Oris Watches Review – Mechanical Craftsmanship at its Best

Oris Watches – Old School and Modern

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Oris watches - men's automatic chronograph blackIf you’re a hard core fan of fine timepieces and the nearly-lost art of fine watchmaking, you’ll love Oris watches.  The company was founded a century ago in Switzerland and today they’re one of the world’s most highly regarded makers of fine timepieces.

They distinguish themselves in a crowded luxury watch market by making timepieces that use mechanical movements exclusively.  Don’t sell them short; Oris watches are loaded with features and technical innovation and they’re astonishingly accurate.

They’ve refined the old art of watchmaking and offer beautiful, highly functional timepieces that look good and work well.

Read on for the full Oris watches review.


Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary

Oris Watches Build Quality

This is a company that has proudly made watches the old fashioned way for more than a century, and they take pride in what they do.  You’ll find that they have exceptional build quality, using gold, stainless steel and titanium cases, sapphire crystal and high quality mechanical movements.  Some of their models are water resistant to 1000 meters.  That’s right; they’re water resistant to more than half a mile.  If you take care of your watches, they’re going to out last you.

Movements

Keeping the old watchmaking tradition, Oris watches use Swiss made mechanical movements exclusively.  You won’t find batteries or quartz, all of the company’s models have either manually wound or automatic mechanical movements.

They’re not short on features, however, nor are they short on accuracy.  Some of their models are accurate to within 100th of a second.  These are highly reliable timepieces, and many of them feature elaborate complications.

Innovation

There’s plenty of innovation to be found in this brand.  This company long ago introduced models with moon phases and dual time zones, and some of their models are accurate enough to have been certified with chronometer status.  Their models include such features as reserve power indicators, complications, alarms, multiple time zones, and skeleton designs.

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Styling and Features

Oris watches - men's blue eagleGiven that the company is more than 100 years old, it won’t surprise you to find that the styling is somewhat traditional and conservative; you’re going to find more silver and black in their lineup than you are color.  While some of their sports models offer chronometer features, many of their models offer basic time and date features.

Of course, they also offer a number of limited edition models that have elaborate complications.  Displays are all-analog, but then again, these are mechanical watches, so that’s to be expected.  Bands are gold or silver colored bracelets, leather or rubber, depending on the model.

Many of their models have skeleton designs, so that the inner workings are visible.  You’ll find that while the styling is conservative, these are stunning, attractive timepieces.  Their product line is surprisingly diverse; they offer more than five hundred different models, including those for men and women, in four separate groupings:  Aviation, Culture, Diving, and Motor Sport.  There should be something in those groups for everyone.

Care and Maintenance

Due to their complexity and all-mechanical nature, Oris watches do require maintenance that other companies’ products do not.  Manually wound models will require regular winding, and automatic movement models will need to be worn regularly or stored in a watch winder to keep them displaying the time accurately and to keep them running well.

In addition, the company recommends that you send the watch back to them every three to five years for a full service, which consists of cleaning, lubricating and reassembling the movement, followed by a series of tests to make sure that your watch works as it did when it left the factory.  Each servicing includes a one year warranty.

Aside from this, you’d care for these watches as you would any other luxury timepiece; you’d store it in a cool dry place and keep it away from harsh chemicals and temperature extremes.  These are very well built timepieces that should last for decades to come with proper care.

Oris Watches Warranty

Your purchase includes a two year manufacturer’s warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship.  This is a typical warranty, and about the average from designer watchmakers.  That said, if you send your timepiece in for service every three to five years, as suggested, you’ll get a one year warranty on the watch from the service, which effectively gives you a new one year warranty every three to five years.  In addition, you may be able to purchase an extended warranty from your retailer; you should inquire about this at the time of purchase if you’re interested.

Prices

Oris watches - women's miles automaticGiven that these are extraordinarily well-built timepieces and feature complex mechanical workings, it won’t surprise you to find that prices vary from moderately to very expensive.  Models start at about $1500 and can run up to about $10,000 or so.

This is far from the ceiling as luxury watches go, but they’re fairly steep.  On the other hand, they’re well built, they’re nice looking and they are rather limited in production.  Chances are good that none of your friends are wearing Oris watches.

Collectors like the band, so many of their older models, limited edition models and no longer produced models can sell for premium prices on the secondary market.  There’s a good chance that your purchase will appreciate in value with time and proper care.

Where to Buy

You can find the brand for sale at fine jewelry stores and high end department stores.  You’ll occasionally see them for sale online.  They currently offer more than 500 different models for both men and women, so you’re unlikely to find the entire line offered for sale by any single retailer.  Be ready to shop around if you’re looking for something in particular, especially if you’re looking for one of their limited edition offerings, which can be quite limited in production.

Oris Watches Summary

If you like old school watchmaking, you’ll love Oris watches.  They’ve managed to combine traditional movements with modern accuracy and features.  Their build quality is incredible, and perhaps as good as any in the industry.

They offer a wide selection of models, combined with special, limited edition offerings.  These are beautiful, well-designed timepieces that will look good with business or evening wear and will last as long as you’d like them to.  If you like mechanical movements and traditional style, you’ll love Oris watches.

Click here to shop for Oris watches at Amazon.com