Oris

Who are Oris?

Oris is a Swiss watchmaker based in Hölstein, near Basel, founded in 1904 by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian (Oris). It makes only mechanical watches and has been independent of the big watch groups since a management buyout in 1982. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Oris in the UK.

Oris is one of very few Swiss watch manufacturers independent of large groups such as Swatch, Richemont and LVMH (Wikipedia). Its watches carry a red winding rotor, the Red Rotor, which Oris registered as a trademark in 2002 (Oris). It does not publish production or sales figures, so any number you see is an outside estimate.

The history of Oris

Oris’s history runs from a village factory in 1904 through the Swiss Watch Statute, a period inside the group that became Swatch, and a 1982 buyout that made it independent again. The key dates are the founding (1904), the Big Crown (1938), the first dive watch (1965), ASUAG (1970), the buyout (1982) and its own movements from 2014.

The founding. Paul Cattin and Georges Christian bought the recently closed Lohner & Co watch factory in Hölstein in 1904 and named their company after a nearby brook (Oris). The business grew quickly: Wikipedia says it started with 67 employees and by 1911 was the largest employer in Hölstein, with more than 300, and it opened further sites in Switzerland and Italy over the following two decades. Oris made its first wristwatch for pilots in 1917 (Wikipedia).

The Herzog family. When Georges Christian died in 1927, Jacques-David LeCoultre became president of the board, and in 1928 Christian’s brother-in-law, Oscar Herzog, became general manager (Oris). Wikipedia says Herzog held the post for 43 years.

The Watch Statute. On 12 March 1934 the Swiss government introduced the Watch Statute, a law that barred watchmakers from adopting new technology without permission. It held Oris to pin-lever movements (Oris). In 1938 Oris introduced a pilot’s watch with a large crown that could be turned while wearing gloves, and a pointer date: the first Big Crown (Oris). During the Second World War it also made alarm clocks to keep the business going (Oris).

Lever escapements and chronometers. Rolf Portmann, a young lawyer hired by Oris, campaigned for about ten years against the statute, and in 1966 it was reversed for lever escapements. That year Oris launched the automatic Calibre 645, and in 1968 its first chronometer, Calibre 652, earned recognition from the Observatoire Astronomique et Chronométrique (Oris). The first Oris dive watch had appeared in 1965 (Wikipedia). By 1969, Oris says, it ranked among the world’s ten largest watch companies, with 800 employees and 1.2 million watches a year.

ASUAG and the quartz crisis. In 1970 Oris joined ASUAG, the group that later became part of the Swatch Group alongside brands such as Longines and Mido, and staff numbers fell sharply during the quartz crisis (Oris). Wikipedia says Oris stopped making its own movements in 1981.

The buyout. In 1982 Rolf Portmann, by then managing director, and Ulrich W. Herzog, head of marketing, led a management buyout. The independent Oris SA chose to make only mechanical watches (Oris), and by 1992 it was making nothing else (Wikipedia).

Recent decades. The Red Rotor became a registered trademark in 2002 (Oris). The Aquis dive watch followed in 2011 (Wikipedia). In 2014, its 110th year, Oris released Calibre 110, its first in-house-developed calibre for 35 years. In 2016 Rolf Studer and Claudine Gertiser-Herzog took over as joint chief executives; Oris’s own account says “still independent, Oris places its future in the hands of the next generation of leaders” (Oris). Calibre 400 followed in 2020, ClimatePartner certified Oris as climate neutral in 2021 (Oris Sustainability Report 2023), and in 2024 Oris marked 120 years, saying it “remains fully independent and fully mechanical” (Oris).

What is Oris known for?

Oris is known for being independent, for making only mechanical watches, for the Red Rotor, for the Big Crown pilot’s watch and the Aquis and Divers Sixty-Five dive watches, and since 2014 for its own movements, including the Calibre 400 with a 10-year warranty.

Mechanical only. After the 1982 buyout Oris chose mechanical watches over quartz, and by 1992 it made nothing else (Oris; Wikipedia). It states that it remains “fully mechanical” (Oris).

The Red Rotor. Oris automatic watches have a red rotor, the weighted part that winds an automatic movement, and Oris registered it as a trademark in 2002. Oris says it represents mechanical, Swiss-made watches at accessible prices (Oris).

Movements. Oris uses two kinds of movement. Many models use Swiss movements from an outside supplier, finished and fitted with the red rotor: Caliber Corner describes Oris Calibre 733, used in models such as the Aquis Date, Divers Sixty-Five and Big Crown ProPilot, as “basically a Sellita caliber SW200-1 with a custom rotor”. Since 2014 Oris has also made its own calibres. Calibre 110 (2014) is hand-wound with a 10-day power reserve, Calibre 115 (2019) is a skeletonised version, and Calibre 400 (2020) is automatic with a five-day power reserve (Oris). Wikipedia says the hand-wound Calibre 473 of 2023 was the latest of ten Oris in-house calibres. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the distinction matters.

Calibre 400. Oris says Calibre 400 deviated less than 10 seconds a day after exposure to 2,250 gauss, that it carries a 10-year warranty on watches registered at MyOris, and that it has a 10-year recommended service interval (Oris).

Inventions. Oris has patented several features, including a Worldtimer that adjusts local time in one-hour steps (1997), the Rotation Safety System bezel of the ProDiver (2009) and the Aquis Depth Gauge (2013), which lets water into a channel through a small hole at 12 o’clock to show depth (Oris).

Sustainability. Oris says ClimatePartner awarded it climate neutral status in 2021, and that its emissions are logged by ClimatePartner (Oris Sustainability Report 2023).

Which Oris collections are there?

Oris’s current range is grouped into Big Crown, ProPilot and ProPilot X (aviation), Aquis and Divers (diving), and Artelier and Heritage (Oris).

The collections table on this page gives the year each family began and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Model names within families. Names such as Big Crown ProPilot combine two families; the ProPilot Altimeter of 2014 was launched as a Big Crown ProPilot (Oris). Read the full model name and reference rather than the family alone.
• Supplier movement or Oris calibre. Two watches in the same family may have very different movements: the Aquis Date, for example, has used the Sellita-based Calibre 733 (Caliber Corner), while other Oris models use Oris’s own calibres (Oris). Ask the seller which calibre the watch has, because it decides the warranty and service interval.
• Dive watches. The Aquis launched in 2011 with a 300-metre case (Wikipedia). Water resistance on a second-hand watch depends on its seals, not only on the dial rating; our guide to water resistance explains what to ask.
• Limited editions. Oris makes many limited editions tied to its partners and causes, such as the Williams Formula One partnership that began in 2003 (Oris). Match the edition number to the papers.

Who owns Oris?

Oris is independent: it is not part of a watch group. It became independent in 1982, when managing director Rolf Portmann and head of marketing Ulrich W. Herzog led a management buyout from ASUAG, the forerunner of the Swatch Group (Oris). The company says it “remains fully independent” (Oris, 2024).

Oris does not publish a list of its shareholders. The Herzog family has been involved since 1928, when Oscar Herzog became general manager (Oris), and Claudine Gertiser-Herzog has been joint chief executive with Rolf Studer since 2016 (Oris).

Oris SA’s registered address is Ribigasse 1, 4434 Hölstein (Oris). Wikipedia notes that Oris “remains one of the very few Swiss watch manufacturers independent from large groups” such as Swatch, Richemont or LVMH. At a similar price point, buyers often also look at Christopher Ward, another independent brand built on mechanical watches rather than haute horlogerie.

Buying a pre-owned Oris in the UK: what to check

Check which movement the watch has, because that decides the warranty and service interval; check that the serial number matches the papers and whether the warranty was registered at MyOris; ask for the service history; and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Movement and warranty. Oris’s warranty depends on the movement and on registration. Calibre 400 watches have a 10-year warranty if registered at MyOris (Oris). For other watches Oris gives a two-year warranty, extendable by registration to three years, or five years on Calibre 100-series watches. Ask the seller whether the watch was registered and whether they can pass that on. See watch warranties explained.

3. Servicing. Calibre 400 watches have a 10-year recommended service interval (Oris). Ask when any other Oris was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

4. Dive watches. If you plan to swim with an Aquis or Divers Sixty-Five, ask when the water resistance was last tested.

5. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Oris?

Oris is independent. A 1982 management buyout led by Rolf Portmann and Ulrich W. Herzog took it out of ASUAG, the forerunner of the Swatch Group, and it has stayed independent since (Oris).

Is Oris part of the Swatch Group?

No. Oris was part of ASUAG, which later became part of the Swatch Group, from 1970 to 1982 (Oris).

Where are Oris watches made?

Oris is based in Hölstein, in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland (Oris; Wikipedia).

When was Oris founded?

In 1904, by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian (Oris).

Where does the name Oris come from?

From a brook near the original factory in Hölstein (Oris).

Does Oris make its own movements?

Some. Oris has made its own calibres since 2014, including Calibre 110 and Calibre 400 (Oris). Many models use Swiss supplier movements; Calibre 733, for example, is based on the Sellita SW200-1 (Caliber Corner).

Why does Oris have a red rotor?

The Red Rotor is Oris’s trademark, registered in 2002, and is fitted to its automatic watches (Oris).

What is the Oris Calibre 400?

An automatic Oris movement launched in 2020, with a five-day power reserve, a 10-year warranty when registered at MyOris and a 10-year recommended service interval (Oris).

Does Oris make quartz watches?

No. Oris chose mechanical watches after its 1982 buyout, made only mechanical watches by 1992, and says it remains “fully mechanical” (Oris; Wikipedia).

What is the Oris Big Crown?

A pilot’s watch first made in 1938, with a large crown that can be turned with gloves on and a pointer date (Oris).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Oris.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.