The Oris Hölstein Edition 2024: An All-Blacked-Out Divers Sixty-Five
Oris Hölstein Editions are an annual celebration for the independent Swiss watch brand. This year marks a rather special occasion — Oris’s 120th anniversary. To celebrate this impressive birthday, the house is releasing a special Divers Sixty-Five, fully dipped in black paint.
Okay, technically speaking, it’s not really black paint. But we do get a black case, black dial, black strap, black hands, and even black lume. Rarely are watches “murdered out” as thoroughly as this. Let’s have a closer look!
The 2024 Oris Hölstein Edition
Oris was founded on June 1st, 1904. Therefore, today’s release marks the brand’s 120th anniversary to the day. Interestingly, Oris has remained independent, which is rare in our industry.
The yearly Hölstein Edition is named after the company’s hometown in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Hölstein sits in the Waldenburg Valley, surrounded by green hills. It’s a picturesque environment that Oris still calls home today, 120 years later.
Last year’s Hölstein Edition was an Aquis with a purple dial. Oris usually produces 250 pieces and offers them on a first-come-first-serve basis. Additionally, the brand emphasizes that these are for everyone, so you don’t need a purchase history or a favorable relationship with your AD to get one. You simply need to be there before they are sold out. As normal as this might sound, we all know it isn’t in today’s watch market.
The 2024 Oris Hölstein Edition
On to today’s release. The 2024 Oris Hölstein Edition is a Divers Sixty-Five, the brand’s vintage-inspired dive watch. This is the Calibre 400 model with the proprietary Oris movement. However, it is the first time the Oris Calibre 400 gets fitted in a Divers Sixty-Five with a minute scale on the bezel. As you are used to from other Oris models, the 400 offers a five-day power reserve and a 10-year service interval.
But that is not what’s interesting here. The interesting part of the 2024 Oris Hölstein Edition is the DLC-coated exterior, which is completely blacked out. There is just one part that isn’t pure black — the printing on the date wheel, which is gray. Other than that, though, it is black on black on black.
The resulting look is quite striking. If you ever wondered what Darth Vader’s dream vintage-inspired diver would look like, this is it! However, I wonder how much of the watch’s legibility is sacrificed in the process, as it seems to be all matte black as well. Then again, this is more of a statement watch anyway. If you want legibility, the lineup offers plenty of more traditional colorways.
Initial impressions
There is something quite jarring about the new Oris Hölstein Edition for 2024. The black theme contrasts the vintage aesthetic extremely harshly. That said, I like it precisely because of that contrast. It feels like a tricked-out classic car with modern parts — the horological equivalent of a restomod.
Then we get to the case back, where we find the Oris bear mascot. He is wearing swim trunks and sunglasses as a nod to summer. Wait, what? Is this a summer watch? The image looks completely out of place on this gloomy, dark, menacing watch. It feels almost like the design was done, but then someone at Oris remarked, “Shouldn’t we do something to make it a little more fun?”
Still, I think this is a very cool watch nonetheless. I particularly like that everything is matte, emphasizing the stealthy theme. As with prior Oris Hölstein Edition releases, this one is limited to 250 pieces. Additionally, this blacked-out Divers Sixty-Five has a price of CHF 3,900.
What do you think of this all-black 120th-anniversary watch from Oris? Let us know in the comments below!
