Hands-On: The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date “Bullseye”

The main attraction is the “Bullseye” dial, a tuxedo take that the brand cites as inspired by an Oris pocket watch dial from the 1910s. A high-contrast sector dial, the base starts with a layer of light silver for the center and outer rings. The silver is pleasant in execution, with a softness combined with a slightly textured metallic shine that takes on the warmth of the watch’s surroundings — in different environments, the silver shifts between cool grey and warm eggshell. Sandwiched in between is a middle ring of solid black, with hour numerals printed in white Super-LumiNova. 

On the prototype I handled, the hour numeral printing was noticeably imperfect, though I’ll hopefully see a production piece soon enough to confirm if this is just a one-time fluke. Complementing this is a railroad-style minutes track and dial text printed in black, while a splash of color lies in the date track with printed red numerals. The cathedral hands are paired with a pointer date hand tipped in red, for good visibility as the month progresses around the entire dial. Sealing in that vintage charm is the fluted bezel surrounding the dial, a detail that perfectly complements this model’s look.