In the midst of a bright, sunny, yet icy cold day in Vail, Colorado, Oris gathered friends from all over the watch media to preview some of their new and upcoming timepieces. With the recently announced and broadly loved Oris ProPilot x Miss Piggy, it would be reasonable to expect Oris to take it easy for a bit. Perhaps, bask in the glory of another fan favorite? But that simply wouldn’t be the Oris way.

Oris has been conducting its previews in places like Vail to show off their latest and greatest. While that is certainly the productive purpose of the gatherings, the secondary purpose is to get everyone together, put some Oris watches on the wrist, and go have fun with them. For some that meant skiing with none other than Oris Co-CEO Rolf Studer, for others it meant taking snowmobiles up a remote mountain trail near Colorado’s historic Camp Hale National Monument. In either case, it cemented that the watches that Oris makes are meant to be used and enjoyed.

Amidst a few other pieces that are on the way (which of course we would talk about if we could) the primary focus was the new Oris Divers Sixty-Five 60th Anniversary Edition. Replete with call backs and nods to their vintage timepieces, this latest edition of the Diver Sixty-Five is truly a love song to the company’s history. Large, luminous, stylized numerals are set at 12, 3, 6, and 9, along with the classic “anti-shock” label at 6, harken back to watches of the past. Keen eyed enthusiasts will also note the retro Oris logo, underlined by the word “waterproof”. At 40mm and paired with both a stainless steel bracelet and a leather strap, this is about as classic a dive watch as fans could dream of.

Though, this ovation to the Divers Sixty-Five doesn’t owe its creation purely to the 60th anniversary of one of the most beloved dive watches around. It is also serving as a sendoff of sorts to the Divers Sixty-Five. Moving forward, watches within the Divers category will be focused on the Divers Date – a modern, yet still classic, go anywhere, do anything diver.

For the Love of Watches

At its core, Oris is a brand that is dedicated to its enthusiastic following. Despite whatever challenges of the current that are presented by the modern watch market and challenges of global commerce, Oris still feels like a brand that has its feet placed firmly on the ground, deeply rooted in the love of watchmaking and the joy that watches bring. Perhaps this is due to their persistent independence, or the dedication of its teams both in Switzerland and abroad.

Whatever combination of factors are to thank, the result is a company that seems absolutely devoted to making sure that their watches, and the experience of their watches, creates joy. It can be seen in the Oris airstream pop-ups, a fun, mobile boutique experience. Of course, it is plain to see with Oris’ collaborations with The Muppets (if you don’t look at the ProPilot x Kermit or ProPilot x Miss Piggy and at least crack a little smile, I mean, who hurt you?).

But if all that isn’t enough to convince, perhaps you only need to look as far as Oris’ beloved mascot – Oris Bear, who since 2005, has graced countless Oris events and gatherings. He has been at tradeshows, collector meetups, and even weddings, truly embodying the happiness and fun that Ori’s watches are meant to inspire. Because, at the end of the day, if your watches don’t make you smile, bring you joy, and even make you giggle a bit, well, what’s the point?