Oris ProPilot Calibre 111: Displays 10-Day Reserve on an Uneven Scale
Berk OztoprakAuthor
Oris's hand-wound Calibre 111 is featured in the ProPilot collection with a new case. The Oris ProPilot Calibre 111 , reference number 01 111 7808 4164-07 6 20 19LC, comes with a 43 mm steel case, a knurled bezel, and a black dial. The watch's main selling point is the small indicator on the right side of the dial: a scale showing the 10-day power reserve at uneven intervals.
What does nonlinear power reserve mean?
Most power reserve indicators are evenly spaced. Half the scale is half the reserve. But in a watch that's been running for 10 days, that means the last day is squeezed into a tiny segment. And that last day is precisely when you need to reset the watch.
That's why the display on the Calibre 111 isn't linear. According to Oris, the scale becomes progressively more precise as the time to reset the watch approaches. When the reserve is full, a difference of a few days covers a short distance on the scale; as the reserve decreases, the same period is spread over a wider area. This makes the display most legible when it's needed most.
Calibre 111: its own caliber, but how?
Oris describes the Calibre 111 as the brand's first industrial-scale in-house caliber since the 1970s, viewing it as a revival of a tradition started by its founders. There's a remarkable transparency here. Oris explicitly states that it doesn't manufacture the parts itself, but controls and manages the entire production process. This is a rare display of honesty at a time when the word 'manufacture' means something different to every brand.
The caliber is 15 ligne, meaning it has a diameter of 34 mm and is hand-wound. It operates at 21.600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and offers a power reserve of 240 hours, or 10 days. In addition to the central hour and minute hands, there is a small seconds hand at 9 o'clock, a power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock, and a date window. The movement also includes a date corrector, a precision setting mechanism, and a seconds stop. The caliber is visible through the sapphire window on the screw-down case back.
Bezel resembling a jet engine.
ProPilot is Oris's aviation collection. The new model's 43mm multi-piece steel case features a serrated bezel, referencing a jet engine turbine. The dial is black, textured, and vertically brushed, with large Arabic numerals continuing the tradition of legibility found in pilot watches. The sapphire crystal is biconvex and has an anti-reflective coating on the inside. Water resistance is 10 bar.
The reference model we examined comes with a leather strap and costs 5.900 CHF. The official website also lists variations with a steel bracelet priced at 6.100 CHF. Oris also mentions the brand's LIFT buckle in the promotional material.
Technicial Specifications
| Door Design | Oris ProPilot Calibre 111 |
| Reference | 01 111 7808 4164-07 6 20 19LC (leather strap) |
| Kasa | Multi-piece stainless steel, serrated bezel. |
| Diameter | 43 mm |
| Belt spacing | 20 mm |
| Cam | Two-sided domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating on the inside. |
| Tailgate | Screw-down stainless steel frame with sapphire window. |
| Waterproof | 10 bar |
| Dial | Black, textured, and with vertical brushes. |
| Mechanism | Oris Calibre 111, hand-wound. |
| Mechanism dimensions | 15 ligne, 34 mm |
| Frekans | 21.600 A/s (3 Hz) |
| Power reserve | 240 hours (10 day) |
| Functions | Central hour and minute hands, small seconds at 9 o'clock, nonlinear power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock, date, date corrector, fine adjustment mechanism, seconds stop. |
| Strap | Skin |
| Price | 5.900 CHF (leather strap), variations with steel clasp 6.100 CHF |
| Production | No limited production information was provided. |
Bersenti comment
In watches with long power reserves, the number often remains a sales argument in itself. What's interesting about the Calibre 111 is that it also displays the day of the week. While the non-linear scale might seem like a small detail, it's meaningful for someone who actually uses the watch. The owner of a hand-wound watch primarily asks, "Do I need to wind it today?", and this display provides the clearest answer precisely when it's needed.
Oris's transparency regarding the caliber also adds value to the watch. A brand that states it doesn't manufacture the parts itself, but manages the process, leaves the truth behind the "manufactured" label to the reader. A hand-wound caliber that works for 10 days at a price of 5.900 CHF, and is designed by the brand itself, is not easily found in this segment.
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