ReviewHand-Wound Wonder: Introducing The New Oris Big Crown Calibre 473

Ulrich W Herzog, chairman of Oris, defines the brand’s strategy as ‘purely Swiss mechanical watches with unique movements at prices that make sense’. And this is exactly what the latest Oris Big Crown Calibre 473 brings to the table—here is a watch that flaunts a new and highly innovative, hand-wound mechanical movement, an almost-perfect case size, and a beautiful blue dial colour, among other things.

Although, before we get to the finer details of the latest Oris Big Crown Calibre 473, we need some context on the collection, and why the calibre 473 is special.

Revival Of In-House Mechanical Mastery

Founded in 1904 in the Swiss hamlet of Hölstein, Oris has created more than 270 unique calibres. During the ‘quartz crisis’ of the 1970s and 80s, cheaper albeit precise quartz movements took over the Swiss watch industry, and Oris, like most other mechanical watchmaking brands at the time, were also deeply affected. Then Ulrich W Herzog, chairman at the time, made a bold decision during the management buyout in 1982 to refocus the brand into mechanical watches.

Herzog (who has run the company for 41 years, shares the brand’s love of mechanics, and the Oris Movement Creation Programme was established in 2014. The main objective of the programme was to revive a part of their culture with the creation of movements that were distinctly Oris. This means the highest quality in mechanical mastery, Swiss-made and featuring unique functions and performances, and reasonably-priced watches. Or, as Herzog says, the aim is to ‘offer serious mechanical watches at fair prices in an industry that sometimes forgets that there are numerous people who would like to own a mechanical watch, but who still have to work hard for their money’.

The Art Of Creating New Calibres

The Oris Movement Creation Programme kicked off with the brand’s first in-house calibre since 1981—the 110. The first of the Calibre 100 series of hand-wound movements, this Calibre 110 was equipped with a whopping 10-day power reserve, patented non-linear power-reserve indicators, and additional functions such as the calendar and a second time zone.

This was followed by the Calibre 400 series in 2020—the 400 series marked the first-in-house line of automatic movements for Oris in more than 40 years. These first-of-their-kind in-house movements featured five-day power reserves, a higher level of anti-magnetism, 10-year warranties and 10-year recommended service intervals. It is safe to say that the Calibre 400 series marked the ‘new standard’ in Swiss-made automatic movements.

The blue dial featuring hand-printed indices and numbers give the timepiece a kind of modernity that makes it attractive for the youth of today

Oris now enters its tenth year of the revived Oris Movement Creation Programme, with its tenth highly-original, high-performance hand-wound movement—the Calibre 473. A special movement, the Calibre 473 is based on the Calibre 400 series, specifically the Oris Calibre 403, an automatic mechanical movement previously seen within the Big Crown Pointer Date of 2021. This hand-wound movement offers the hours, minutes, small seconds and pointer-date functions. Additionally, the highly magnetic-resistant, highly-accurate and low-maintenance movement also features a five-day power reserve indicator on the reverse of the timepiece housing it. The Calibre 473 watches come with 10-year warranties and recommended service intervals.

The see-through caseback reveals the hand-wound in-house Oris Calibre 473 featuring the coveted power-reserve indicator placed on the bridge above the barrel

A Signature Indeed: Oris Big Crown Calibre 473

The Oris Big Crown Calibre 473 offers a vintage-inspired aesthetic, with a modern edge. The timepiece comes in a 38mm multi-piece stainless steel case, with a pale-blue dial. The sapphire crystal and generous lume on the hand-printed indices and numbers give the timepiece a kind of modernity that makes it attractive for the youth of today. A red, arrow-shaped pointer indicates the date on a track around the edge of the dial, while the small seconds counter is featured at six o’clock. Turning the watch over reveals a see-through caseback showcasing the hand-wound in-house Oris Calibre 473 working within, and the coveted power-reserve indicator placed on the bridge above the barrel.

The Oris Big Crown Calibre 473 is a true signature watch from the Hölstein-based brand

The Calibre 473 watches come with 10-year warranties and recommended service intervals

Quintessentially Oris, the Big Crown Calibre 473 is mounted on an olive-brown strap crafted from sustainably-sourced deer leather produced by Oris’s Swiss partner Cervo Volante. It is worth mentioning here that not only does this specific leather strap work perfectly with the blue colour tone of the dial but also feels soft and supple on the wrist.

It is safe to say that the Oris Big Crown Calibre 473 is a true signature watch from the Hölstein-based brand. Not only does it mark Oris’s expertise in creating complicated movements, but also establishes the brand as a maker of ‘purely Swiss mechanical watches with unique movements at prices that make sense’.