Introducing The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello Limited Edition

Quick Take
Of the many things that Oris does well, few elements sit more front and center within its modern line up than its continued use of bronze and a fascination with rich and distinctive colors. For the brand's latest collaboration with our friends at Fratello Watches, we see a special combination of these two elements come together in a limited edition Big Crown Pointer Date that sports a bronze case and deep red dial. With a unique wrist presence and tons of personality, this Pointer Date is limited to 300 pieces that will be split between Fratello and Oris' own boutiques.

Initial Thoughts
For me, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is best with a boldly colorful dial. From desaturated blues to the gorgeous flat green of the 80th Anniversary model, and of course, the oxblood red I covered from Baselworld 2019, the old-world format and style of the Pointer Date lends a sort of quiet confidence whereby the use of color feels modern, youthful, and most importantly, fun. Clearly, the folks at Fratello feel somewhat similar, as their latest collaboration with Oris uses a bronze case (which we have seen before) and pairs it with a special evolution of Oris' deeply red dial.

Holding steady at 40mm wide, the new Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello Limited Edition may be of a similar color to that of the original red-dial Big Crown Pointer Date, but the dial has been tweaked to better align with the aesthetic provided by the bronze case. The minute and date track have been rendered in a gilt effect, which is also matched by a gold-tone handset and brand signature. Also, where the original shows "Automatic" on the dial at six o'clock, the Fratello LE says "Anti-Shock." The golden tone of these small changes warms the dial considerably and makes this uncommon pairing (a red dial with a bronze case) much more successful than I think it would have been with the original dial.best replica watches 

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Speaking more directly to the coloring, I would call this a crimson red, and there were two things that I learned from spending a few days with the watch. First, the reddish-brown color is dark but it's almost never black. Those of you who buy watches with non-black dials will likely know that this is not common as most dark-toned dials can appear black in indirect light. For this Oris, in all but legitimately dark environments, some of the red always comes through. Second, the white Arabic numerals offer a remarkable amount of contrast, and almost always appear to be glowing above the rich backdrop of the dial (lume or not).

The original red-dial Oris Big Crown Pointer Date with a steel case and white-tone dial accents.Replica IWC 

It can be easy to get carried away when modifying an existing watch (trust me, my photoshop folder is a mess of over-designed re-workings of existing watches), but I think the team at Fratello has done a lovely job making this a Pointer Date all their own without compromising any of the elements that make the standard Pointer Date such a great watch. The luminous cathedral hands remain, as does the titular big crown, the bubble domed sapphire crystal, the red accent on the date hand, and the traditional coin edge bezel. But, in looking at the original red/steel model (shown above) and this new limited edition, the watches are surprisingly different in their end result.

Styling aside, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello Limited Edition is limited to 300 units, with 250 being sold directly via Fratello Watches and the remaining 50 to be sold through Oris' own boutiques. Each watch comes with both a taupe leather strap and a grey NATO strap (both with bronze hardware) and will ship in an oxblood red Oris box. Pricing, which includes VAT, is €1,950, which converts to roughly $2,315.

Given the pair of straps and the limited production run, this price seems entirely in line with Oris' current offerings (a bronze pointer date on leather retails for $2,100) and, with some tasteful tweaks via Fratello, I think they have a winner on their hands. Offering a classic format with a few unique traits and the fun of the ever-patinating case, this bronze and red Oris looks like a perfect tool for counting down the days until Christmas.

The Basics
Brand: Oris
Model: Big Crown Pointer Date x Fratello Limited Edition

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 12mm
Lug to lug: 48mm
Case Material: Bronze, steel caseback
Dial Color: Red
Indexes: Arabic, painted
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Includes both a taupe leather quick-release strap with a bronze buckle and a grey NATO with bronze hardware.

The Movement
Caliber: Oris 754, base Sellita SW 200-1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, central pointer date
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph

Pricing & Availability
Price: €1,950 (including VAT, raw conversion to ~ $2,315).
Availability: 250 units available via Fratello Watches, 50 available via Oris boutiques.
Limited Edition: 300 pieces

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