If a lay person were asked to guess the birthplace of some of the hottest and most desirable limited-edition watch designs from brands as prominent as Seiko, Laco, Zodiac, and Oris, the odds that person would choose a family jewelry store in the minute San Francisco suburb of Burlingame, California are close to nil. Over the last several years however, family-run Topper Jewelers in Burlingame has made itself the gathering place for northern California’s horological cognoscenti, in large part thanks to its steady run of exclusive limited-edition reimaginings of popular timepieces. The latest Topper Jewelers limited edition comes from Oris, with a handsome no-date reinterpretation of the 42mm Divers Sixty-Five. The entire project is based on a compelling inversion of the common vintage reissue design philosophy. Rather than trying to emulate a surviving, aged example of a classic design, patina lume and all, Topper’s designers instead aimed to capture the look of a bold, graphic dive watch as it might have appeared on the shelves of a local dive shop (or at Topper Jewelers itself) in the summer of 1965. The resulting Oris x Topper Jewelers Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition looks to be a clean, dynamic refinement of Oris’ popular diver series, with a uniquely Topper Jewelers twist.
Specifications:
Brand: Oris
Model: Oris x Topper Jewelers Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition (ref. 733 7720 4034)
Dimensions: 42mm
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Case Material: Stainless steel
Crystal/Lens: Double-dome sapphire
Movement: Sellita-based Oris 733 automatic three-hand movement with date aperture removed
Frequency: 28,800 bph
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Three-link riveted stainless steel bracelet + Tropic-style rubber strap
Price & Availability: $2,450, ships in December 2020
The devil is really in the details with most limited editions from Topper Jewelers, and the Oris x Topper Jewelers Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition is no different. The 42mm stainless steel case is identical to the standard production model, with the exception of a special lume pip on the dive bezel in signature Topper orange. The changes to the dial are more substantial. This is the first time the 42mm Divers Sixty-Five case has been paired with the bold printed mix of indices and block Arabic numerals seen in the 40mm variant, and to further emphasize the watch’s period-correct concept the lume for both the indices and hands is rendered in pure, stark white. The date window has also been removed to declutter the dial and improve visual symmetry, while another pop of Topper orange is added to the second hand. Like the standard models, Oris powers this version with the Cal. 733 automatic movement. The package is completed with both a vintage-style three-link rivet oyster bracelet as well as a black tropic rubber strap.
Like most of Topper Jewelers’ limited editions, the Oris x Topper Jewelers Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel, but succeeds at distilling the retro Oris diver formula to its cleanest and purest form. Only 165 examples of the Oris x Topper Jewelers Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition will be made, and will be available exclusively through Topper Jewelers starting in December 2020 at an MSRP of $2,450. For more information, please visit Oris’ website.
