ReviewGo On A New Date With The Oris Divers Sixty-Five In Its Upgraded Avatar
The age-old phrase, ‘new and improved’ probably best sums up what the new Oris Divers Date is about. However, there’s much more to the upgraded Divers Sixty-Five collection. With a redesigned case and bezel, improved water resistance and power, and a lot more, the formerly vintage-inspired series is now better suited for the modern urban individual’s daily-wear needs
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The bestselling collection for Oris today is most certainly the Aquis line of dive watches. While this cannot be disputed, it was definitely not the first dive watch from the now independent Swiss watchmakers. It was back in the year 1965 that Oris introduced their first dive watch. This was a decade when diving was gradually becoming a recreational activity, and not just for professional purposes such as exploration. The 1965 dive watch from Oris had elements that had become staples of dive watches at the time, including a 60-minute dive-timing bezel, and bold hour markers for better visibility underwater. This timepiece became quite the success for Oris. So it was no surprise then that the brand decide to introduce an upgraded version of their signature dive watch in the year of its 50th anniversary—2015. And this year—one before the 60th anniversary—Oris have unveiled yet another upgrade. Just like the latest rendition, the name of the watch itself is now crisper. Instead of calling it the Divers Sixty-Five, which the earlier edition was named—after the 1965 original—they decided to rechristen it simply to Divers Date.
The Divers Date Refresh
First showcased at Geneva Watch Days 2024 in August-September, the Divers Date was publicly launched later, in October. While the Aquis collection received its own update earlier this year, the brand decided that the new avatar of the Divers Sixty-Five needed even more changes than the Aquis did. “This collection started out as a vintage watch—a reference to the original model of 1965. The updated version isn’t so vintage anymore. It’s more timeless,” explained Rolf Studer, co-CEO of Oris, when we sat with him in Geneva, as he presented the new Divers Date to us. “Many elements have changed. The water resistance has also gone from 100m to 200m. We have a (scratch- and fade-resistant) ceramic top ring (bezel insert), while the domed sapphire crystal glass is a little flatter. The proportions of the case have also changed, and a new crown makes it sturdier.”
Read our full interview with Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer
From Sixty-Five To Divers Date
Indeed, upon taking a closer look at the Divers Date, one could see the marked difference between this new edition and its predecessors. While the Divers Sixty-Five had a distinct vintage charm, the Divers Date has an evidently modern appeal. Yet, this has been achieved without changing too much, retaining the identity of the collection, even though the name, and a lot more, has changed. It’s also clear that a lot of thought went behind designing the Divers Date, especially the key design codes that had to be retained.
“There are a few points we considered, most definitely the typography used in the numbers, the domed crystal and the extremely flat side view. The rotating bezel and riveted metal bracelet are core elements as well,” elucidates Lukas Bühlmann, head designer at Oris. He goes on to speak about what has been changed. “We refined every detail, developing a new dial typeface, bevelling the edges of the hour markers, and making the bezel fluting more precise. We also reengineered the metal strap and clasp to be more stable, integrating a quick-change system into both the bracelet and the supplied rubber strap.” Changes, such as the bevelled hour markers, improve legibility, but are subtle enough to remain true to the collection as it was before.
The Colours, Case And Calibre Of The Divers Date
Even certain choices, including the dial colours, don’t betray the vintage roots of the collection, while they still look fresh and different. There’s obviously a black dial, and another in pale beige hue. The latter has a tint that almost gives it a champagne appearance, making it very refreshing to look at. However, the standout version is the dial in an almost teal-ish dark blue. These hues are very new—not just for Oris—but also serve as reminders of the past. “We’re very inspired by the industrial palette of the 1960s and we wanted to use these beautiful, long-lasting colours,” Bühlmann adds.
Adding to the vintage charm is the case size. Although, is 39mm really a vintage size anymore? With smaller watches being preferred lately, it seems natural that Oris decided to bring out the Divers Date in 39mm, especially considering that the older Diver Sixty-Fives that go back more than a couple of years were mostly at 42mm. Further to that, the new case now has an exhibition caseback. “Before, there was a vintage [Oris] logo on the closed caseback. Now, it’s an open caseback because it’s not a vintage watch anymore,” expounds Studer. Sure, closed casebacks are safer for dive watches when they’re actually being used for diving. However, as a daily-wear timepiece for the urban individuals, why not have the option of looking at the movement inside. And the movement you see in the Divers Date is the Oris calibre 733. Their standard automatic movement with a date option has also been upgraded. It now promises a power reserve of 41 hours. This is less than a standard 52-hour reserve, but an upgrade from the 733’s previous reserve of 38 hours nonetheless.
Upgrades are the order of the day for Oris, who continue to make only mechanical watches, but while keeping them as relevant to modern wearers as possible, with only practical features. Yet, even as they evolve, they don’t forget their icons of the past that made the brand what it is today. The new and modern Divers Date is proof of that. “It’s a classic watch yeah, but with modern touches.” Studer concludes, “It really is an evolution, and when we presented it to people for the first time, everybody liked it instantly. We are happy with the response.” And we’re not surprised.
The Oris Divers Date in a nutshell
- Case: Steel, 39mm; bezel with black ceramic insert
- Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with antireflective coating
- Caseback: Mineral glass
- Water resistance: 200m
- Dial: Blue, black or beige, with applied indices; Super-LumiNova on the hands and hour markers
- Display and functions: Three-hand central timekeeping, date at six o’clock; unidirectional 60-miute dive-timing bezel
- Movement: Automatic calibre 733
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Strap: Steel bracelet, but supplied with additional black rubber strap; both easily interchangeable
FAQs
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What is a dive watch?
A dive watch is an analogue timepiece, which originated as a tool watch used by professional divers, back in the day when dive computers and other electronic tools did not exist. The key elements of a dive watch are, big bold hour and (perhaps) minute markers and hands, a unidirectional-rotating 60-minute diver-timer bezel, with a clearly marked scale, adequate luminosity for the dial and minute markers. The clear and luminous markers and hands are for easily legibility underwater. Often dive watches have straps that can be micro-adjusted for length, in order to make them fit over the sleeve of a diving suit. Dive watches must be water-resistant up to a depth of at least 100m, but the standard is 300m. Deep-sea-diving watches can be water-resistant to 600m, 1,000m or even more.
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How does a unidirectional dive-timer bezel work?
A rotating bezel with a 60-miunte timer scale can be used to time any activity, technically in seconds, minutes or hours even. At the start of the activity, the bezel must be rotated to align it with the relevant hand (hour, minute, or seconds hand), and the end of the activity, one can know how long it has been since the start time, which is marked by the bezel. A dive-timer bezel is to measure duration of a dive in minutes, and is unidirectional. It can be rotated only counter-clockwise, for the sake of safety. When a diver starts their dive, they can mark the start time by rotating the bezel. If the bezel were able to rotate clockwise, it could adversely change the time spent on the dive, as the duration will read as shorter, while the diver will have been underwater longer than that, and may be misleading for them in a dangerous way. Hence it is unidirectional for the diver's safety. If it accidentally does rotate further counter-clockwise, that will only show the dive time as longer, which would anyway be a warning to the diver, who would then take the necessary action or precaution.
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Why is a date window important on a watch?
More than being important, a date window on a watch is a practical complication, allowing the wearer to quickly read the date without needing a separate calendar. Apart from its function, it also makes much for the form, contributing to the overall aesthetic balance of the watch face. It remains a sought-after feature among watch enthusiasts for its convenience, not to mention the traditional appeal of this complication.
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