High on my list of favorite watches from Baselworld 2016 is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm (aka “Sixty-Five 42”). Sharing a few common traits with the previous smash-hit Divers Sixty-Five, this new 42mm model is a bit bigger and has an entirely different dial, with a more traditional dive watch layout and a lovely gradated blue coloring.
While you can see my full review of the Sixty-Five here, it can be summarized as a watch that, whether diving, relaxing by the pool, or otherwise, I rather liked. While I spent only a few minutes with the new Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm watch, its focused design, lovely use of color, and vintage-inspired aesthetic are no less charming than those of its slightly smaller sibling.
While the case, crown, and bezel all feel similar to last year’s model, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm is undoubtedly its own watch. The combination of the larger case size and the warmly contrasting relationship of the deep blue dial and its faux-aged markers and hands make for a distinctive and eye-catching appeal. Where the original Sixty-Five turned heads with its funky dial markers, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm uses a more standard dive watch layout, with applied luminous markers at each five-minute point and a matching handset. The date is shown at three with a black-on-white display that is legible if a bit stark against the warmer tone of the tan lume used for the markers and hands.
The crystal is just like the one on the 40mm version, a bubble-domed sapphire with an internal antireflective treatment that glares strongly at its edges and magnifies the dial in a really charming way. I really liked the visual effect of the crystal on last year’s model and it’s no different on the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm, especially with that lovely blue dial.
The blue dial is dark and glassy, with mixed tones that appear to grow even darker towards its edges. The color is nicely matched by the markers and hands and, while we have seen a handful of blue dive watches in the past couple years (Pelagos, Bathyscaphe, Tropik), this one from Oris feels different, darker, and more tonal.
The move to 42mm feels good, but ultimately that will come down to personal preference. To my tastes, 40-42mm is just right for a sport watch, so the 42mm Oris Divers Sixty-Five works as well as the 40mm – and I like the dial design of the 42mm more than that of the 40mm. Again, this is purely subjective, as both dials are well executed.
Delightfully, Oris has decided to offer a selection of straps for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm, including a steel bracelet (similar in style to that recently offered for the 40mm), a rubber strap (also similar to the 40mm), a brown leather nubuck strap, and two versions of their striped nylon nato. The leather looks great and is nicely comfortable, but I think the nylon option is the most interesting.
The striped nylon, which comes in either grey/black or blue/black, is essentially a high-quality nato with a steel push-button deployant clasp. The strap still threads through the spring bars and has a safety loop (signed and steel – nice detail) like a nato, but the tail threads into the back fold of the milled steel clasp. The tail passes through a channel and is secured by two posts, with excess length tucked under the clasp, so you only feel nylon against your skin. The clasp is brushed, signed, and not something I’ve seen from another brand. Furthermore, the nylon is thick, with more profile than you’ll find on a standard $15 nato. On wrist, the nato is comfortable, soft but rigid and thanks to the clasp there is no tail to try to fold and tuck into the keepers. Even with very nice bracelet and leather options, the nato is a really interesting and appealing choice for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm.
Being Oris, the pricing is perfectly reasonable, with your choice of leather, rubber, or nato for $1,900 USD, or on the bracelet for $2,300 USD. That’s strong value for a charming, Swiss-made automatic dive watch with a vintage vibe and class to spare. As Oris expands their Sixty-Five line up, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five 42mm looks like another absolute winner. oris.ch
