ORIS 300M Titan short review

[TARDIS]

Hi everyone,

I am back because I’ve missed you lot and haven’t had anything worthy of input until now. I have posted this review on another forum as I didn’t feel coming back here was going to help me get over the sale of my Sea-Dweller. I am still very much an enthusiast of Rolex, but I am now over its absence. At least it went to a good home.

Having previously owned models from the big three Swiss watch manufacturers, (Rolex, Omega and Breitling) I just thought I'd let you guys know about Oris.

Before I do, I should briefly outline my WIS history. I have never been able to afford a watch collection per se, so I bought and flipped my way through quite a few models.

Oris have been making watches since 1904 at Hölstein, Switzerland. My experience with the brand was at the start of my WIS disease in 2001/2. I had previously owned a Seiko divers for about 12 years before getting a Oris 1000m diver. A fantastic timepiece for the money and I liked everything about it except the thickness. It was just too bulky for me so I flipped it after about 6 months ownership. After that the WIS fever caught hold of me and I moved along to a grey dealer Omega SMP GMT black dial; a pre-owned Rolex Y series Submariner, then an F series Rolex GMT Master II, then a Breitling Colt . Shortly after, I bought a Mido All Dial Ti. I had it for about a year then sold it to a Mido collector in Texas. I then bought a brand new Omega Planet Ocean which I owned for about 8 months. I got tired of that and privately part exchanged it for a D series Sub no date which I then kept for a few months before I stepped up to a brand new ‘Z’ series Sea-Dweller.

The Sea-Dweller 4000 was to be my final timepiece as I regarded it as the pinnacle of diver watches and I was extremely happy with it. Unfortunately my luck has taken a turn for the worse and I had no alternative but to sell it.

My wife could see that I was pretty miserable sans SD and promised me if I come through this OK, she will buy me another Rolex, but for the meantime, she suggested I go back to Oris as it was a Swiss auto and value for money.

Four weeks ago, I decided to buy a new Oris and yes I ordered another diver, but this model is not as thick and bulky as the Oris Titan 1000m I owned a few years ago. After four weeks of daily wear, here are my observations of the Oris Titan 300M model 7562P:

ON ARRIVAL

The ORIS outer/inner box was opened to reveal the watch buried securely in a cocoon of bubble wrap and foam rubber. The watch, bracelet and rubber strap were all covered with protective plastic as well. Included was the warranty booklet, a certificate of performance identifying the watch by serial number and that it had been tested and examined by an authorised Oris service Master Watchmaker, a paper wallet with a global service listings and the invoice of course! The whole package was delivered to my door by courier, brand new from the Oris dealer in Brisbane. It was packed so well, that if it had been dropped by air, I think it would have still arrived undamaged! I ordered the watch with the bracelet and an optional Oris rubber compound strap with deployment and wet suit extension. The rubber compound had a rather nice vanilla odour impregnated. As we are in our cooler months here, I swapped over the titanium bracelet with the strap which took about 5 minutes as the lugs have screws. I put the bracelet away for summer, still wrapped in it’s plastic protection.



CASE
The case is titanium. It measures 42mm in diameter and is just 11mm thick, so it sits very nicely on the wrist. The watch itself weighs a mere 58 grams. Those who prefer wearing heavy SS watches may not like the lightness. It is extremely comfortable and is hypoallergenic. The case back has a 12 slot screw lid with a circular window showing the ‘Hi Mech’ Oris movement.

I am not certain if this window is sapphire crystal, but the front crystal definately is and its imperceptibly domed and flushed into the bezel with any edge. I may be wrong, but I don’t think there is any anti-reflective coating on the crystal. The lugs are large and suit the general styling of the model. They are highly polished on the top side. There are no spring bars as the strap and bracelet are secured by rods which span the lug width. Each rod has a screw fixed end and the other end has a similar size screw which detaches so that the rod can be slid out for the change over.

The crown is positioned at 4 o’clock which I really like as it doesn‘t impress on the back of the hand.


Being a 30 BAR model, Oris found little need for including a helium escape valve as fitted to their 100BAR+ diver models. The single crown actually makes the case look less cluttered to me.

LUGS
The lugs are bold and mirror finished on the upper surface. This mirror finish flows down through the outer bracelet links.

There are no springbars on this model which I think is a plus for a divers watch in terms of security. A rod secures the strap or bracelet to the lugs with screws at each end. One of the screws is permanently attached to the rod and the other is loose, so that the rod can be removed for the changeover. Changing the strap with the bracelet is a simple operation, but care must be taken not to lose the separate screw, so it’s best done on a desk covered with a cloth or with a piece of 'blu tak' plasticene as an anchor.


DIAL
The dial face has a non-reflective wave pattern black surface. Each indices has a slim polished metal frame and a superluminova inlay as does the hands. The time is very easy to see at a glance because of the contrast of the black dial. The lume endurance is very good, lasting through the night until dawn.

A lot better than a couple of other watches I have owned costing several thousand more and almost as good as the Omega SMP. The sweep second is nicely proportioned and also has a circular lume dot. The date window is at the 6 o’clock position and is in good proportion and eligibility. The depth rating is printed 300m/984 feet, a spot on conversion.


BEZEL
The bezel is graduated clearly in the traditional diver markings up to 60 minutes. The first 15 being a red quarter. Rotation is counter clockwise only in 120 precise clicks. The pearl lume and inverted triangle sits exactly at 12 o’clock. Hand alignment is dead on at 12 as well.

CROWN
The screw in crown is sequentially pulled out for winding, setting the date and the time in that order. It has a quick set date function as well.


MOVEMENT
I am not certain if this movement is in-house or a modified ETA, but whatever it is, it is a great timekeeper with a gain of just 12 seconds a week. Once the movement has received its initial 25 winds, I do not wind it, it just keeps going. I do not wear it during sleep either.


SUMMARY
Oris has an extensive range of diver watches in both SS and titanium. The 7562P model I have is ideal for someone who wants a Swiss automatic watch with a good pedigree at a price that won‘t max out the credit card! It will satisfy all requirements for snorkelling or light scuba work.

Here's some more pics:





The Oris web site can be viewed here:
http://www.oris.ch/home.aspx

Further information:
Titanium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium




Cheers
Steve

[Lol-x]

Hi Steve!!!
Great to see you mate
Awesome review, thank you very much for sharing this

[ErikAalto]

Very neat watch!

My brother has a very similar model.
Oris on the right, Bulova Marine Star on the left

[TARDIS]

Hi Erik
Yes, the Oris 'Lumi dial' was nearly my pick. It certainly has great lume. I often wondered why the white dial Rolex Explorer II didn't have the lumi dial as well. I think it would have made a great watch even better!

[elgatonegro]

Great review and a very nice shots.

[Terry Newton]

Beautiful looking Oris. I love the red rotor. That is keeping up with the bigger sized watches of today. 42 mm is no slouch when it comes to size. It looks great and you wrote a great review.

Terry Newton

[Rolexitis]

Thanks for a great review. There is an Oris dealer just down the road from my office and I've been looking at them for sometime now. I think I may buy one soon.

[RW16610]

Well done, my favourite part is the screw bold's instead of spring bars like on my Fortis.

[Perdu]

Great review and what a great watch and so well designed. I like it.

[Letsgodiving]

I've always loved dive watches and that is a beaut! Great review and excellent pics.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Excellent and very detailed review, Steve!

Congrats on this great watch!

Thanks for sharing!

[Dan Pierce]

Steve,
Great review. Oris has some unique styling with robust cases and bracelets. Good value for the $$.
dP

[mailman]

Great review Steve That's a nice looking watch too Glad to see you back M8

[jtrader]

Seems like you had a pretty good experience with your purchase. I to am wanting to buy an oris divers. Can you tell me the name of the dealer you bought yours from?

Thanks

Originally Posted by TARDIS

Hi everyone,

I am back because I’ve missed you lot and haven’t had anything worthy of input until now. I have posted this review on another forum as I didn’t feel coming back here was going to help me get over the sale of my Sea-Dweller. I am still very much an enthusiast of Rolex, but I am now over its absence. At least it went to a good home.

Having previously owned models from the big three Swiss watch manufacturers, (Rolex, Omega and Breitling) I just thought I'd let you guys know about Oris.

Before I do, I should briefly outline my WIS history. I have never been able to afford a watch collection per se, so I bought and flipped my way through quite a few models.

Oris have been making watches since 1904 at Hölstein, Switzerland. My experience with the brand was at the start of my WIS disease in 2001/2. I had previously owned a Seiko divers for about 12 years before getting a Oris 1000m diver. A fantastic timepiece for the money and I liked everything about it except the thickness. It was just too bulky for me so I flipped it after about 6 months ownership. After that the WIS fever caught hold of me and I moved along to a grey dealer Omega SMP GMT black dial; a pre-owned Rolex Y series Submariner, then an F series Rolex GMT Master II, then a Breitling Colt . Shortly after, I bought a Mido All Dial Ti. I had it for about a year then sold it to a Mido collector in Texas. I then bought a brand new Omega Planet Ocean which I owned for about 8 months. I got tired of that and privately part exchanged it for a D series Sub no date which I then kept for a few months before I stepped up to a brand new ‘Z’ series Sea-Dweller.

The Sea-Dweller 4000 was to be my final timepiece as I regarded it as the pinnacle of diver watches and I was extremely happy with it. Unfortunately my luck has taken a turn for the worse and I had no alternative but to sell it.

My wife could see that I was pretty miserable sans SD and promised me if I come through this OK, she will buy me another Rolex, but for the meantime, she suggested I go back to Oris as it was a Swiss auto and value for money.

Four weeks ago, I decided to buy a new Oris and yes I ordered another diver, but this model is not as thick and bulky as the Oris Titan 1000m I owned a few years ago. After four weeks of daily wear, here are my observations of the Oris Titan 300M model 7562P:

ON ARRIVAL

The ORIS outer/inner box was opened to reveal the watch buried securely in a cocoon of bubble wrap and foam rubber. The watch, bracelet and rubber strap were all covered with protective plastic as well. Included was the warranty booklet, a certificate of performance identifying the watch by serial number and that it had been tested and examined by an authorised Oris service Master Watchmaker, a paper wallet with a global service listings and the invoice of course! The whole package was delivered to my door by courier, brand new from the Oris dealer in Brisbane. It was packed so well, that if it had been dropped by air, I think it would have still arrived undamaged! I ordered the watch with the bracelet and an optional Oris rubber compound strap with deployment and wet suit extension. The rubber compound had a rather nice vanilla odour impregnated. As we are in our cooler months here, I swapped over the titanium bracelet with the strap which took about 5 minutes as the lugs have screws. I put the bracelet away for summer, still wrapped in it’s plastic protection.



CASE
The case is titanium. It measures 42mm in diameter and is just 11mm thick, so it sits very nicely on the wrist. The watch itself weighs a mere 58 grams. Those who prefer wearing heavy SS watches may not like the lightness. It is extremely comfortable and is hypoallergenic. The case back has a 12 slot screw lid with a circular window showing the ‘Hi Mech’ Oris movement.

I am not certain if this window is sapphire crystal, but the front crystal definately is and its imperceptibly domed and flushed into the bezel with any edge. I may be wrong, but I don’t think there is any anti-reflective coating on the crystal. The lugs are large and suit the general styling of the model. They are highly polished on the top side. There are no spring bars as the strap and bracelet are secured by rods which span the lug width. Each rod has a screw fixed end and the other end has a similar size screw which detaches so that the rod can be slid out for the change over.

The crown is positioned at 4 o’clock which I really like as it doesn‘t impress on the back of the hand.


Being a 30 BAR model, Oris found little need for including a helium escape valve as fitted to their 100BAR+ diver models. The single crown actually makes the case look less cluttered to me.

LUGS
The lugs are bold and mirror finished on the upper surface. This mirror finish flows down through the outer bracelet links.

There are no springbars on this model which I think is a plus for a divers watch in terms of security. A rod secures the strap or bracelet to the lugs with screws at each end. One of the screws is permanently attached to the rod and the other is loose, so that the rod can be removed for the changeover. Changing the strap with the bracelet is a simple operation, but care must be taken not to lose the separate screw, so it’s best done on a desk covered with a cloth or with a piece of 'blu tak' plasticene as an anchor.


DIAL
The dial face has a non-reflective wave pattern black surface. Each indices has a slim polished metal frame and a superluminova inlay as does the hands. The time is very easy to see at a glance because of the contrast of the black dial. The lume endurance is very good, lasting through the night until dawn.

A lot better than a couple of other watches I have owned costing several thousand more and almost as good as the Omega SMP. The sweep second is nicely proportioned and also has a circular lume dot. The date window is at the 6 o’clock position and is in good proportion and eligibility. The depth rating is printed 300m/984 feet, a spot on conversion.


BEZEL
The bezel is graduated clearly in the traditional diver markings up to 60 minutes. The first 15 being a red quarter. Rotation is counter clockwise only in 120 precise clicks. The pearl lume and inverted triangle sits exactly at 12 o’clock. Hand alignment is dead on at 12 as well.

CROWN
The screw in crown is sequentially pulled out for winding, setting the date and the time in that order. It has a quick set date function as well.


MOVEMENT
I am not certain if this movement is in-house or a modified ETA, but whatever it is, it is a great timekeeper with a gain of just 12 seconds a week. Once the movement has received its initial 25 winds, I do not wind it, it just keeps going. I do not wear it during sleep either.


SUMMARY
Oris has an extensive range of diver watches in both SS and titanium. The 7562P model I have is ideal for someone who wants a Swiss automatic watch with a good pedigree at a price that won‘t max out the credit card! It will satisfy all requirements for snorkelling or light scuba work.

Here's some more pics:





The Oris web site can be viewed here:
http://www.oris.ch/home.aspx

Further information:
Titanium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium




Cheers
Steve

[mickeydainish]

Good review Stevo...... Sooo nice to have you back mate....!!!! :-)

[mrsudz]

I also have an ORIS TT1 Blue diver and I love it.
Its very good quality for the money. Rugged and sharp looking.
Very nice review

[LuvMyRolex]

Steve, thanks for a great review of a beautiful watch. I own 3 Oris watches - a BC3, Artelier Pointer Date and a Chronoris (just bought two weeks ago). As far as I know, Oris uses ETA movements which are then modified in-house, though they are apparently moving over to Sellita movements due to uncertain future supply of ETAs (info from somewhere on the Friends Of Oris Forum).

[meloncap78]

I am sold. I had no idea they made such an aesthetically pleasing, well constructed timepiece. Thanks for the review.

[Perdu]

Originally Posted by meloncap78

I am sold. I had no idea they made such an aesthetically pleasing, well constructed timepiece. Thanks for the review.

Yes, it's a really good looking piece isn't it.

[gone-rolex-mad]

Ouch!!!!!! You sold a sea-dweller. Nice review.

[DSJ]

They have a sweet Chronograph at Costco that is VERY tempting. Oris is an outstanding value in timepieces!

[1000ftSub]

I really like oris, mainly this watch the only thing i don't like about the prodiver is that its to big.

[Fortunato]

Hi, Steve! Have a nice 2009!
How are you both? (you & ORIS)
I planning to buy one and I would really like to know how things are going by now.

Congrats,

Fortunato.

[hflee55]

great review.

[s2kev]

I've always thought of purchasing an Oris. Thanks for the informative post!

[airforcemedical]

Very nice I've been interested in Oris lately and I think I may have to pull the trigger on this one.

[dpj17]

Great review, I've owned two of these and they are terrific timepieces for the price point!

[j1crimmins]

Thanks for the info. Never been a big Oris fan, but good info you shared.

[JBat]

Very nice review of a handsome timepiece.

[AIKO]

Love it! I just bought my third Oris. It is really an fantastic brand.