Since 1938, the Big Crown Pointer Date has been a hallmark design for Swiss watchmaker Oris, and now the venerable pilot’s watch is getting a significant upgrade: an all-new movement. The new Oris Big Crown Pointer Date combines the distinctive look of the original with the Calibre 403, one of the company’s 400 Series in-house made automatic movements. If you’re looking to max out on style and performance, this timepiece is hard to beat.

Amazingly, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date has been in production for over 80 years. The watch stands out from the pack thanks to two iconic features: A large knurled crown and a third central hand that indicates the date via a date scale around the edge of the dial. The oversized crown was designed to make it easy for pilots to use while wearing gloves, and the unique date complication, especially with the red-tipped indicator hand, makes the date legible at a glance.

The revised Calibre 403 model retains these two hallmark features but comes with updated mechanicals: the namesake Calibre 403. This movement debuted on the limited-run Hölstein Edition 2021, but the Big Crown represents its first appearance in an Oris collection timepiece. It’s definitely a high-performance movement: It offers a five-day power reserve, comes with a 10-year warranty (if you register it with the company), and according to Oris, it’s accurate to minus three or plus five seconds a day. With that kind of precision, this Big Crown should make a reliable companion through all kinds of traveling and everyday wear.

It’s a clear winner aesthetically as well. The new Big Crown comes with a stainless steel case with both polished and brushed surfaces; flip it over, and the see-through case back provides a look at that powerful new movement. The blue dial features a running seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, but even with the date scale arrayed around the edge, it doesn’t look cluttered. At 38mm, it serves up a clean, understated look that we really like. The large numerals hint at the Big Crown’s utilitarian heritage (and thanks to the Super-LumiNova coating, they’re easily legible).

Overall the watch offers refined styling—an ideal pick for an upscale dinner or your next business trip.

[$3,400; oris.ch]

Get it

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!