Alright folks, been wearing this Oris Big Crown ProPilot for a solid couple months now – the automatic one, obviously – and figured it’s time to dump my honest thoughts. Went in blind pretty much, just liked the look online.
The First Impressions Box Crack
Opened the box, and boom, that dial hits you. Massive, super clear Arabic numbers – none of that fancy cursive nonsense, just tell me the damn time, you know? Loved the double date window right away. Big? Oh yeah. Heavy? Yeah, that too. But man, it felt solid. Like you’d expect from something called a “ProPilot”. Like it could take a knock. The crystal had this slight curve to it, which the website gabbed on about some anti-reflective coating thing. Honestly? I just noticed it didn’t glare much indoors. Good enough.
Living With It Day to Day
Slapped it on the wrist. Yeah, it’s a chonker. Didn’t disappear under a shirt cuff like some dainty dress watch. You feel it’s there. But you get used to it. The crown? Giant. Screws down. Meant to be used with gloves on? Dunno about that, but it’s definitely easy to grab and wind.
Let’s talk guts:
- Automatic Magic (Mostly): No batteries, thank god. Just shakes and winds itself while you move. Easy. Forgot it was Friday once and took it off Saturday morning – stopped dead Sunday afternoon. So yeah, needs wearing daily-ish. Gotta be honest, kinda missed the set-and-forget of quartz that one time.
- Keeping Time: How fast is it running? Checked it against my phone time for a week. Averaging about +12 to +15 seconds fast each day. Not Rolex territory, but for a workhorse Swiss auto in this price bracket? Honestly, I expected worse. Could it be better? Sure. Is it annoying? Not really, I just nudge it back a smidge every weekend while I’m checking the football scores.
- The “Big” Factor: This is the big one… pun intended. That dial is very readable. That big crown is super easy. But it wears big. My wrist isn’t tiny, but it’s pushing it sometimes. If you like a subtle watch… nah, forget it. This thing announces itself.
The Ugly Bit (Sorta)
Took it near the ocean, didn’t go swimming. Felt nervous. It says 100m water resist, which should be fine for swimming… but something about that giant screw-down crown and how expensive it felt? Yeah, chickened out. Might test it properly next pool season, maybe.
Wrapping It Up
So, months down the line, do I like it? Yeah, I actually do. It’s not perfect. The size is a commitment, the time gain is noticeable but livable, and that “ProPilot” vibe might be overkill for the office coffee run.
But here’s the thing: it feels robust, it looks distinctive without being weird, and you get serious Swiss mechanical stuff for way less than most other big names. Every time I glance at that big, clear dial, the double date, the hefty feel… I like it a little more. It’s got character. Did I get a steal? Nah. But did I feel totally ripped off? Not a chance. It feels like real quality you can bang around a bit. Worth the scratch if you dig the look and the heft. Just be ready for people to notice it. And maybe skip a few fancy drinks to justify the cost. Still cheaper than most other Swiss names playing the same game, though.
