I have to confess - my knowledge of Formula 1 is fairly poor. But that doesn't stop me enjoying what the sport has to offer - high speed showdowns, inter team conflicts and remarkable handling. My appreciation for those involved, from the team that prepares the car to those having to drive it is of the highest calibre. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Oris and Team Williams at Silverstone yesterday in preparation for the Grand Prix this weekend and to celebrate the teams 40th year in racing (and the only way to celebrate is with a new watch right?)
Oris marks the 40th anniversary of Williams’ Formula One team with a limited edition Chronoris. There are few more remarkable figures in motorsport, than Sir Frank Williams. The legendary founder of Williams is a force of nature, a visionary who turned his British outfit into a championship winning team, and one of the most successful Formula One teams in history. Williams Racing has won 16 FIA Formula 1® World Championships, nine constructors’ and seven for drivers’. Oris and Williams Racing first came together in 2003, and Oris is now the team’s longest-serving partner.
This year, Williams Racing celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first Grand Prix, at the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix. To mark this historic moment and Sir Frank’s extraordinary achievements, Oris has created a limited edition version of its iconic Chronoris, also a product of the 1970s, the Williams 40th Anniversary Oris Limited Edition.
The 40mm stainless steel watch is characterised by its streamlined case shape, an homage to the original Chronoris, and houses an automatic chronograph movement that provides a central seconds chronograph hand and 30-minute and 12-hour counters at 12 and 6 o’clock. Oris’s designers have given it a number of touches to denote the link to Williams. The central chronograph seconds hand and minute scale are both in Williams blue, while the case back is embossed with the Williams Racing logo. It comes on a brown leather strap or on a black rubber strap, or an articulated metal bracelet.
The new watch is a fitting tribute both to Williams Racing and its eponymous founder, and also to the Chronoris. When it was launched in 1970 the Chronoris became Oris’s first chronograph. The Williams 40th Anniversary Oris Limited Edition, the hero piece in the new collection, has a sapphire crystal glass, a 48-hour power reserve and 100 metres of water resistance. It will be limited to 1,000 pieces.
Technical
Automatic movement Oris Cal. 673, based on ETA 7750, with chronograph function and date at 3 o’clock
• Multi-piece stainless steel case, crown, pushers and case back with embossed Williams Racing logo. Water-resistant to 10 bar/100 m
• Sapphire crystal domed on both sides with anti-reflective coating inside
• Black dial with applied polished nickel indices, hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova®. Nickel polished hands for chronograph hour/minute counters and blue central chronograph seconds hand with white tip (can be used as running central seconds hand)
• Perforated brown leather strap or perforated black rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle. Alternatively available with 15-link articulated metal bracelet with folding clasp
• Presented in a special leather pouch with additional grey NATO textile strap,
strap changing tool and antistatic watch-cleaning cloth
• Swiss retail price CHF 3,500 on leather or rubber strap, CHF 3,800 on metal bracelet