NSOW: Oris Divers 65 (first version) Review.

As always these are just my notes used to make my video review.  For that you want to go HERE


MODEL. ORIS DIVER 65

REFERENCE. 01 733 7707 4065 - 07 4 20 18

YEAR. INTRODUCED IN 2015 - THIS RETRO RE-ISSUE ONLY LASTED A FEW YEARS - REPLACED MORE NORMAL

STYLE/SHAPE. RETRO DIVER - MORE LIKE THE OLD ‘SKINDIVERS’ - DEAUVILLE BLUE/GREY (ALSO AO IN BLACK)

MARKET. ENTRY TO MID TIER MECHANICAL SWISS - FROM A PRICE POV ENTRY BUT SWINGS A BIG BAT - MORE ON THAT LATER

FUNCTIONS (WHAT CAN IT DO?)

FUNCTIONS - TIME/DATE

SIMPLE SW200 - HACK/HANDWIND/QUICK SET DATE

28800 BPH - 4HZ - COMPARED TO THE 3 YOU’LL GET FROM SEIKO A HI-BEAT

LEGIBILITY – GOOD - BUT NOT REALLY AIMING AT SUPER PRECISION

SIMPLE BATONS HANDS EASY TO SEE

BUT MARKINGS AREN'T DESIGNED TO GET TO THE MINUTE ACCURACY

DOMING OF DIAL, AND CRYSTAL AND BIG BOLD SIXTIES NUMERALS ABOUT LOOKS RATHER THAN FINE TIMINGS.

BUT NEVER FEAR - YOU’LL KNOW THE TIME FINE

POWER RESERVE. 38 HOUR - REMAINS AROUND INDUSTRY STD - TO GET MORE NEEDS GOING UP TO TUDOR OR OMEGA AT DOUBLE THE PRICE

VERSATILITY (WHO CAN IT FIT AND HOW CAN IT BE USED)

WEARABILITY.

40MM X 45MM BAR TO BAR X 13MM - A LOT OF THAT THE CRYSTAL

SVELTE LITTLE THING FOR A DIVER - VERY EASY ON MY 7.5INCH WRIST

LUGS ARENT AN AGGRESSIVE SWEEP BUT SHORT AND THIN I RECKON YOU CAN GO PRETTY SMALLER WITH THIS ONE

ROBUSTNESS

316L STEEL/DOMED SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

NOTE BEZEL IS ALUMINIUM SO MAY TAKE A BIT OF A BATTERING IN THE LONG TERM BUT UNLIKELY TO BE A REAL ISSUE

100 M WATER RESISTANCE - WITH SCREW DOWN CROWN

CONTROVERSIAL HERE

SOME LOVE HOW IT STAYS WITH ORIGINAL

PERSONALLY IM NOT A FAN - ITS 2019 - IF WE CAN GO UP IN SIZE WE CAN GET MORE ROBUST - UNCOMFORTABLE CALLING THIS A DIVER TODAY

BANDS

20MM .

SMALL, LIGHT, LOW PROFILE - LOTS OF OPTIONS.

MINE CAME WITH A LOVELY NATO - BEST I’VE OWNED

SOFT, SILKY,RIBBON LIKE

COLOURS

IN BLACK SUPER VERSATILE IN BLUE A LITTLE LESS SO

THE COLOURWAY AND FONTS A LITTLE TO PLAYFUL FOR THE MOST FORMAL OCCASIONS

YOU’D NEED A FAIR BIT OF PAVONEGGIARSI (ITALIAN FOR SWAGGER) TO PULL THIS VERSION OFF AS A DRESS WATCH IN A FORMAL SETTING.

LOOKS (TO YOU AND OTHER PEOPLE)

ONE OF THE VANGUARD OF A FLOOD OF VINTAGE INSPIRED DIVERS

IN A FAMILY WITH LONGINES LEGEND DIVER, ALPINA SEASTRONG HERITAGE,

MORE RECENTLY THE LONGINE SKINDIVER

SEE ITS REAL STYLE THERE

ITS SOLD AS A DIVER - USUALLY THINK OF MORE MODERN SKINDIVER LOOK

LIGHTER, SLIMMER, LESS IMPOSING

THIN LITTLE MID CASE/CLEAN CURVE/UNFUSSED EDGES

MID POLISH SIDES/SATIN BUT NOT BRUSHED UPPERS

LIKE SKIN DIVER VS SCUBA

SIMPLE MASK, SNORKLE AND FINS VS FULL SCUBA GEAR.

JUST A LIGHTNESS OF TOUCH

DIAL IS CLEARLY THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS WATCH

A PLAYFULNESS THAT WORKS PERFECTLY WITH THE CASE DESIGN

DOMING OF THE CRYSTAL GIVES A CARNIVAL GLASS EFFECT

AND OBVIOUS HAVE TO FOCUS ON THOSE OH SO SIXTIES NUMERALS AT THE 12/3/6/9 - CAPTURES THAT SIXTIES SCI FI LOOK - CAN IMAGINE THEM MARKING THE LEVELS OF A KUBRICK SPACE SHIP

THE ALUMINIUM DIAL A PERFECT CHOICE - MAINTAINS THAT LIGHTNESS AND PERIOD BUT:

I DON'T THINK THE COLOURS WORK

THE DEAUVILLE/GREY AND FAUXTINA IS TO DIE FOR BUT

BLACK BEZEL OUT OF PLACE - JARS/INCONGROUS

WORKS PERFECTLY WITH THE BLACK DIAL

FRANKLY I THINK ORIS WENT A BIT CHEAP HERE - NEEDED TO COLOUR MATCH THE BEZEL WITH THE BABY BLUE

DATE. REALLY NICE.

IM A SUCKER FOR A DATE AT THE 6 OCLOCK

TINIEST INTRUSION INTO THE FAUXTINA SURROUND OF THE 6

SNUGGLED BETWEEN THE SWISS-MADE

NOT 100% COLOUR MATCHED BUT THE BLACK WORKS

ONLY CRITICISM IS ITS SMALL AND A LITTLE HARD TO READ BUT AESTHETICALLY A GREAT CHOICE

BATON HANDS NOTHING SPECIAL - SIMPLE BUT NICELY DONE

THE SILVERED EDGES WITH LUME FILLED CENTRE APPEARS TO GIVE THE HANDS THE 3D FEEL WHICH ADDS SUBSTANCE AND A FEELING OF QUALITY

COOL SECOND HAND - TINY DELICATE LITTLE LOLLIPOP

DELIGHTFUL LITTLE FLOATING DOT

SPEAKING OF LUME - NOT NORMALLY SOMETHING I CARE ABOUT BUT HERE IMPORTANT

GOT TO LOVE THE REAL LUME ARABIC SURROUNDS

THE OPPOSITE OF MY PROBLEM WITH THE SEIKO NEOSPORT

CASE BACK NOTHING SPECIAL

BUT UNLIKELY TO BE MUCH BEHIND THERE TO SEE

ON THE WRIST LOOKS.

OK ONLY- HIGHISH LUG PLACEMENT IMPACTS HERE

WATCH SITS REASONABLY FLAT BUT CERTAINLY DOESNT HUG THE WRIST

WOULD BE NEATER ON A NON NATO

FEEL.

CONTROLS - OK - TYPICAL SW200 FEEL

CROWN MIDDLING - 7MM, EASY TO GRIP, SOLID POP, POSITIONS CLEAN AND POSITIVE

EASY TO SELECT FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS

BUTTERY SMOOTH WINDING

IN THE HAND. LIGHTNESS - CLEAN - EASY.

ON THE WRIST.

THIS ONE IS COMFORTABLE BUT NOT ESPECIALLY SO

ON THE NATO SITS A LITTLE HIGH BUT GETS AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE SO SLIM

ON ANOTHER BAND ITS BETTER

BUILD.

DIAL/BEZEL/CASE.

CASE FINE - SOME POLISH ON MID CASE SOME LIGHT BRUSHING ON LUG TOPS. CURVES ARE LONG AND LITHE SUIT THE BRIEF - BUT NOTHING SPECIAL - NO FLUTING/BEVELLING

DIAL. AGAIN THE DESIGN IS A SIMPLE PRINTING ON AN UNEXCEPTIONAL FEATURELESS SEMI GLOSS DIAL SURFACE SO NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BUILDERS TO STRUT THEIR STUFF BUT WORKMANLIKE AND DOES THE JOB.

BEZEL. FINE BUT UNREMARKABLE. THE THEME OF LIGHTNESS AND DELICACY COMES THROUGH AGAIN - THE ALUMINIUM PERFECT AND ACTION FITS IT - EASY BUT POSITIVE - YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORK BUT IT WONT MOVE ON ITS OWN. TINY BIT OF BACK PLAY.

MOVEMENT. ITS AN SW200 - THESE HAVE A FINE REP.

EASE OF OWNERSHIP

MSRP - ORIGINALLY MSRP WAS 1600-1800 USD TODAY YOU’LL STILL HAVE TO PAY 1500-1600 USD IF YOU CAN FIND ONE

MAINTENANCE:

ITS AN UNTOUCHED SELITTA CAN IT BE EASIER?

FINDING ONE. THESE FIRST GENS ARE BECOMING LESS COMMON - YOU WILL FIND THEM BUT NOT A HUGE ARRAY OF OPTIONS

AUTHENTICITY. - VERY AUTHENTIC

TRUE TO HISTORY. YEP - A BRILLIANT RE-ISSUE OF A PREVIOUS DIVER - A QUICK LOOK REVEALS HOW TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL THEY’VE STAYED.

DESIGN (TRUE TO ITSELF). AND HERE IS THE NICE BIT - IN THE MAIN WHILE STAYING CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL THE DESIGNERS OF THE RE-ISSUE HAVE PICKED UP TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT UPDATES - MOVED THE DATE TO TEH 6 OCLOCK, UPPED THE SIZE FROM 36 TO 40MM - JUST WISHED THEY’D UPDATED THE WATER RESISTANCE TO A MORE MODERN 200M

TRANSPARENCY/HONESTY. NO ISSUES HERE - I SUPPOSE ONE COULD POKE AT THE FAUXTINA, BUT REALLY FOR A RE-ISSUE AND THESE COLOURS IT WORKS. TRUTHFUL ABOUT INTERNALS - NO HIDING HERE

POSITIONAL POWER - HOW IT WILL BE SEEN BY OTHERS

(HIGH SCHOOL CROWD - JOCK/CHEERLEADER/GEEK/BADBOY/GREYMAN/PREPPY/HIPSTER/TRADIE ETC)

ORIS IS A LOVED BRAND

INDEPENDANCE AND LONG HISTORY OF BEING SO GIVES IT A PUNCH WELL ABOVE ITS NOMINAL WEIGHT DIVISION.

ORIS IN GENERAL IS THE POPULAR KID WE ALL GREW UP WITH THATS AT HOME IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY CROWD, FITS IN EVERYWHERE AND WHILE NEVER THE BEST AT ANYTHING IS ALWAYS A WELCOME MATE OR TEAM MEMBER.

LIKE A ROLEX WITH NONE OF THE STUFFINESS OR BAGGAGE.

AND THE DIVER 65 - PARTICULARLY IN THE DEAUVILLE - IS THE MOST FUN VERSION OF THAT KID. MAYBE NOT THE BEST LOOKING, HIS CLOTHES NEVER QUITE MATCH AND OCCASIONALLY JAR - BUT IF HES AT YOUR PARTY YOU KNOW YOU’LL BE HAVING A GOOD TIME

DESPITE BEING AN ENTRY LEVEL WATCH THIS ONE HAS POWER - YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON AN APPRECIATIVE NOD FROM MOST WATCH GEEKS WITH THIS ON THE WRIST.

SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT - SWIPE RIGHT (GOOD) OR LEFT (BAD)

HARD RIGHT

THE WORD I KEEP COMING TO IS DELIGHTFUL

ITS FUN AND LIGHT AND PLAYFUL

NOT A BRILLIANT BUILD BUT THEN IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE

ONLY POINTS ID NOTE:

THIS FUN COMES AT A PRICE - OBJECTIVELY ITS NOT CHEAP - YES ITS A LITTLE LESS LONGINE LEGEND DIVER BUT ITS FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE ALPINA SEASTRONG HERITAGE AND LESS OF A WATCH THEN EITHER OF THOSE

AND - ESPECIALLY IN DEAUVILLE THIS WATCH ISNT THE MOST VERSITILE - DOES CASUAL BRILLIANTLY, DOES SPORT OK, STRUGGLES A BIT AT DRESS

SO HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF YOU’VE GOT A WATCH TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING OF WORK OR DIVING AND WANT SOMETHING TO FILL THE GAP BETWEEN THESE TWO EXTREMES THIS IS FOR YOU.