As a brand, Oris occupies a special place in the hearts of many collectors, and Oris watches are often regarded as some of the best value for the money in the entire Swiss luxury watch industry. Oris produces two different collections of dive watches – the Aquis and the Divers Sixty-Five – and while the Aquis is a thoroughly modern timepiece, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a vintage-inspired model that draws its aesthetic inspiration from some of Oris very first dive watches from the 1960s.
Although models from the Divers Sixty-Five lineup are decidedly retro in their overall appearance, they are still modern timepieces when it comes to their movements and materials. As such, they offer modern conveniences such as scratch-resistant sapphire crystals and photoreactive luminous material on their hands and hour markers.
Unlike many other companies that occupy the more affordable end of the luxury watch spectrum, Oris is not part of a larger parent company and this independence allows the brand a significant amount of freedom to experiment with its designs. Due to the widespread success of the Divers Sixty-Five collection, Oris has been constantly expanding it over the years and at the present time, the series now includes more than fifty different models that span a wide range of case sizes, dial styles, and configurations.
The numerous limited-edition models that the brand produces each year help guarantee that the Oris Divers Sixty-Five collection is always receiving novel updates that keep it looking fresh, despite being based on a design that has existed for more than half a century. The Divers Sixty-Five is easily one of Oris’s most popular and best-selling lines of watches, so let’s dive in and take a closer look at this vintage-inspired line of dive watches.
Oris Divers Sixty Five
Diver’s Sixty-Five Key Features:
– Case Size: 36mm, 40mm, 38mm, 42mm, 43mm (Chronograph)
– Materials: Stainless Steel, Bronze, Stainless Steel/Bronze.
– Functions: Time/ Running seconds, Date-Display; Time/ Running seconds, Date-Display, 12-Hour Chronograph
– Dial: Multiple Color Options Available; Box Arabic hour markers, dot hour markers.
– Bezel: Unidirectional, Aluminum or Bronze Insert w/ 60-Minute Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Domed)
– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet
– Movement: Caliber 733 (base SW 200-1); Caliber 771 (ase SW 510, for Chronograph)
– Strap/Bracelet: Metal, Leather, Textile, Rubber.
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What is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five?
Heritage watches that honor the design of beloved vintage timepieces are taking the market by storm. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five collection has proven an enormous success, focusing on vintage-inspired design and positioning itself as one of the best values within its respective market. If you’re shopping for a modern retro dive watch done right the right way, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value and design than the Divers Sixty-Five range.
The vintage-inspired collection has exploded in just six short years to include a broad range of dial colors, sizes, metal options, and bracelets. It has even grown to include a chronograph version and a handful of limited editions, such as the Movember, Carl Brashear, and Momotaro watches. This guide will cover the history of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five, its many variations, and where you can buy them.
2015 marked the 50th anniversary of Oris’ collection of dive watches from the 1960s. The Diver’s Sixty-Five celebrates that collection’s legacy by featuring a vintage-inspired design infused with modern elements. Details, such as modern Super-LumiNova “Light Old Radium” plots in a warmer hue mirroring that which might be found on a vintage luxury watch and similar retro font as the 1960s collection are what make the Oris Divers Sixty-Five such an intriguing watch to collect and wear.
Oris Divers Sixty Five vs. The Original 1960s Oris Diver
Oris is a respected Swiss brand with a history that dates all the way back to 1904. Over the years, Oris has produced a wide variety of timepieces but today, the brand exclusively produces mechanical wristwatches that occupy a wide range of sizes, styles, and materials.
At the present time, Oris’s catalog boasts four categories: Aviation, Culture, Diving, and Motorsport – and all of the various models that the brand produces fall into one of these four main collections. As you might expect, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five hails from the Diving collection and represents one of the two core models that make up this series.
To better understand what inspired the design behind this intriguing vintage-inspired timepiece, let’s look at the original Oris diver’s watch from the 1960s and compare its design to that of the current model.
The Dial:
The original watch had two dial variations, one with the distinction “Waterproof” and the other with the distinction “Super.” The “Waterproof” dial featured boxed Arabic numerals, while the “Super” dial featured simpler dot and baton hour markers. Both dials might seem familiar to you because they are mirrored almost exactly on the modern Divers Sixty-Five collection.
The Case:
The original diver featured a 36mm case topped with a plexiglass crystal. Today, the modern model is available in a handful of case sizes and materials. However, Oris remains true to the core aesthetic of the original, keeping a similar case and bezel shape as the original model and keeping the large crown without guards on the modern edition.
The 1960s model features a bi-directional bezel, while the Divers Sixty-Five opts for a safer variant with unidirectional motion. Additionally, the plexiglass crystal was swapped out for a more resilient sapphire equivalent, although the steep dome shape of the original crystal was maintained for a decidedly vintage overall aesthetic.
The Bracelet:
While Oris has since increased the Divers Sixty-Five series to include numerous different strap and bracelet options, some remain true to the original, such as the metal bracelet with links that mirror the appearance of the vintage rivet style. Of course, this bracelet option also enjoys various modern luxuries, including an improved clasp and completely solid links. Still, it exudes the retro aesthetic that Oris was aiming for when developing the Divers Sixty-Five.
The Movement:
The original model utilized in-house caliber 654 and 484 movements. The 17-jewel movements offered a 48-hour power reserve and were manual-winding. The modern interpretation of the 1960’s model has since broadened to include both automatic and hand-wound movements, some of which even offer a chronograph function.
Where Can I Buy the Oris Divers Sixty Five?
There are currently over 50 variations of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five in production, including the Carl Brashear limited edition in bronze, the non-limited edition chronograph series, and the various two-tone options. While there are benefits to buying a luxury watch at retail vs. pre-owned, it might not always get you the best price for the particular model you’ve been eyeing. Like many luxury items, many watches depreciate almost immediately, sending many savvy buyers to the pre-owned market rather than a retail store.
Despite only being in production for six years, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five has already made its way onto the secondary market. Bob’s Watches offers one of the largest selections of pre-owned Oris watches on the market, some of which are in entirely unworn condition. Each Oris watch is certified pre-owned and is in stock and available for immediate shipping. So, when it comes time to invest in the buzz-worthy Divers Sixty-Five, pre-owned is certainly a wise option to consider.
Our Favorite Oris Divers Sixty Five Watches
The Oris Divers Sixty Five continues to win over collectors, both in the vintage and modern realm. With so much success under its belt, it makes sense that there would be a broad selection from which to choose. Below, we will highlight our favorite editions of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five.
Oris Divers Sixty Five 36mm
In 2018, a 36mm edition joined the Divers Sixty-Five lineup, further honoring the original model’s design. When the series debuted in 2015, case sizes included either 40mm or 42mm. If you’re a purist, you might prefer the modest original size of the 36mm edition. Naturally, the 36mm version also follows the design cues of the 1960s model, with Super-LumiNova in a vintage hue and a similar case and bezel design.
It also employs the newer, Sellita-based movement with self-winding technology and it features a unidirectional bezel and a domed and anti-reflective sapphire crystal over its dial. The series is currently produced on a rubber, NATO, leather, or vintage-inspired metal bracelet. It keeps the same 100-meter depth rating as the rest of the Diver Sixty-Five portfolio and is available with either a striking blue or black dial.
Oris Divers Sixty Five 40mm
If you find yourself among those who feel that the 36mm Divers Sixty-Five is too small and the 42mm is too polarizing, the 40mm edition is probably the best option for your wrist. The case on the modern series has inherited a pleasantly sleek profile while staying true to the original model’s design. It forgoes the often-chunky styling of traditional, contemporary dive watches for a thinner case that curves nicely along the wrist.
Pair the case’s size and weight with a domed sapphire crystal that mimics Plexiglas, retro markers on the dial, and faux-aged Super-LumiNova plots, and the result is a handsome diver that honors the original while offering every amenity one might seek in a traditional dive watch.
Oris Divers Sixty Five 42mm
42mm is considered large when compared to traditional vintage dive watches. The original 1960s model measures just 36mm in diameter, after all. However, the Divers Sixty-Five is a product of the modern market, and the larger size of the 42mm edition reflects that.
Like the other variations listed in this guide, it stays true to the vintage era’s aesthetic, offering a sleeker profile than what many modern dive watches currently provide. The 42mm Diver Sixty Five is also available in a staggering array of design sets, meaning that there is an option available for a wide variety of different aesthetic preferences.
Oris Divers Sixty Five Chronograph 43mm
Oris added the first series-produced chronograph edition of the Divers Sixty-Five to its collection in 2019. It features bronze details on the case, and the retro “Light Old Radium” Super-LumiNova plots on the dial, taking the series back to its 1960s roots.
At 43mm in diameter, it’s also the largest offering in the series. The chronograph is available on either a leather or stainless steel bracelet and is powered by the 27-jewel Oris Cal. 771 (base SW510). The movement itself features chronograph functionality, hacking seconds, and a 48-hour power reserve.
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Bronze (38MM)
One of the most discussed new releases from Oris at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021 was a full bronze edition of the Divers Sixty-Five, which was made available in three different “Cotton Candy” dial colors and offered on either a leather strap or matching bronze strap. As these models were launched amid a global pandemic, Oris said upon their release, “these are watches designed to bring warmth and the optimism of better times” – and their fun dial colors (named sky blue, wild green, and lipstick pink) certainly do offer a fun and lighthearted take on a classicly-styled dive watch.
What is most interesting about these new Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy models is that they introduced a new case size to the collection: 38mm. Prior to their release, Oris only offered the core Divers Sixty-Five models in 36mm, 40mm, 42mm, and 43mm for the chronograph version. At the present time, it is only these new bronze Divers Sixty-Five watches that are offered in 38mm, but due to the fact that 38mm is often considered to be a bit of a “sweet spot” in terms of case size for many collectors, we wouldn’t be surprised to see other versions of the brand’s fan-favorite retro diver released in 38mm within the coming years.
The use of bronze for the entire middle case, crown, bezel, and (most notably) bracelet means that these watches will develop a unique patina with wear and use, while the use of stainless steel for the case-back helps minimize the possibility of irritation for those with sensitive skin or a metal allergy. Additionally, Oris specifically selected these “Cotton Candy” dial colors to compliment the natural tones of the patina that will slowly develop on the exterior of the watch, so it will be exciting to see how these watches will look once they have been out in the wild for a few years.
Other than their 38mm case size, full-bronze construction, and fun pastel dial colors, these Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy models are every bit the vintage-inspired dive watch that has been taking the market by storm over the past several years. The crystal is domed and treated with an anti-reflective coating and the Caliber 733 movement is based on the Sellita SW 200-1. The bronze case offers water resistance up to 100 meters, and the matching bezel is unidirectional. Lastly, just like the other models, the lume present on the dial is vintage-colored Super-LumiNova for a long-lasting glow.
