Oris was founded in 1904 and has been largely privately owned by its board members and managers since 1982. In 1985, long before the current trend for mechanical watches emerged, Oris took advantage of its independence and began focusing on mechanical watches, phasing out quartz watches in the early 1990s. Today, this strategy continues to prove its worth: Oris develops watches for people who go their own way, meaning customers who want authentic, mechanical Swiss watches with innovative solutions and real values. While Oris watches set new standards, they always comply with the principle: "Things have to make sense".