Oris brings back an innovative worldtimer from the 1990s in a new limited edition to celebrate its 118th year
While many brands mark the big anniversaries, for Oris every birthday is one to celebrate. This June, the watchmaker is marking its 118th year with the Hölstein Edition 2022, paying tribute to both the Swiss village in which it was founded and a special timepiece from its more recent past.
The Oris Calibre 690, known as the Full Steel Worldtimer, emerged in 1998 in an era of innovation, where watchmakers that survived the quartz crisis turned their attention to pushing the boundaries of mechanical timepieces. Both inventive and functional, it enabled the user to easily adjust the local time in one-hour increments either way using the plus and minus buttons on the case. Even more handily for keeping track when travelling, as the time moved past midnight the date would change accordingly.
This quirky heritage piece returns in a faithful reproduction in the Hölstein Edition 2022, limited to just 250 pieces. Powered, of course, by the Oris Calibre 690, it comes on a stylish and sporty stainless steel bracelet in a comfy and reasonably svelte 36.5mm case size.
‘The Full Steel Worldtimer was always one of my favourite watches, long before I worked at Oris, and I think it’s a much underrated design. I also love the movement – a watchmaking landmark. Until Calibre 110 in 2014, Calibre 690 was our most complicated movement, which is a special legacy. In the true Oris sense, it’s functional, useful, beautiful and only mechanical,’ explains Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer. ‘And there’s something about the Full Steel that captures the experimental spirit of 1990s designs. Think of the Lamborghini Diablo and it just makes you smile. The Full Steel is the same.’
