When I covered the inaugural Oris ProPilot X back in 2019, I wrote about how it was the first Oris in some time to really grab my attention in a serious way. Now, three years later, I’m happy to say that the new, more accessible follow-up to the brand’s bold outlier takes the best parts of the original and makes the whole package just a little more casual. Just released for Watches & Wonders 2022 is the new Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400, featuring a 39mm titanium case and outfitted with the in-house Calibre 400 movement with a five-day power reserve.
It was clear that Oris wanted to make a splash when it released the first ProPilot X and the 44mm-wide case, skeletonized dial, and $7,500 price tag all certainly helped to do that. It was a statement piece that cast the brand and its capabilities in a new light, and while it was divisive, I was a huge fan. Sure, shrinking the case down to 39mm and offering an option of three dial colors (blue, salmon, or gray, as seen here) makes for a much more marketable product but it does so in a way that secures the legacy of the original ProPilot X as the first of something new for the brand.
Of course, this is a ProPilot, so it does share touches and elements with its aviation-oriented siblings. The legible hands, the sturdy large crown, and the bezel (designed to evoke jet engine fan blades) all tie the X back to the ProPilot base collection.
The very lightweight titanium case measures 39mm-wide and 12mm-thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of just about 45mm, according to my calipers. The bracelet is really impressively done and, frankly, has a better fit and finish than titanium bracelets from pricier Swiss brands, and at least one notable non-Swiss brand. The patented “LIFT” system clasp is also done in titanium and feels secure and comfortable, as well.
Inside is the Calibre 400, the in-house manufacture movement Oris debuted back in 2020. The forward-thinking movement boasts a lot of benefits like amagnetic components (balance, escape wheel, lever), ball-bearing on the rotor replaced with a slide-bearing system that significantly reduces wear and tear, silicon lever and escape wheel for long-lasting performance aka less servicing, and two mainspring barrels that achieve a substantial five-day power reserve.
This is a sleek, attractive, and versatile sports watch with an actual distinct identity, such that I found myself not wanting to return the Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400. The fact that it comes with a 10-year warranty when you sign up for MyOris only adds to the appeal here. Available in a gray, blue, or salmon dial, the Propilot X Calibre 400 is priced at 3,900 CHF. You can learn more at oris.ch.
