Happy Birthday Oris: Meet The Holstein Edition World Time Watch

To mark its 118th birthday today, Oris unveils the Holstein Edition 2022 timepiece — a limited edition watch created in just 250 pieces and recalling the first Holstein introduced in the 1990’s. The 36.5mm stainless steel case boasts a three-link steel bracelet, a blue dial and the beloved plus and minus symbols that the first watch of its sort sported. The $4,300 watch is a bold offering of quality, precision mechanics, aesthetics and more — all for an incredible value perspective.

The new watch recalls the first Full Steel Worldtimer that was released in 1998 and housed a movement that had been introduced in 1997, the Caliber 690. It was, for its time, a world’s first in that it used plus and minus buttons on the case side to adjust the local time in one-hour increments either forward or backward. Additionally, when the time changed at midnight, the date would automatically change, too. The innovative mechanical movement put the Oris Holstein on the proverbial map, and has been a coveted caliber ever since.

The new watch houses the updated Caliber 690, with center seconds hand with forward or backward one-hour setting, instantaneous date and corrector, and more. The automatic movement, when fully wound, offers 38 hours of power reserve. The watch dial features Super-LumiNova hands, numbers  and markers, and a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating protects it. The case back is engraved with the beloved Oris Bear.

Now, under the vigilant eye of Co-CEO Rolf Studer, the entire Oris brand business has grown by leaps and bounds, as innovative new movements, designs, materials and colors unfold in the lineup. Still, these vintage inspired legends continue to surprise and delight watch lovers globally.

 

In a written interview with Studer, we learn more about this edition and Oris’s current state of business.

So, the Hölstein Edition 2022. This is the third in the series. Remind us of the thinking behind these watches…

“The main thing is that they’re linked to our birthday – the company was founded on 1 June 1904. This place and this valley define who we are, so if you like they’re a gift to ourselves, but also to our community. Hölstein Editions always have a quirk, and they always tell our story. For example, they’re the only pieces that feature the Oris Bear. The Oris Bear is the medium of the Oris story. He’s a symbol of warmth, of joy and of going your own way. …He’s a magnet for people – how can you not love the Oris Bear? He makes people smile, which is our customer purpose, and the perfect canvas for any kind of emotion. And there’s no status with a bear. Just warmth.”

How have previous Hölstein Editions been received by your customers?
“In a short time, they’ve become a part of our yearly release plan and people now look forward to them. Honestly, it’s a challenge to find something that meets the criteria we set ourselves for the Hölstein Editions. They have to express our story and how we value our whole community. As before, this year’s is not only a boutique option – people all over the world can buy this watch through their official retailer, even though it’s basically a boutique edition. And they can choose their limited-edition number on our website. We try to give Oris enthusiasts an experience we would enjoy ourselves.”

How are things at Oris?

“Last year was a very strong year for Oris as we built on our Calibre 400 Series story with some really strong new releases. Calibre 400 was created for today’s world citizen, and it’s working! We also became climate neutral and released our first sustainability report, part of our ongoing Change for the Better mission. The last year also marked our debut at Watches and Wonders in Geneva. It was a huge success for us and our ‘piazza concept’, an open, inclusive, informal forum, gave us an opportunity to showcase our values on the international stage for the first time in three years. We believe our job is to cheer people up and it was great to see the sparkle in people’s eyes talking about Oris and mechanical watches. Thanks to everyone who came to visit us and share the joy.”