Independent watchmaker Oris is introducing a new calibre, entirely created in-house – the Oris Calibre 400. Watchmakers at the Swiss horology house based near Basel have created a movement that is highly efficient and highly anti-magnetic. The other big news is that the watches using the movement will only requires 10-year servicing intervals.
New Movement, New Look
Notably, the Calibre 400 does not feature the brand’s recognisable red rotor. The red rotor was a useful indicator as to whether an Oris watch was genuine. Furthermore, it was a symbol of the Hölstein-based company’s watchmaking skills, and was trademarked back in 2002. It also symbolised Oris’ philosophy: to produce “high-quality, Swiss Made mechanical watches with real-world functions at accessible prices.” However, the calibre’s new rotor is also interesting. While a “normal” rotor sits on a ball bearing, winding in both directions, Oris has removed the ball bearing entirely. The brand has alternatively opted for a low-friction slide bearing concept, which only winds in one direction. As well as improving its durability, this also improves reliability.
An Impressive Power Reserve
Furthermore, the movement has an impressive five-day power reserve (in other words, 120 hours). Ultimately, this is possible thanks to the calibre’s twin barrels, both of which house an extended mainspring – each of which is long enough to store two-and-a-half days of power. Furthermore, the Calibre 400 retains 85 per cent of the energy transferred from the mainspring, while “normal” automatic calibres retain roughly 70 percent.
Focus on Anti-Magnetism
Additionally, the movement is highly anti-magnetic – not least thanks to the new silicon escapement and silicon anchor. Oris’ watchmakers made this a focus throughout production, and as a result, the calibre boasts more than 30 anti-magnetic components. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Calibre 400 deviated by less than 10 seconds a day after exposure to 2,250 gauss at the Laboratoire Dubois.
The Facts and Figures
The automatic Calibre 400’s functions include centre hands for hours, minutes, seconds, plus a date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-seconds. The movement, which measures 30.00 mm in diameter (13 1/4 lignes), has a frequency of 4 Herz. Also, although not yet certified, the Calibre 400 adheres to COSC standards in terms of precision, with an average deviation -3/+5.
Finally, any watch using the Calibre 400 has a 10-year guarantee when the owner registers it at MyOris, and requires only ten-year service intervals. This means the watch can theoretically not require servicing until 2030, assuming it doesn’t suffer from the likes of accidental damage or possibly need a water-resistance check. On this note, Co-CEO of Oris, Rolf Studer, has stated: “Calibre 400 is the new standard; the Oris standard.”
| MOVEMENT | Oris Calibre 400 |
| MOVEMENT TYPE: | Automatic |
| DIMENSIONS: | Diameter: 30.00 mm Height: 4.75 mm |
| POWER RESERVE: | 120 hours / 5 days |
| FREQUENCY: | 28,800 vph (4 Hz) |
| FUNCTIONS: | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| ACCURACY | An average deviation -3/+5 |