Strap

Although Oris includes an all-titanium metal bracelet with a dive extension, the Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’ just begs to be worn on the rubber strap. It’s lightweight, soft, comfortable, and can be tweaked on the fly thanks to Oris’ no-cut adjustment system and two push-buttons on the clasp that allow you to switch between five different sizes. Like a lot of higher-end rubber straps you’d encounter, this one is also infused with a light vanilla scent and it might be a while before I get used to that whole trend. Sizing the strap is also easy and it’s just a matter of sliding it through the clasp enclosure and lining up the holes with the tabs built into the clasp. Continuing the all-titanium theme, Oris also fitted the rubber strap option with a titanium dive clasp, which as you can image, was a real scratch magnet.

Besides the comfort and flexibility, I can also appreciate that the strap didn’t attract all that much dust. However, it has managed to darken a bit around the ‘Oris’ print, close to where the lugs are actually integrated. I suspect that eventually, the strap will get thrashed enough to the point where it’ll have to be replaced. If that were the case, I can see myself going through the appropriate replacement process with Oris, rather than slapping the titanium bracelet on the watch. It’s just that comfy and the fact that the excess was easy to tuck under the inside of the strap itself was a real plus – I just could never understand brands that expect you to cut straps on watches that cost several thousand dollars.

Movement

Inside the Oris Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’ is what Oris calls the Caliber 749. Starting its life as a base Sellita SW 220-1, Oris modifies the caliber by removing the day readout and rearranging the hands into the regulator formation. It might not be much, but it’s different and it works. Besides, I can’t exactly see this watch having some kind of in-house movement. Everything performs as it should and I found the Regulateur to be both accurate and low-maintenance. I wonder, however, if it would be difficult to service or if the modifications are minimal enough that any seasoned watchmaker would be able to take a stab at it.

I also must confess that I had an unusually fun time setting the watch. Together with the hacking and hand-winding capabilities, there was just something oddly satisfying about watching this massive red hand flying above a dark black dial. The rest of the specs are basic but respectable. The 28 jewel Caliber 749 operates at 4Hz, delivers a 38-hour power reserve, and features a signature red Oris bi-directional winding rotor – sure would be cool to see it, but I doubt the movement is pretty enough to warrant an exhibition caseback.

Conclusion

Overall the Oris Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’ serves as a quirky and reliable dive watch that worked well for me and got me thinking about my collecting habits. For a while, like many collectors, I’ve shied away from bright colors and slightly more modern designs. But after having the watch on wrist for a few months, I think I’ve totally fallen for it and I can see myself exploring less “traditional” and slightly “louder” options in the future. Still, there’s a lot of competition in this price range and the Oris will have to hold its own in a market saturated with vintage reissues and modern dive watches – that are arguably a great value if you’re looking for that sort of thing.

For not much more, fully in-house pieces like the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Steel (with the Tudor MT5612 movement) and even the Seiko SLA017 (if you can find one) come to mind. But, what the Oris offers is a chance to experience something a little different in the world of sporty dive watches, and that’s enough to pull me in. Price for the Oris Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’ with the all-titanium bracelet and rubber strap is $3,150. oris.ch 

Necessary Data
>Brand: Oris
>Model: Regulateur Der Meistertaucher
>Price: $3,150
>Size: 43.5mm Diameter / 13mm Thick / 50mm Lug-to-Lug
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Dive watch-crazy collector that is looking to break the monotony in his or her watch box. While a pile of divers is certainly cool, it’s easy to end up with a bunch of monochromatic, three-hand sport watches that don’t offer much in the way of diversity and style.
>Best characteristic of watch: The lightweight nature of the entire package courtesy of the sleek titanium case and soft rubber strap. The bright red colorway is also a nice touch.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Large regulator minute hand can sometimes make it difficult to quickly read the hours.