Aviation Editorial Hands-on Reviews New Releases New Watches Oris

Sacre bleu, it’s sang-de-boeuf! Going Hands-on With The Temptress aka Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red is an excellent addition to any collection. And even if you aren’t a seasoned collector or enthusiast, the beautiful dial and pocket-friendly price is sure to quench your thirst for an ideal daily-wear watch. 

Sacre bleu, it’s sang-de-boeuf! Going Hands-on With The Temptress aka Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

Editor’s note: The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red watch retails for 2’500 AUD and is a great value for money daily wear offering. Today’s quick hands-on review has been made possible with the assistance of Linda & Co Designer Jewellers Broadway. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

Context 

As we wait for Oris to update the Big Crown Pointer Date collection with the impressive in-house calibre 400, we revisit the archetype of modern vintage, the 2019 version ref. 01 754 7741 4068-07 5 20 50. A follow up to the 2018 blue dialled version and 2019’s bronzed version, I remember it creating quite a stir within the watch enthusiast community upon launch. 

Oris Big Crown Red 16

French It Up 

‘Sacre bleu’ is a French expression that is used as a cry of surprise or happiness. ‘Sang-de-boeuf’ is another French term, used for denoting the colour oxblood. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date may be Swiss, but it bears a certain romantic quality to it. And there is something always romantic about the French language. Combine the two and you can perhaps see the timepiece from my eyes. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

There is never a bad time for romance. And with the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, it’s time to French it up. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

It’s as if red secretively met Burgundy in the wild of the night, producing a seductive concoction that we know as the Oxblood shade of the dial of the Big Crown Pointer Date. Ox-blood, also known as sang-de-boeuf or temptress, is a deep, rich shade of red, that when combined with the tanned brown deerskin strap enthuses a sense of elegance and timeless charm.

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

The execution of the numerals and analogue peripheral date bring in that sense of vintage nostalgia to the fore; together, these create horological magic on the wrist.

Oris Big Crown Red 17

The Heart 

Inside the decently sized 40mm diameter — 48mm lug-to-lug spacing — and relatively lightweight — only 71g — stainless steel case nestles the Oris calibre 754, a customised out-sourced Sellita SW200-1 movement.

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

This 25.60mm in diameter and 4.6mm in thickness self-winding movement features 26 jewels, beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), offers an okay 38-hour power reserve (and usually as a standard a timing tolerance of +20/-20 seconds per day). It also offers a central hacking seconds mechanism along with an anti-shock system. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

The Heart Beat 

Burgundy or red dialled watches can sometimes be tacky. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date manages to avoid that trap, and the shade of the oxblood dial is simply a wooing stunner.

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

What makes the heart skip a beat now and then while wearing this timepiece is the combination of all the features that make this a very distinctive Oris timepiece:

  • a fabulous colour
  • cathedral hands
  • the red-tailed partially-crescent date hand
  • exceptional legibility
  • the nostalgic domed sapphire crystal
  • the oversized crown that harps to vintage pilot’s watches
  • fluted bezel
  • the decently for the price point decorated movement visible through a display caseback
  • and the comfortable strap

We covered the bronzed Oris Big Crown ref. 754 7741 3166 5 20 74BR in our feature “Battle of the 5 most legible Pilot’s watches of recent times” last year, and this version is no different. With all indices, numbers and hands coated with Superluminova C1/C3, the Oris is ready for action day and night. 

Personally, I was impressed by the attention to detail with the fluted bezel complimenting the grooves of the oversized crown and the quirky yet practical exception of the numerals of the peripheral date display that change orientation at 9th and 24th dates. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

With a trustworthy (albeit very common Swiss movement), 50m water-resistance, a wide-variety-of-wrists friendly diameter, and a strap swap-easy 20mm interhorn lug spacing, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is a great everyday watch that at $2’500 AUD is definitely a bargain. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

That’s All Folks! 

Measuring in at only 40mm, who says legible pilot’s watches need to be oversized? 

Given Oris made its first pilot’s watch in 1910, and introduced the big crown look in 1938, it is safe to assume that this has become one of their emblematic design features. To wrap up 2019, the brand also released this look in a revamped avatar: they encased it in solid bronze with a bronze crown and bezel, and used a bespoke finish to create unique dials again in bronze colouring. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

My first reaction to the Oris Big Crown back in 2019 was that of amazement; dark, rich red coloured timepieces do not pop up very often, and when they do, they can be tacky like I said earlier. A rare exception to this rule besides the Oris Big Crown is the relatively new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with a very similar coloured dial.

Now visiting it two years later, and having started this watch review website, the appreciation for the timepiece has only grown. There is so much on offer for a very decent price. 

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red is an excellent addition to any collection. And even if you aren’t a seasoned collector or enthusiast, the beautiful dial and pocket-friendly price is sure to quench your thirst for an ideal daily-wear watch. 

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red

To find out more about the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Red and other Oris watches, please head to their website here or visit their authorised retailer Linda & Co Broadway at Shop 321 Level 3/1 Bay St, Ultimo NSW 2007 (02 9212 3633). All images unless otherwise specified are ©Watch Ya Gonna Do About It. On another note, if you like green watches, make sure to check out our reviews of Watches & Wonders 2021 releases here

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