News
Introducing the Oris TLP Albacete Limited Edition
News
Introducing the Oris TLP Albacete Limited Edition
The Low-Down
Call me an old softie, but I often feel a little sad for tool watches. In the 1940s and 50s, and indeed the 60s and 70s, these timepieces were really living up to their names. Whilst the complicated chronographs, circular calatravas and dandy dress watches were often living simple lives; the dive, pilots and explorers’ watches were out there earning a crust and actually saving the lives of those who strapped them on their wrists. But with the advent of technology and the furious rush to shrink the once room-sized computer to something you can easily wear on your wrist, tool watches are now nothing more than a stylish anachronism for the vast majority of wearers. So, when Oris announced that they were making a limited edition Propilot watch for a pilot training school, I was all ears!
IMHO
The new limited edition has been developed in partnership with the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP), which is an elite pilot training programme based in Albacete, Spain. The school is responsible for training NATO coalition forces pilots for tactical air operations. The civilian version will be available in 750 pieces, but alongside this, every TLP graduate will be offered a unique version that features their name, year of graduation and limited number engraved on the caseback. Of course, all aircraft and especially military planes feature very sophisticated computer systems, but the romantic in me likes to think of the pilots wearing these watches for a mission and giving the tool watch at least a glimpse of what it was designed for.
TECH SPECS
Case and Dial: 44mm stainless steel with gun-metal grey PVD coating; green dial with beige applied numerals.
Strap: Green Ventile strap with gun-metal grey PVD coated steel deployment clasp.
Pricing and Availability: CHF2,200; Available from March 2021 in a limited edition of 750 pieces.