Meeting with a titan of the seas

The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier has been protecting France and its allies for more than 15 years, both as a symbolic deterrent and also in active service. It can be made ready to sail within 72 hours, traverse an operational zone at 27 knots, and cover 1,000 km a day. Its two 75m-long catapults can launch 25- tonne planes at a rate of one every 30 seconds, or 20 planes in 10 minutes, each reaching a speed of 270 km/h within two seconds. It can accommodate a crew of as many as 1,950 marines, and has been deployed in various theatres of operation such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria. This titan of the seas is currently at the dry dock in Toulon for important modernisation work, which will continue for 18 months and cost 1.3 billion Euros. The transformation will mean it can maintain its operational performance beyond 2040.

Oris worked closely with the officers of the famous aircraft carrier to design the limited edition watch, which takes its design cues from the iconic Oris Big Crown, introduced in 1938. The watch has a number of details linking it to the military vessel. Its insignia is printed on the dial, the tip of the central seconds hand is printed with the colours of the French flag, and the PA Charles de Gaulle is engraved on the case back. The crown is engraved with «R91», the aircraft carrier’s identification number. The watch is a fitting tribute to one of the world’s finest navy ships.

August 17, 2017