down at the dial, I get a new view, almost a new watch every time and that is something that would never get old. However, I am not sure how effective it would be in terms of legibility. The dark lasered indices on an iridescent lasered dial are a somewhat confusing choice. I reiterate that having not been hands-on makes it difficult to judge but just based on the facts, if you were outside in the full sunshine, I can’t help but wonder if the dial would be nigh on impossible to read however sensational the colouration, some applied markers would definitely improve that. But really I think I am missing the point of what is being achieved here. The focal point for the Oris ProPilot X Laser is quite clearly THAT dial and it is commonplace for companies like Oris, Grand Seiko and Arcanaut to focus more on aesthetic design that telling the time, after all we live in a world where Apple and Samsung create the most convenient methods of timekeeping possible with their smart devices. And it’s not as if this new design replaces the Oris Big Crown or Aquis range for those wanting something a little more “traditional”.
Considering the fact that they are using new technologies that can’t be found anywhere else in the watch world just yet, I think that price tag of around £550 extra is justified and in context of the prices we see today across the board, I think that the £4050 price tag is quite competitive. You would be hard pressed to find better value for money in terms of gaining an in-house movement, titanium build watch. Though it might not be for everyone, I think the Oris ProPilot X Laser has gotten people excited about a new design like some of the bigger brands fail to do and brands like Oris offer a glimpse at where I think the future of watchmaking should be heading.
Written by Piers Mansell for Watts on Watches
