The History of Oris Big Crown Propilot Watches
The Big Crown line of watches is the jewel in Swiss watchmakers Oris SA’s extensive range of watches. Initially released in 1938, more than 80 years on it continues to be the go-to piece for pilots and aviation experts who adore its functionality, precision and cultured look.
At the time, its large Crown was revolutionary, allowing pilots to make adjustments to their timepiece while thousands of feet in the air and donning their large flying gloves. In the intervening eight decades, Oris has continued to innovate its Big Crown range and in 2014 the brand unveiled a new model to the collection.
Maintaining the Big Crown’s function-based design which includes a double crown and Pointer Date, the Oris Big Crown Propilot was the first-ever automatic mechanical watch to incorporate a mechanical altimeter.
The line was a huge success but Oris did not rest on their laurels. In 2017, it created another game-changing piece with the Oris Big Crown Propilot Worldtimer. Understanding the importance of timing precision for pilots as well as the fact they’re often travelling to different countries, this watch has a simplistic rotating bezel so users can flick between timezones with ease.
A year later, Oris introduced a new movement to its Propilots in the form of Calibre 114. The Big Crown Propilot Calibre 114 featured a ten-day power reserve, date indication and a 24-hour second-time zone which featured half-hour indication for the first time ever. Reinforcing the brand’s commitment to providing pilots and the aviation industry with the very best, they became the first Swiss watchmakers to combine all these elements into a single piece.
Design is also important to Oris and this was further demonstrated in 2019 with the release of the Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115. The skeletal watch gives wearers an insight into its fascinating mechanics while keeping the 10-day power reserve and Oris-patented non-linear power reserve indicator from the previous model.
Today, the range remains hugely popular and is a perfect example of the brand’s overall commitment to innovation and ongoing efforts to strive for the very best.
Oris Big Crown Propilot Features
Intended to give pilots all the practical functions they need when in the air while maintaining a sophisticated and elegant look, the Oris Big Crown Propilot comes packed with a range of great features.
Perhaps the most useful of all is its date pointer which can be adjusted with ease to ensure pilots know what timezone they are in.
A solid power reserve is also essential when jetting off around the world and the Big Crown Propilot excels here too with a 10day reserve.
Last but not least, the innovative calibre movement can be found across all pieces in the range while superb skeletal movement is a big feature of the Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115.
Top Models of Oris Big Crown Propilot Watches
Whether you’re a pilot or just had your imagination captured by the rush of excitement, the Oris Big Crown Propilot Big Day Date Blue Watch 44MM is perfect for you.
If you consider yourself a bit of an adrenaline junkie, the Oris Big Crown Propilot 57th Reno Air Races Limited Edition should be a perfect match. It was designed in partnership with the Reno Air Races which sees daredevils race through the skies of Nevada.