Oris - Watches for men and women

The Swiss origin of the Oris brand is protected by law and a sign of the highest quality guarantee. All Oris watches undergo the strictest quality controls throughout production.

Oris not only inspires celebrities

The red rotor is the protected trademark and stands for the high art of Oris watchmaking. Whenever you see a red rotor, you are guaranteed to have a genuine, innovative, functional, mechanical Oris watch in front of you. A watch with a strong character that will give you a lifetime of pleasure at a fair price. The great popularity of Oris is reflected in the fact that it is worn even by celebrities of Formula One, the diving, jazz and aviation scene. As an independent company, Oris takes the liberty of developing mechanical watches that meet all your expectations and needs with meaningful functions and features. The watch with the red rotor is always the perfect complement to your personal fashion statement! Oris gives every outfit that certain something. They will convince you as a sporty, classic or elegant companion. Something you will also notice when you hold your first Oris in your hands. An unprecedented Swiss quality that comes along with technical finesse and precision. Just look around and choose your Oris at an unbeatable price - Now in your Timeshop24.

THE ORIS SUCCESS HISTORY

Oris was founded in 1904 by Paul Gattin and Georges Christian in Hölstein, Switzerland. This year they buy the recently closed watch factory Lohner und Co. and name the company after the nearby stream Oris. In 1911 Oris became Hölstein's largest employer with 300 employees. To attract more watchmakers to the small town, the company built houses and apartments for its employees. The success continued and in 1929 Oris already operated factories in Hölstein (1904), Holderbank (1906), Como (1908), Courgenay (1916), Herbetswil (1925) and Ziefen (1925). Oris began to attach lugs to his pocket watches and to transform them into full wristwatches. After the death of company founder Georges Christian in 1927, Jacques-David LeCoultre became Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1928, Oscar Herzog, son-in-law of the late Georges Christian, assumed the position of General Manager. A position he will hold for 43 years. He led Oris through the many highs and lows of the watch industry in the 20th century until 1971.

Jacques-David LeCoultre's intention to improve the quality of Oris products came to a standstill when the Swiss government issued the so-called Watch Statute on 12 March 1934. This emergency law was intended to regulate and protect the Swiss watch industry. It prohibits the introduction of new technologies without official approval. Before this regulation was introduced, Oris had manufactured movements with pin lever escapements, which were considered less precise than movements with lever escapements. A technology that some of Oris' competitors were able to adopt even before the decree was issued. In 1938, Oris produced its own movement escapements. The company employed many highly talented watchmakers and became one of the first companies to offer equal opportunities to men and women. Oris presents the first watch for pilots with a strikingly large crown and pointer date. The collection is named after the oversized crown and offers pilots the advantage of adjusting the watch with leather gloves. In the meantime, aviation has become one of Oris' four product worlds.

During the Second World War, production outside Switzerland declined significantly. In order to survive in business, Oris begins producing alarm clocks. In 1949, the famous model with an eight-day reserve was launched on the market.

Oris received the first of over 200 awards from the Bureau Officiel de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres in Le Locle for its pin lever movements and the proof that they tick just as precisely as movements with a Swiss lever escapement.

In the post-war expansion phase, Oris operated an entire fleet of buses to transport its employees from their homes up to 25 km from its headquarters in Hölstein. In 1952 Oris launched the first automatic watch with power reserve indicator with Oris calibre 601.

In 1956 Oscar Herzog engaged the lawyer Dr. Rolf Portmann. In his first 10 years, he successfully fought against the Watch Statute, which prevented Oris from equipping its movements with lever escapements. In 1966, Oris achieved this goal and gained a well-deserved place in Swiss watch history.

1965 Oris developed an ultra-modern diving watch with a unidirectional rotating bezel, clear luminous numerals and a water-resistant case up to 100 metres thick. A legend was born that was reissued 40 years later and became one of Oris' most successful product launches. Two years after the abolition of the Swiss watch statute, Oris received the chronometer certificate from the Observatoire Astronomique et Chronométrique for the introduction of the first chronograph. At the end of the 1960s, Oris was one of the 10 largest watch companies in the world, with 800 employees and 1.2 million wristwatches and alarm clocks produced each year.

1970 Oris became part of ASUAG, which later became the Swatch Group. Oris is no longer independent and goes through a difficult decade, partly due to the quartz crisis. After the decline, Dr. Rolf Portmann and Ulrich W. Herzog dared the management buy-out at the beginning of the 1980s and, shortly after the founding of Oris AG, decided to abandon quartz movements and to manufacture exclusively mechanical watches in the future. The rebirth of Oris is clearly audible with the introduction of its first mechanical wristwinder.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Oris is now at the forefront of the growing trend towards large watches and presents the Oris XXL, a line of oversized, sporty, casual watches. Oris' close relationship to jazz is reflected in a collection named after jazz legend Miles Davis. In 2002, the Red Red became Oris' registered trademark. It is a symbol of Oris' philosophy: to manufacture high-quality mechanical watches with practical everyday functions at fair prices.

2003 Oris enters into a cooperation with the Williams Formula One Team and launches the first Williams F1 Team watches.

Oris launches the Centennial Set 1904 Limited Edition on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. It contains an eight-day alarm clock, considered Oris' historic design legend, and a stainless steel Artelier World Timer. In the mid-2000s Oris developed the pioneering Quick-Lock crown system.

At the beginning of this decade Oris developed a safety clasp that prevented the watch from falling off the wrist even when the clasp was open. This includes an ingenious quick length adjustment that can be operated without taking the watch off. In 2010, Oris will enter into a partnership with the Australian Marine Conservation Society to protect and rescue the Great Barrier Reef. Oris is launching a limited edition diving watch called the Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition. The 110th anniversary in 2014 is celebrated with the first movement completely developed in-house in 35 years.

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