Many people may have looked at the photos of the new 2025 Big Crown Pointer Date and thought, "Huh?" Yes, the design of this watch is extremely sophisticated and makes it a perfect everyday model. WatchTime US Editor Zen Love unravels the history of the Big Crown Pointer Date and how it came to this "new" design.
Text by Zen Love
[Article published on January 13, 2025]
Oris' signature model, the "Big Crown Pointer Date"
The "Big Crown Pointer Date" has been a staple in the Oris catalog since 1938. It's pretty much what a pilot's watch looked like in the late 1930s.
The modern Big Crown Pointer Date blends multiple eras, both distant and relatively recent. The collection is central to Oris' identity, yet constantly evolving. Evolving over the decades, the 2025 variation showcases a contemporary design while also evoking a lesser-known chapter in the brand's history.
With a redesign, in-house movement, and new dial colors from 2021 onward, the Big Crown Pointer Date Caliber 403, launched in 2025, is by no means just a retro watch. This pinnacle of Oris' iconic line showcases the brand's history, high-quality operation, and excellent price-to-performance ratio. We had the chance to test it out for ourselves.
Pilot's Watches
The Big Crown Pointer Date doesn't look like a typical pilot's watch, at least by modern standards. Pilot-specific watches of various styles appeared soon after the invention of the airplane. Many of the features considered "classic" today were developed in the context of World War II and the military imperatives that followed. The Big Crown was born during that era, in 1938. Unfortunately, there is no solid documentation proving that it was designed for military purposes.
In the early 20th century, the elegance of pocket watches and table clocks was carried over to wristwatches, often featuring Art Deco decorations. Even today, they appear classic and elegant. However, the first Big Crown Pointer Date, then known as a "Pointer Calendar," combined this classic look with an interesting element: a large crown that could be operated even with pilots wearing gloves, a feature still commonly seen in aviation watches today.
Oris had already produced a similar pilot's watch in 1917, which was re-released in 2017 as a limited edition. Naturally, it bore the legendary name "Big Crown." Large, highly legible Arabic numerals were also a must-have. The combination of functionality and distinctive design made the 1938 Big Crown a hit with a wide range of users, not just pilots.
The luminous hands, peripheral date scale, and bold indices add character and practicality, a combination that remains compelling today. Over the following decades, the design has evolved, resulting in several generations of the Big Crown Pointer Date. Since its debut, the watch has remained in constant production.
The Pointer Date Principle
The now common, yet sometimes controversial, "window date" first appeared around 1945. Before that, calendar-equipped watches often indicated the date with a hand. Many wristwatches didn't even have a date display at all. However, ever since the Rolex Datejust introduced a small window beneath the dial revealing a date disc, this format has become overwhelmingly mainstream.
Oris didn't invent the pointer date, but it established it as a distinctive feature and remains a leader in this niche field, with simple three-hand watches featuring this display still rare today.
Many collectors and critical enthusiasts appreciate the symmetry of the dial that this approach provides over the often-controversial "date window."
What is the technical difference between aperture and hand displays? Both are similar in that they move hands or discs every 24 hours, but the main difference is whether this is done above or below the dial. However, their internal structures are very different.
In the case of a classic date window, underneath the dial, a 24-hour wheel on the outer periphery of the movement drives the date disc, which is linked to the hour hand, and a small pin on the wheel advances the disc one notch every 24 hours.
On the other hand, a more specialized mechanism is required to move the centrally mounted date hand. This is the main difference between the Sellita Caliber SW200-1 and Caliber SW221-1 used in the entry-level Big Crown Pointer Date. The in-house Caliber 403 is a further development of the Caliber 400. More on this later.
A return to the 80s
Mention the name Big Crown Pointer Date and many watch enthusiasts will conjure up a specific image: a coin-edge bezel, cathedral-shaped hands, a moon-shaped date hand, and perhaps a two-tone steel and gold model. This iconic design was born in the 1980s, a time of crisis for the entire watch industry. Changes brought about by inexpensive battery-powered quartz watches were threatening traditional mechanical watchmaking.
Just like when it was first released in 1984, it features a distinctive coin-edged bezel design. Automatic movement (Cal. 754, 28,800 vph, approximately 38-hour power reserve, stainless steel case (40mm diameter), water resistant to 5 bar.
At the time, Oris was part of ASUAG, the predecessor of the Swatch Group, but in 1982 it underwent a management buyout and became independent. At that time, it made a bold change in direction, moving away from quartz movements and returning to purely mechanical watches. The new generation of the Big Crown Pointer Date that we know today was born in 1984.
The model features an oversized crown, a pointer date mechanism, and a design that goes beyond mere reproductions while referencing design elements from the past, such as the cathedral-shaped hands that recall the 1917 Oris pilot's watch.
A new model with modern modifications
The 1984 design remains at the core of the collection, and there are numerous variations of it today. However, the Caliber 403 model featured in this article differs significantly in its design details from the previous model: it does not feature cathedral hands, a coin-edge bezel, or moon-shaped hands!
Instead, it features clean lines, a smooth, polished bezel, and a modern arrow-shaped hand for the date display. The overall impression is uncluttered, clear, and modern, while the iconic design is somewhat diluted.
This design was first released in 2021 with a 38mm case, followed by a 40mm model in new colors in 2025. A 38mm model with the manual-winding movement Cal. 473 is now also available.
The same design philosophy was applied to the standard model equipped with a Sellita movement, which was released in 2025. The in-house movement model features a small seconds at 6 o'clock, while the Sellita movement has a centrally located seconds hand and a red rotor, indicating that it is an externally supplied item.
The value of the Cal.403 is not just due to its in-house manufacture
To judge the value of the Big Crown Pointer Date Caliber 403, it's not enough to look at just the fact that it's powered by an in-house movement. What's important is what this movement achieves. Two barrels provide a power reserve of approximately 120 hours (approximately five days). This longer time also ensures more consistent torque, resulting in a more even rate.
It also boasts other solid features. Its magnetic resistance is resistant to up to 60 gauss, ensuring high accuracy and stability in everyday use. Also noteworthy is the 10-year warranty and recommended maintenance every 10 years. This is significantly longer than many other companies' watches, demonstrating confidence in the quality of the movement.
These are all features common to the Cal. 400 family, and are what make Oris so competitive in this price range. The movement can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, and has an industrial yet not too rough aesthetic. It is simple yet well-finished.
When you actually pick it up
In a direct comparison, the Big Crown Pointer Date Caliber 403 wears almost identically to the 40mm model with a Sellita movement. I personally own an older model with a coin-edge bezel, cathedral hands, moon-shaped date hand, and two-tone finish, and my personal attachment to that watch was one of the reasons I wrote this review.
But after testing the new model, I quickly realized that it's unfair to compare the two. Despite nostalgia for the older design, the new model is a superior product in many ways: robust, versatile, and of high quality. It's a watch that will make a great long-term investment, and in some cases, even a unique piece in a collection.
The older model has more character, but it can be a bit unwieldy as an everyday watch. The 40mm diameter gives it a modern feel, making it more prominent than understated by today's standards. If you prefer something smaller and more classic, the 38mm version is a better choice.
While the current design is quite modern, details like the sleek bezel and arrow-shaped date hand evoke the 1950s model and even the original from 1938. In keeping with this vintage spirit, the case and bezel are polished to a mirror-like shine, with only the lugs sporting a more subdued satin finish.
When I first purchased the Big Crown Pointer Date, I had no idea that it had any connection to aviation history, but I was drawn to its elegance, robustness, and somehow special presence.
Automatic winding (Cal. Oris 403). 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 120 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 40mm, thickness 12.3mm). Water resistant to 50m. Price: 616,000 yen (tax included).
The new model is a direct extension of that tradition, becoming simpler, more refined, and more evolved. Anyone familiar with the brand's history will surely appreciate this watch even more.
