New high-performance Oris calibre

Aware that modern life is far more demanding for a mechanical watch than it ever has been before – because we are continually surrounded by magnetic fields that can affect the proper functioning of a timepiece – the watch company has decided to take up the challenge. In light of modern technical progress, one is entitled to expect increased performance and long-term reliability from a mechanical watch.

The real challenge for the watch brand’s engineers was therefore to produce a movement capable of operating reliably during its recommended ten-year interval between services. It was up to the Oris teams to develop a new movement that was highly efficient and much more resistant to wear and tear. The engineers focused on reducing the torque in the mainspring, where energy is stored, in order to conserve power and relieve pressure on moving components. They also introduced a new, more efficient wheel design in the gearing. The Calibre 400 uses 85% of the energy transferred from the mainspring, compared to a standard average of 70%. Whereas an oscillating weight usually rests on a ball bearing system winding in both directions, the designers worked on a slide-type bearing system that winds in one direction only. It is much less complex and reduces the effects of wear. This rotor powers the mainspring housed in the twin barrels which store the five-day power reserve.

A completely new escapement was also developed in which the pallet-lever and escape-wheel are made of silicon, while other non-ferrous materials are used for the arbors holding the balance, escape-wheel and pallet-lever in place. Around 30 other components are made of such non-magnetic materials, reducing the impact of magnetic fields on precision by more than 90% compared to standard Swiss mechanical movements. The reliability of all these engineering solutions enables the brand to extend the warranty and its maintenance intervals to 10 years.

This new Calibre 400 has found its place at the heart of the Oris Aquis Date, an icon of contemporary diver’s watch design. This timepiece, powered by Calibre 400, differs from the standard model in several ways. The first clue to what lies beneath are the words “5 days” written on the gradient blue dial.

The date window is also larger and the date disc is black, rather than white. On the reverse, the sapphire crystal caseback is the largest ever installed in an Aquis Date, so the view into the movement is as open as it can be. At the same time, the watch is still water-resistant to 30 bar (300 metres), has a uni-directional rotating bezel with a scratchproof ceramic insert for safely timing dives, as well as Super-LumiNova hands and indices. It is also equipped with Oris’s newest patented development, the Quick Strap Change system, engineered so a bracelet or strap can be released simply by lifting a flap. No tools required. No jeweller required.

In a nutshell, the Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400, with its antimagnetic movement, 5-day power reserve and 10-year warranty, is setting the new benchmark for diver’s watches.

November 05, 2020