Following the successful launch of the Calibre 110 and 111, Oris had decided to continue in their endeavour to produce exceptional and value-for-money in-house movements. In this year’s Baselworld, the Hölstein-based watchmaker had improved the collection with the Calibre 112, a timepiece that was based on its predecessors albeit with greater improvements and upgrades.
In the past few years, Oris had surprised the horological industry with both the Calibre 110 and 111. These two watches are fitted with an in-house movement, in which it notably features a staggering power reserve of around 10 days. The Calibre 111, interestingly, is an improved version of the Calibre 110 with the addition of a date complication. As for Calibre 112, that is an upgraded version of its predecessor as well – in addition to the date indicator, the latest variant is now fitted with a GMT function and a day/night indicator.
So, with the inclusion of new complications, how does the Calibre 112 adds up? Well, there is only a way to find out…
The case, dial, and hands
A close up of the Calibre 112. An interesting looking timepiece, albeit it might be a little cluttered with the inclusion of another sub-dial for the GMT function.
We start off with one of the highlights of the Calibre 112 – the dial. Unlike its predecessors, the Calibre 112 features two new complications. They are the GMT function, and the day/night indicator. This means that the dial had to be designed differently, in order to accommodate the additional functions.
The difference is pretty stark, if you place the Calibre 111 and the Calibre 112 side-by-side. The latter, for instance, features another sub-dial at the 12 o’clock position to display a second time zone. In addition, the sub-dial is fitted with a day/night indicator, which is another complication that the new watch offers. The indicator is represented by two apertures that features a round shape and a crescent shape. Interestingly, there is a two-tone rotating disc (with black and white colors) beneath the sub-dial, and it provides an indication as to whether it is currently night or day at the moment. On top of that, at sunrise or sunset, the indicators become a mix of both white and black to show the progression.
Due to the inclusion of a new sub-dial, the other two existing sub-dials had to be re-positioned or redesigned as well. This means that the subsidiary seconds-hand dial had to be lowered, and the design of the power reserve indicator modified. Interestingly, for the latter, not only did Oris tweak the position in which the numbers were positioned on the sub-dial, but they have also played around with the color of the linear power reserve indicator. In addition, due to the new sub-dial, the Oris logo had to be shifted to the 6 o’clock position instead.
Another look of the Oris Calibre 112.
The watch features six hands, of which hands that serve different purposes feature different styling. For instance, the hands that indicate timing (i.e. the hour and minute hands for both the main dial and the sub-dial) features the “alpha” style, while the both the power reserve indicator and subsidiary seconds dial are fitted with sword-style hands. Notably, the hour and minute hands for the main dial are applied with luminescence, to allow legibility in dark environments.
The 43mm Calibre 112 is a slightly large dress watch, in which it features some interesting case options.
The timepiece, similar to the Calibre 111, is fitted with a 43mm case. The Calibre 112, however, comes with different case, dial, and bracelet options. There are a total of eight different variations, in which it is fitted with either a stainless steel or a two-tone (stainless steel and 18k rose gold) case. The watch also comes with varying dial options, in which collectors can choose between the opaline silver or blue grey dial. The dials are fitted with polished indices, and they include at date window at the 9 o’clock position. The latter is a little unusual, although we doubt that many collectors will be bothered by this.
Comparing to the predecessors, the Calibre 112 is probably much more cluttered and less intuitive when it comes to the aesthetics of the watch face. This is probably due to the three sub-dials, as well as the combination of six hands on the dial as well. We reckon some people might need to take time to get used to it, although we think that it should not be an issue for most of the collectors.
The movement: Calibre 112
The movement, as displayed from the exhibition case back.
The eponymous Calibre 112, like its predecessors, is singled out for its staggering power reserve of approximately 10 days. This is achieved through the use of a single barrel, in which it is fitted with a whopping 1.8m long mainspring. As seen in the picture above, the mainspring barrel fills up a significant portion of the movement. The power reserve, notably, is indicated via a non-linear indication. This means that the indicator will move slowly at first from the beginning when it is fully-wound. When the mainspring starts to unwind and the number of days remaining decreases, the indicator will move in unison with the tension left in the mainspring with bigger leaps until it reaches zero which is marked in red. This is unlike the usual power reserve indicators, in which it moves in a consistent and uniform manner.
A closer look at the movement. The finishing is decent, considering the price of this timepiece. The two snail cam wheels are part of the power reserve mechanism.
Besides that, the in-house developed manual winding movement also features other functions that we have mentioned in the article just now. This includes a date display, a GMT function, as well as a day/night indicator.
In terms of the finishing, the Calibre 112 is pretty decent but not spectacular. One, however, needs to bear in mind that the watch is priced rather reasonably, and we reckon the finishing is better than most of its competitors that are within the same price range.
Concluding Thoughts
A wristshot. At 43mm, it is a little too big for a dress watch, but it is still a nice piece nonetheless.
When Oris launched both the Calibre 110 and 111 a couple of years back in succession, we were won over by its price proposition and technical feats that both the watches have achieved. It is incredible, frankly, when one compares to similar watches like the IWC Big Pilot/ Portugieser. Aside from the finishing and the branding, the Oris Calibre collection is pretty much a formidable opponent. Not only does it feature a long power reserve, but the 112 also includes additional complications and is priced much lower than a basic Big Pilot timepiece.
However, we have two slight qualms with the new Calibre 112. Unlike its predecessors, the Calibre 112 is a bit more cluttered, since they have included additional complications into this timepiece. This meant that instead of having just two sub-dials, the new watch had an additional sub-dial to display the time of the additional time zone. While it might be fine for some, but we reckon that we had preferred the dual sub-dial layout for its symmetry and its “cleanness”.
Also, at 43mm, we reckon the watch is a little too large. We would have preferred the watch to be sized a little smaller, and that would have made the Calibre 112 a pretty nice dress piece. We do acknowledge that there might be an issue here though, considering that the watch features a pretty large movement that is required to accommodate the giant barrel and the components that run the various complications.
As mentioned, the Calibre 112 is priced rather reasonably- from CHF 6,300 for the stainless steel version, to CHF 7,800 for the two-tone variant. It comes with different bracelet options as well: either in leather strap, or a matching stainless steel bracelet. Overall, we think that this is an excellent timepiece, with an incredible price proposition. Definitely a good timepiece to consider, for collectors who want a decent and slightly complicated entry-level timepiece.
Technical Specification:
Oris Artelier Calibre 112
Ref. No. 01 112 7726 4055 LS, Ø 43.00mm
- Calibre 112, movement fully developed by Oris
- Hand-wound, 3hz, 21,600vph, single barrel
- 10-day power reserve, patented non-linear power reserve indication at 3 o’clock, small seconds between 7 and 8 o’clock, date at 9 o’clock and second time zone with day and night indication at 12 o’clock
- Multi-piece stainless steel case and stainless steel crown. Water-resistant to 5 bar
- Sapphire crystal top glass with anti-reflective coating inside
- Screwed case back with sapphire crystal
- Opaline silver or blue grey dial with applied indices and polished nickel hands. Hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova®
- Black Louisiana croco leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp.
- Alternatively available with stainless steel bracelet
- Swiss retail price CHF 6,300
Oris Artelier Calibre 112
Ref. No. 01 112 7726 6351 LS, Ø 43.00mm
- Calibre 112, movement fully developed by Oris
- Hand-wound, 3hz, 21,600vph, single barrel
- 10-day power reserve, patented non-linear power reserve indication at 3 o’clock, small seconds between 7 and 8 o’clock, date at 9 o’clock and second time zone with day and night indication at 12 o’clock
- Multi-piece stainless steel case with 18-carat rose gold bezel and stainless steel crown. Water-resistant to 5 bar
- Sapphire crystal top glass with anti-reflective coating inside
- Screwed case back with sapphire crystal
- Opaline silver dial with applied rose-gold-plated indices and hands. Hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova®
- Black or dark brown Louisiana croco leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp
- Swiss retail price CHF 7,800
