No risk of second-album syndrome here – this slightly larger take on the Oris Divers Sixty-Five replica watches are worthy, if slightly more mainstream, follow-up to the original release.
There must be something good in the water at Hölstein, because Oris has been on fire lately. The 100% mechanical brand has always had a solid following thanks to its no-fuss divers and pilots pieces, but even though the watches represent excellent bang for buck, they’ve always been a little under the radar. That changed last year with the release of the original Divers Sixty-Five, a pitch-perfect reissue that hit all the right notes. Well, Oris has been busy making hay while the sun shines. There are now several new dial versions of the original model, as well as a 42mm limited edition bronze piece. Today, though, we’re focusing on the new steel 42mm version.
To be honest, I was quite surprised (and pleased) that Oris kept the original at 40mm diameter fake Oris watches, as is only appropriate for such a vintage-feeling watch, but many people wanted it to be a little larger. Well, ask and Oris delivers: this case is bumped up to 42mm, giving a noticeable, but not overwhelming, increase in presence. All the other details are pretty much the same – the bezel with aluminium insert, the awesome, highly domed sapphire crystal, and the 100m of water resistance. Sure, some eyebrows may be raised at a dive watch with that level of WR, but it’s absolutely fine for swimming, and it’s a rating in keeping with the ‘skin diver’ roots of the piece.
This is where we see the other big change. Gone are the super-stylised cardinal numerals, replaced instead with much more conservative printed markers, in a cream colour that has a lovely vintage vibe to it. The other difference is that the dial is a wonderfully deep blue. Now, Oris has been very clever here – creating a much more crowd-friendly dial that still stands out from the pack. The Arabic numerals of the previous generation gave the watch its charm, but also turned away some people, who found them a little left-field. This version has none of those issues – it’s a textbook vintage-look dive watch dial in a proven design that’s a perennial favourite. But it also avoids homogeneity, thanks to the use of blue instead of black, as well as the nicely retro touch of the trapezoidal date window.
Oris cheap fake watches offers some great options here – from a handsomely on-trend suede strap, to tropic-style rubber and nice fabric options. Not only are all these straps good quality, they’re also considered choices. It would have been easy to pull out a generic rubber or leather strap, but the brand has gone to the effort of giving you choices that match perfectly with the look of the watch. But for me the real winner is the steel bracelet. Again, it’s a cut above. Oris has replicated the look of an old-school riveted bracelet to a tee, complete with solid links and a subtle taper. The one potential spanner in the works is the lug width. The specs put it at 21mm, which is an uncommon size, and irritating if you’re a fan of popping on aftermarket options – though having said that, you can often get away with 20 or 22mm straps.