New Release: The Oris × Hodinkee Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition

Oris has slowly but surely been equipping more of its watches with movements from the in-house Calibre 400 series. Earlier this year, we did see the bronze Divers Sixty-Five Carl Brashear that featured the Calibre 401 and a small seconds sub-dial. Now, the time has come for Oris to release the first Divers Sixty-Five with the standard Calibre 400. It comes in the shape of a khaki dialed, 38mm limited edition piece. Time to find out more about the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee.

Things have been busy in the small Swiss town of Hölstein over the last 12 months. Oris has been focussing on releasing a great variety of watches. Here at Fratello, we even had the pleasure of working with them on our own FratellOris a while ago. Oris has decided to debut its Calibre 400 in the Divers Sixty-Five line with this latest limited edition release in collaboration with our friends from Hodinkee. This is not your run-of-the-mill Divers Sixty-Five.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

Without a doubt, the biggest news this past year for Oris has been the release of its in-house Calibre 400. Despite the line’s popularity, up until now, we hadn’t seen a Divers Sixty-Five with the “standard” Calibre 400. Earlier this year, Oris released the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Carl Brashear 401 Limited Edition. Ben reviewed the watch and compared this version powered by the Calibre 401 (which features a small seconds sub-dial) with the Divers Sixty-Five with the “regular” Sellita SW200 movement. When we had the watch in the Fratello office, I had a chance to check out the Carl Brashear LE. While I am generally not a fan of bronze watches, the combination of bronze and dark blue dial and strap looked stylish and sophisticated. Additionally, wearing the 40mm Divers Sixty-Five is always a joy because of just how perfectly it sits on my wrist.

While the execution of the small seconds left room for debate, most Oris enthusiasts agreed that the watch looked extremely classy. But it also fed the curiosity of seeing a Divers Sixty-Five powered by the standard Calibre 400, without the small seconds. Well, that time has come with the release of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee. But this one also comes with a twist. The regular sizes for the Divers Sixty-Five are 36mm, 40mm, and 42mm. Hodinkee and Oris decided to go for a smaller 38mm version. It’s the same size that Oris used for their Cotton Candy Divers Sixty-Five models introduced during Watches & Wonders earlier this year.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee

The new Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee, at first glance, looks like your typical Divers Sixty-Five. But there are plenty of details that make this a release for the true Oris enthusiast. Overall the watch was based on early versions of the Divers Sixty-Five. It comes with a 38mm stainless steel case, making it the first 38mm Divers Sixty-Five in the collection with a steel case. If you look at the dial, you will also see that there is no date window. Something which will make a lot of you no-date lovers very happy!

Additionally, Oris and Hodinkee chose to use a previous Oris logo to give a retro charm that looks very nice. I like this version of the Oris logo because it’s less compressed and has a little more room to breathe. The watch features a dark green dial that, in some pictures, almost looks gray. On top of that, the triangle-tipped hour markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock are also different from the regular models. Finally, the black aluminum countdown bezel is stripped of its minute hash marks, creating a Divers Sixty-Five with a ton of retro appeal linking back to the popular diving watches from the 1950s and ’60s.

The in-house Oris Calibre 400

Inside the 100 meters water-resistant case, you will find the automatic Oris Calibre 400. The movement is visible through the large display case back. The Oris Calibre 400 has 21 jewels and operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The energy is stored in two barrels, each good for 2.5 days of power, resulting in a power reserve of a whopping 120 hours or five days. Oris gives watches equipped with their Calibre 400 a ten-year warranty. It shows the confidence the brand has in its new line of movements.

The case back also features a special engraving indicating your unique number out of the 400 pieces that will be produced. The watch comes on the Oyster-style riveted stainless steel bracelet that Oris uses for their Divers Sixty-Five models. Lastly, the watch comes in Oris × Hodinkee branded packaging. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee will be available for $3,800 today at 11.00 am EST or 17.00h CET exclusively through the Hodinkee Shop.

First Thoughts

When I first saw the images of the new Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee, I have to admit it looked familiar and comfortable. At first glance, it may be even a bit too familiar and too comfortable. But at closer inspection, the design choices that Oris and Hodinkee made have resulted in a watch that has a lot of charm. I love the dark green dial color. Combined with the black bezel, it gives the watch an instant retro appeal that sets it apart from the regular models in the collection. On top of that, the style of the logo and the hour markers combined with the lack of a date window add even more vintage charm. The result is a watch that feels almost minimalist in its overall appearance, but there is actually a lot to love once you see all the different little details.

The in-house Calibre 400 is obviously what brings even more value to this Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee. At $3,800, the price for the watch is a significant step up from the Sellita-powered models. But it’s definitely in line with the $4,200 for the Divers Sixty-Five Carl Brashear 401 Limited Edition. That’s why I have no doubt that this will be the second successful Oris × Hodinkee collaboration, and that these watches will quickly find their way to enthusiasts all around the world.

The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cal. 400 Limited Edition For Hodinkee will be available through the Hodinkee Shop. If you want to find out more about Oris, you can visit the official Oris website.