Oris Big Crown ProPilot With A Sumptuous Green Dial Primed For Take-Off
Hooray for pilots! Thanks to them, we get to talk about Pilot’s watches. Oris, one of our favorite brands here at Fratello, has just dropped a new addition to the Propilot range. It was released earlier this week and brings a sumptuous shade of green to the lineup. In my mind, this is a very current, on-trend release, and a nice limited edition in conjunction with a fine organization.
On March 9th, Oris announced a new partnership with the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP). The TLP is an elite pilot training school based in Albacete, Spain. It has been around since the late seventies and concerns itself with preparing NATO-allied coalition forces worldwide tactical air operations. Unsurprisingly, this new union commanded a new watch. As such, we have been blessed with a new ProPilot model, limited to 750 pieces.
A brooding beast
The new ORIS TLP Limited (Ref. no. 01 752 7760 4287) is no shrinking violet. It has a 44mm diameter case with a 22mm lug-width. The watch has, despite its large dimensions, a slightly subtler appearance than it might have, thanks to the gun-metal gray PVD coating. I have this color coating on one of my own pilot’s watches (the Guynemer Limited Edition by Bell & Ross) and I have to say that while I don’t really go in for any kind of surface treatment usually I find it a pretty edgy and satisfying look.
It certainly feels gritty enough to warrant a place behind the cockpit controls, at least in my opinion. To ensure excellent legibility, the Oris Big Crown ProPilot TLP is topped with a double-domed sapphire, coated on the inside with an anti-reflective coating. I know a lot of brands stay away from AR coating on the top of the crystal because it is susceptible to scratches (a design decision I am actually in favor of), but I’d be interested to know what our readers think of it. Let us know in the comments below.
A very solid daily wear
I commented recently in a NOMOS article, how I think this kind of dusty, olive green is becoming a real thing in the watch industry. On images, I always find these greens a bit underwhelming. I’m more drawn to the fiery greens of Glashütte Original’s PanoMatic collection, but the truth is that in real life, these more muted shades are very well-equipped to stand the test of time.
Think of your reaction when you see a black dial. It is hardly ever, electric, shall we say. It is often just a glance of acceptance. Yes, the dial is black, so what? Well, perhaps the greenness of a dial like this shouldn’t be compared to other, more vibrant, more obviously attention-grabbing greens, but more to black. This is a functional timepiece. It is a daily wear. This watch is built to survive the rigors of life with its 100m water resistance and reliable Oris 752 movement (38-hour power reserve, 4Hz).
…it is certainly legible.
Really, this dial shouldn’t be asked to justify its greenness. We should just accept it as a “very interesting black” and get on with it. The white Super-LumiNova indices and applied numerals stand out against the color excellently. It may seem stark or cold on some images, but it is surely ticking the most important box when it comes to pilot watch design because if this watch is nothing else, it is certainly legible.
The best bit
But that isn’t my favorite aspect, oh no. Sure, I like the closed and decorated case back. I am a fan of the special Ventile travel pouch included in the offer. I even like the retail price of CHF 2,200 (that seems quite fair to me). But what I adore above all else, is that delightful, seat-belt buckle. It is cool. It is different. And it is exactly the kind of feature that would switch me from undecided to decided. Learn more about Oris here.
