Oris is famous for its pilot’s watches, and one of its classic models is the Big Crown, first introduced in 1938. This is now made in a number of versions, with several special editions. The new PA Charles de Gaulle Oris Limited Edition is dedicated to the French aircraft carrier named Charles de Gaulle, and it is a limited edition of 1,890 pieces, a number that is a reference to the year of birth of Charles de Gaulle, founder of the Fifth Republic.
Case
The Oris Big Crown PA Charles de Gaulle has the 40 mm Big Crown case with distinctive fluted bezel and large screw-down cylindrical crown marked with the code R91, the number of the ship. It has a screwed steel caseback with a depiction of the PA (porte-avions) Charles de Gaulle. Water resistance is 10 atm, 100 metres, making this perfect as an all-weather watch even though it has a leather strap. The strap has a folding clasp.
Dial
The dial has lots of references to the aircraft carrier, whose emblem appears under the central pivot. The seconds hand has a curved shape, following the slightly domed watch glass, and it is finished in the colours of the French flag. The date hand ends in a red half-moon that refers to the date scale just inside the bezel. The dial is black, with numerals and hour markers coated in SuperLuminova.
Movement
The watch is powered by the Oris calibre 754, which is based on the Sellita SW 200-1, running at 4 Hertz, power reserve about 38 hours, with stop-second function and quick date adjustment.
Presentation box and price
The Oris Big Crown PA Charles de Gaulle Oris Limited Edition is reference 01 754 7679 4084-Set LS. It comes in a presentation box with the emblem of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. The price of the watch is 1,600 Swiss francs, €1,600. It will be available from September 2017. More information from the Oris website.
