Introducing: The Oris Holstein Edition 2020

June 15, 2020

In the late 19th century, the village of Holstein was an important stop on the route between Basel and Bern. Basel was rapidly industrializing, and travel to the political capital of Bern was more frequent. But then the advent of the railroad created a new route and transformed Holstein into a sleepy Swiss village, exactly the kind of place a watch manufacturer would flourish. In 1904, Oris's founders took advantage of incentives the Swiss government was offering to bring industry back to Holstein and set up shop. The company is still headquartered in Holstein to this day. Shortly after its founding, it became the largest employer in the town.? And now there's a watch to honor those roots, the Oris Holstein Edition 2020. The watch is an all-bronze riff on the Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph. Beyond the "panda" gold-plated dial and the steel caseback, the entire case, crown, pushers, and bracelet are fashioned from bronze. This is the closest Oris has come to an entirely bronze watch.? Oris keeps its ethos light and airy, and producing a watch simply to show a little hometown pride fits right in with the company culture of doing things "just because." The caseback, which wears an embossed Oris Bear, is meant to do one thing according to Co-CEO Rolf Studer: "Make people smile." Initial Thoughts With this limited edition of 250 pieces, Oris is testing out a new way for buyers to purchase the watch in which they can reserve specific serial numbers. Folks interested in the watch can buy it through the Oris e-shop on a live platform that indicates which numbers have been spoken for and which numbers are open. Additionally, buyers can have the watch delivered to any Oris authorized dealer in the network should they wish to get the bracelet sized and fitted.? The Holstein Edition 2020 is sized at 43mm; the dimensionality is shared with the Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph on which it's based. The rivet-style bracelet is rendered in pure bronze, and if it wears anything like the watch it's based on, it will feel breezy on the wrist. The magic in the this Holstein edition is duality at work. It's got the swagger of an all-bronze watch with a panda motif, but strip away the trendiness and the '80s-style aesthetic appeal, and you have a highly legible dial with large hands, indices packed with lume, and a case that rings in at 43mm, but sits nicely on the wrist. Not to mention a full 100m of water resistance on a chronograph.? Oris has historically found a wide range of interesting concepts and personalities to honor through limited-edition watches. The Holstein shares a lot of characteristics with the Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition. Then there's the Clipperton watch, and the?"Source of Life" edition, which pays tribute to the River Rhine. Looking at past limited editions with an altruistic slant, it's easy to see how Oris arrived at a Holstein edition if their goal was simply to make a watch to make people smile. The company is rarely self-referential in the way that a lot of manufactures from Switzerland are, despite having an incredibly rich history on which to draw. And when they do turn inwards, the product is honest and simple. This is a chronograph based on the Divers 65 rendered in bronze with the Oris Bear on the back. And it happens to link to the town that made it all possible.? The Basics Brand: OrisModel: The Oris Holstein Edition 2020Reference Number: 01 771 7744 3182Diameter: 43mmCase Material: Bronze, with stainless steel casebackDial Color: Gold-platedIndexes: AppliedLume: Super-LumiNova on hands and markersWater Resistance: 100 metersStrap/Bracelet: Bronze bracelet? The Movement Caliber: Oris 771 (Sellita 510 base)Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds, central chronograph seconds, 30-minute chronograph totalizerDiameter: 30mmPower Reserve: 48 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)Jewels: 27 Pricing & Availability Price: $5,200Availability: Now, at Oris boutiques, and the Oris e-Shop. Limited Edition: 250 pieces.?For more, click here.