The new Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer features a bezel-adjusted world time system.

Oris's thirst for innovation has delivered numerous groundbreaking watches in its long and illustrious history. This year, the independent Swiss watch company continues its pursuit of game-changing complications with the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer, a watch that can be adjusted to different time zones, simply by rotating the bezel.

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This Oris-developed innovation is an update to the Oris Worldtimer launched in 1997 and now marking its 20th anniversary. The original watch featured plus and minus pushers on the side of the case that when pressed adjusted the local time forwards or backwards in one-hour jumps, without the need to pull out the crown or stop the running of the watch. It also featured small seconds, home time and day/night indicators, and an Oris-patented mechanism that meant the date would keep track of the time adjustment, even if that meant going backwards over midnight. It set a benchmark for the Swiss watch industry and has been used in many Oris watches in the two decades since. Now, it's rightly judged as a landmark in Oris's illustrious history.

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The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer has the same functionality as the 1997 innovation, only now the pushers have gone and local time is adjusted by rotating the bezel. Rotating the bezel clockwise moves the central hour hand forwards in one-hour jumps; anti-clockwise back in one-hour jumps.

The watch carrying this groundbreaking innovation sits in the Big Crown ProPilot line, Oris's critically acclaimed pilot's watch collection. It features the ProPilot's signature coin-edged bezel, a design inspired by jet engine turbines that also makes the bezel easy to grip when adjusting local time.

Oris's spirit of innovation continues in the buckle found on the versions of the watch with leather and textile straps. The buckle features an Oris-patented stageless length adjustment system that's based on the airplane safety-belt principle. The watch is also available on a stainless steel bracelet.

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There will be two versions of the watch. The first has an anthracite dial and a polished top ring on the bezel, and is aimed at stylish business travellers. The second has a black dial and a brushed top ring on the bezel, glare-proofing it for life in the cockpit. Both feature an automatic mechanical movement, in keeping with Oris's philosophy to only make mechanical watches.

“This is a significant moment in the history of the Oris Worldtimer,” said Oris Chairman Ulrich W. Herzog, who also oversaw the launch of the 1997 original. “In the year of its 20th anniversary, we're delighted to be introducing another innovative timepiece that has real-world value to pilots and international travellers. At heart, this is still a pure pilot's watch - we enjoy great support from the aviation community and we're very proud to have produced a design tailored to its needs.”

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The watch is powerd by the automatic movement Oris Cal. 690, based on ETA 2836-2, with adjustable hour hand for local time, subsidiary second time zone with hour and minute hands and day and night indicator (home time) at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 9 o'clock. Date window at 3 o'clock with patented backward date adjustment function.

The price for the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer (Ref. No. 01 690 7735 4063 LS and  No. 01 690 7735 4164 MB) is CHF 3,600 with Louisiana crocodile leather strap or metal bracelet, CHF 3,400 on calf leather strap or textile strap.