Sunday Morning Showdown: Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition Vs. Miss Piggy Edition
Beware, this is a low-brow edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! We usually stick to watches, but this week, the emotions may run a lot higher. This is, after all, a battle between former lovers. It is a showdown between former spouses, even. Daan and Thomas will perform some post-marriage counseling for a certain Miss Piggy and Mr. K. the Frog. Can’t we all just get along? Nope. Not this week!
But before we release these former lovers into the arena, let’s quickly look at last week’s Sunday Morning Showdown.
Last week’s Sunday Morning Showdown
The contenders last week were a bit more serious. In fact, they were a lot more serious! Two generations of the ceramic-bezel Rolex GMT-Master II went head to head. Jorg defended the new 126710GRNR, while Mike — ever the vintage lover — made a case for the older 116710LN.
While these watches may have been extremely similar, the voting results certainly weren’t. The newer reference took the win with a whopping 68% of the votes. Many commenters disliked the older Super Case, and the polished center links on the Oyster bracelet did not help either. Mike’s arguments regarding historical relevance did little to save him.
Now, from two very serious watches for equally serious people, we move on to two fun watches for…eh…fun people? In a Jerry Springer-esque edition of Sunday Morning Showdown, let’s welcome Miss Piggy and her ex, Kermit the Frog!
Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy vs. Kermit
This week saw the introduction of the Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition. It was a rather extensive overhaul of the ProPilot X, with a reduced size, different material, different caliber, a pink dial, a tiny window in the case back, and a diamond. Say what you will, but it is far from a lazy variation of 2023’s ProPilot X Kermit edition!
Now, this is where it all gets a bit sensitive. You see, Miss Piggy has had a thing for Kermit ever since The Muppet Show debuted in 1976. At first, Kermit did not see the appeal in Miss P at all. He did all he could to avoid her but to no avail. She eventually wore him down, and in 1984, the couple got married. The marriage lasted an impressive 31 years but ended in heartbreak. In 2015, the couple announced their divorce, and Kermit moved on with Denise. Seeing your former spouse with a new lover is always hard. Denise, however, was specifically painful for Miss Piggy as she was the head of marketing on the dating show Up Late with Miss Piggy. Ouch!
No wonder she has a bone to pick with Kermit. She does so with a radical new version of the ProPilot X, priced at €2,800 versus Kermit’s €4,500 model. Let’s see how they stack up!
Thomas: Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition
All right, Daan, we are back at it again! This is an interesting one. After several installments in which we defended watches that I would happily own, this one is a little further outside my comfort zone. I do not see myself wearing either of these watches as I am not a huge fan of “fun” watches. In my eyes, they have the same vibe as joke T-shirts. Still, if I had to pick one (and I do), the choice would be simple.
However, let me start with a few compliments to Miss Piggy. She does have a very cool dial color, and I love how Oris opted to color the hour markers too. I am an absolute sucker for baguette-cut gems, and a diamond marker like hers is simply awesome.
I also think Oris has been quite clever. Picking Miss Piggy and downsizing the watch makes it a perfect partner for the Kermit Edition. I reckon this is the one version Oris could make that would boost Kermit Edition sales at the same time. Also, in a tougher market, the switch back to out-house calibers makes sense. The reduced case size allows Oris to do so without losing face. Smart!
Kermit Edition over the Miss Piggy Edition
Now, you would almost think I was pro-ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition. I am not. While your Miss Piggy may be a clever marketing exercise, it does even more harm to the entire concept of the ProPilot X than the Kermit does.
I always look for conceptual integrity in any watch. That is why I don’t like a vignette sunburst dial on a dive watch. This is embellishment at the expense of the core function of the watch and, therefore, a bit ridiculous. Now, you could argue that the very tool-like ProPilot X is the worst canvas for a fun watch like this, and you would have a fair point. The Kermit Edition, however, adds its fun at little conceptual expense to the ProPilot X. It is just a fun dial color on an otherwise unharmed tool watch.
The Miss Piggy Edition, on the other hand, completely flips it on its head. What was essentially a large, lightweight, stealthy pilot’s watch is now a tiny piece of shiny jewelry. The hardcore titanium made way for steel with several highly polished surfaces. As much as I like a baguette diamond index, I don’t want it on my pilot’s watch. Come on, Daan, it makes no sense at all. I know we are just having a bit of fun, and these are obsolete luxury items, but does that mean anything goes? Are there really no rules at all anymore? Isn’t that a bit of a race to the bottom?
Kermit specs over Miss Piggy specs
Now, I know not everybody cares about the conceptual side of the equation. Sometimes, people only want to know which is technically the better watch. Well, that is simple here, Daan. It is the Kermit! Yes, you pay a bit more, but you also get a lot more. For instance, Miss Piggy is out of breath after 42 hours. Kermit happily keeps going for 120 hours. Kermit has a 10-year service interval and a 10-year warranty. You also get a full display case back with a view of the proprietary caliber inside. It is not haute horlogerie by any means, but its Spartan appearance is cool and completely on-theme.
Also, a fun watch like either of these would be cool on different straps, right? Well, get your entire collection of 17mm straps out, Daan! Oh, you don’t have any? The Kermit Edition comes with a neat 20mm lug spacing for ultimate compatibility.
Last but not least, Miss Piggy might have lured Kermit into their 1984 marriage, but the writing was on the wall all along. Did she honestly expect him to stick around while she constantly ridiculed him, stripping him of his froghood and self-respect? Relationships are built on mutual respect, Daan, and Miss Piggy did not show any. I am not sure how, but I feel this should be weighed into the vote as well.
© Disney
Daan: Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy
Well, well, well, Thomas…or should I call you Mr. Serious for this occasion? You know that the Kermit Edition of the Oris ProPilot X exists alongside four more serious 39mm options, right? If those are more your game, you can always pick one of them. Besides, I get that the Kermit Edition is a special version, but at the same time, it’s also not that special. All right, it has a green hue on the dial that could resemble Kermit’s skin color. But I’m sure there are other watches with such a shade of green that are not called Kermit Editions.
Then, there’s Kermit’s profile picture on the date disc. It sure makes you smile when it’s there, but only there one day a month. That means this watch is only a special edition one day a month. That’s a bit lame for a watch that costs €200 more than the regular versions. The only difference is that they are serious all month instead of 31 days minus one, like the Kermit.
A true special edition
The true gentleman that he is, I’m sure Kermit wasn’t pushy when he co-designed the ProPilot X with the folks at Oris. In the end, the Swiss are up for fun, but not that much fun. However, when Miss Piggy stepped into the room, they knew they would have to give in a little. And boy, did they give in! As you said, Thomas, the ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition is practically a whole different watch.
Instead of titanium, it’s now made of stainless steel and partly polished instead of fully brushed. That already gives the watch a completely different feel. It shifts its tool-like character into more of a jewelry piece. They also took out the date window, which, in my opinion, is a big improvement, especially because the 6 o’clock date cutout on the 39mm model seems very lazily executed and hardly readable.
Then, we get to the baguette-cut diamond at 12. That’s where Miss Piggy really pulled the strings. But what’s even better are the ton-sur-ton stick hour markers. They elevate the ProPilot X’s dial to a much higher level, especially because the standard models’ and Kermit Edition’s dials are so flat and boring. I’d expect a lot more from a watch that costs €4,500.
For €2,800, the Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy is a much truer special edition offering much more exclusive and attractive features than the Kermit Edition.
Serviceable by anyone
You’d expect Miss Piggy to be a high-maintenance type, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. With its Sellita movement, you can take this watch to any watchmaker in the world and get it serviced. By comparison, Kermit probably needs special treatment in one of the official Oris service centers around the world. Yes, the Oris Calibre 400 offers some nice features in return, but do those really matter in a fun addition to the collection like the Kermit special edition? Besides, that caliber also drives up the price, and €4,500 is very serious money for such a “fun” watch.
In conclusion, we can argue about who got out of the divorce better, Kermit or Miss Piggy. But when it comes to these two watches, I’m sure that when you pick up one for the mister and one for the missus, the woman fares way better than the man. The Oris ProPilot X is simply special on all days of the month. The Kermit Edition is only special and fun one day of the month, and even then, it’s still rather dull.
Cast your votes
There you have it — Kermit vs. Miss Piggy, green vs. pink, titanium vs. steel, Oris Calibre 400 vs. Sellita, and a flat dial vs. a lab-grown baguette-cut diamond and applied ton-sur-ton markers. Consider these options, and please vote for whichever watch you think should win. Kermit and Miss Piggy will probably never get back together again, but if you have any post-divorce advice, leave it in the comments below.
