A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ACCURACY
The accuracy of a watch depends on its movement as well as on how that watch is used, but on average, the daily rate of a mechanical watch is around -5/+30 seconds per day. Some highly accurate watches are independently awarded chronometer status when they have an average daily rate of within -4/+6 seconds per day. Oris Calibre 400 Series watches are accurate to within -3 to +5 seconds a day.
ACRYLIC GLASS
Acrylic is a traditional material used for the transparent covering, or ‘glass’, over a watch’s dial. The advantages of acrylic glass (also called Plexiglas) are its high resistance to shocks, its warmth and its pliability (for highly curved glass). The disadvantage is that due to its softness, it’s easily scratched, although light scratches can be removed by polishing. Oris uses this type of glass for a few selected models.
ALARM
An alarm watch is equipped with a ringing mechanism, which is automatically released at a time set by the wearer. Oris’s Calibre 908 alarm movement has two barrels, one to power the movement and one to power the alarm. This guarantees the alarm’s autonomy. Usually, the ringing sound is produced by a hammer hitting a gong inside the watch, which can produce a rather dull sound. For the Oris Artelier Alarm, Oris used a special sound spring, which delivers a crisp, loud ringing sound. An alarm is especially useful to travellers, and can be set to wake you, count down to an event, remind you of an important appointment, or simply to time pasta.
ALLERGIES
It’s unusual, but some watch bracelet, strap or case materials can cause an allergic reaction. The most common element that causes an allergic reaction is nickel. Oris only uses hypoallergenic materials and our watches should not cause allergic reactions.
ALLOY
A mixture or combination of two or more metals or metalloids, made by fusion or sintering. For example, brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
ANALOGUE DISPLAY
A term used to describe a watch that shows the time with at least two hands of different lengths, usually hour, minute and seconds hand. The term analogue has only been in use since the popularisation of digital displays in the 1970s. The word originates from a Greek word meaning ‘according’ or ‘proportionate’.
ANTI-MAGNETIC
A typical Oris watch is anti-magnetic according to the definitions of the DIN 8309 or ISO 764 standards. These standards are based on the accidental exposure of a watch to a homogeneous magnetic field of 4,800A/m. As part of the test, a watch is placed in a magnetic field along three different axes, for one minute each time. In order to pass the test, a mechanical watch shouldn’t stop within the three periods indicated above. Today, we’re continuously exposed to electromagnetic fields from our computers, phones, microwaves and even the air bags in our cars. The metal case of an Oris watch functions like a cage and protects the movement against magnetic fields as outlined by the definitions above. But even then, a movement can be magnetised unintentionally. If this happens, your watch will become less accurate and may even stop. If this happens, take the watch to your nearest authorised Oris Customer Service agent. They will have a machine that can demagnetise a mechanical watch quickly and easily. Oris Calibre 400 Series movements feature elevated levels of anti-magnetism and in testing by the independent Laboratoire Dubois deviated by less than 10 seconds a day, even after exposure to 2,250 gauss. That means Calibre 400 recorded one third of the deviation allowed by ISO 764 after exposure to more than 11 times the force permitted. This is why we call it the new standard in automatic mechanical movements.
ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING
A thin transparent layer deposited on the surface of a transparent object, which disperses reflected light. In most Oris watches, the sapphire glass is treated with at least one layer of anti-reflective coating.
AUTHENTIC ORIS
Only purchase an Oris watch direct from an Oris boutique, the Oris eShop or one of our global network of authorised Oris dealers (many of whom sell watches both in showrooms and online). Only an authorised Oris dealer can guarantee your watch is authentic. Watches bought from unauthorised sources may be counterfeit, damaged, tampered with, or contain inferior parts. For this reason, Oris refuses any responsibility for watches not bought from Oris or from one of our authorised dealers. You’ll find a list of Oris authorised retailers on our website.
AUTOMATIC
An automatic watch is one with a mechanical charging system that’s powered by kinetic energy – in other words, the movement of your arm. Inside it, there’s an oscillating weight, or rotor, which spins as you move. This is often visible through a transparent case back. The energy this generates is sent to the watch’s mainspring, which is stored in a barrel. An automatic watch needs no battery, but will stop if it’s not worn (or wound) for a day or two. An automatic watch can still be wound by turning the crown clockwise. Oris Calibre 400 Series watches are automatic and have extended five-day power reserves.
BALANCE SPRING
This is the spring, or hairspring, integrated into the balance wheel in the heart of a mechanical watch. It’s a thin, flat, coiled wire made of an ingenious material called Nivarox.
BALANCE WHEEL
This is the oscillating wheel in a watch’s escapement, the assortment of components that regulates and divides time into equal parts.
BAR
Bar is a unit of pressure used by Oris as a measure of water resistance. A measurement of 1 bar is approximately equal to 10 metres (see also Water resistance).
BARREL
The barrel is a core component in a watch movement. It houses a ‘mainspring’, which stores the watch’s power. Most mainsprings are long enough to hold a power reserve of between 36 to 45 hours when fully wound. The mainspring is wound up manually by turning the crown (hand-winding) and/or through the movement of an oscillating weight (rotor) in an automatic watch.
BEZEL
A ring that sits on top of the case. This can be fixed or designed to rotate. Some bezels are engraved with scales for timing or measuring events.
BIG DATE
A type of watch with an enlarged date, often two thirds bigger than a normal date display. Big date watches are rare because they require more power to operate.
BRIDGE
A brass plate fixed on the movement’s mainplate by two or more screws. The wheels and staffs turn between the bridge and the plate.
CAL.
An abbreviation for Calibre.
CALENDAR YEAR
A calendar year is the period between the same dates one year apart. Calendar years don’t marry up with the astrological year and so a correction is made every four years with a leap year.
CALIBRE
A specific watch movement, usually identified by its name, function, construction, size and place of origin.
CALIBRE 400 SERIES
A series of Oris-developed automatic mechanical movements with elevated levels of anti-magnetism, five-day power reserves and 10-year warranties and recommended service intervals.
CALIBRE 100 SERIES
A series of Oris-developed hand-wound mechanical movements that have 10-day power reserves and non-linear power reserve indicators.
CARAT
A term used to measure the purity of gold. One carat signals one part fine gold for every 24 parts in a gold alloy. So an 18-carat gold alloy contains 18 parts fine gold to every 24 parts, or 75 per cent fine gold content. Hence the designation Au750 for 18-carat gold.
CENTRAL SECONDS HAND
A long, thin central hand that completes a full 360-degree tour of the dial once a minute to indicate seconds.
CHRONOGRAPH
A wrist or pocket watch with a stopwatch function that can time an event running independently of the watch’s main time-keeping function.
CHRONOMETER
A watch with a movement that has been independently tested and certified for accuracy by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, often known as COSC. The certificate, which is supplied with a chronometer watch, guarantees a rate of -4/+6 seconds a day or better.
COMPLICATION
A complication is any additional watch function beyond basic time-keeping, e.g. chronograph, second time zone, alarm, calendar and so on.
COSC
COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) is a Swiss independent association that tests watch movements for accuracy and issues a certificate for each chronometer that successfully passes its tests.
CROWN
A button inserted into the side of a watch case that’s used to wind a watch and adjust the time.
DAILY RATE
A term that describes the deviation of a mechanical watch movement over a 24-hour period. The deviation is likely to be at least several seconds per day, depending on the quality of the movement and how it’s used or worn.
DATE
A function on a watch showing the date.
DAY/DATE
A function that displays the day as well as the date.
DIAL
A dial is the face of a watch. It can be finished in a wide variety of colours, decorative patterns or precious stones or materials. The dial is usually also decorated with numerals or hour markers that correspond to hands to relay the time.
DIVER'S WATCH
A specially constructed wristwatch for diving. To qualify as a diver’s watch, a watch must have a number of features, including a highly legible seconds hand that shows the watch is working and the promise of water resistance. Oris diver’s watches are fitted with screw-in crowns. Some are guaranteed to withstand underwater pressures of 100 bar (1,000 m).
DLC
DLC stands for diamond-like carbon, a coating process usually applied to stainless steel watch cases, bezels, crowns, buckles and clasps. DLC-coated watches have exceptionally hard surface properties and are highly durable (more so than PVD, or physical vapour deposition). They are substantially harder and more durable than ultra-hardened grades of steel, and are exceptionally corrosion-resistant, as well as being skin-friendly.
ESCAPEMENT
A critical combination of parts in a watch movement that regulates and transfers a watch’s energy. The most common type of escapement is the Swiss lever escapement, which is used in all Oris watches.
ESCAPEMENT WHEEL
The escapement wheel is one of the two main components in the escapement, together with the lever.
FINE TIMING DEVICE
The majority of Oris watches are fitted with a regulating lever for particularly precise time adjustment.
FREQUENCY
The number of vibrations per hour in a mechanical movement. Most Oris automatics vibrate at 28,800 vph, or four times a second, for a frequency of 4 hz.
GASKET
A high-performance rubber seal inserted between major elements of a watch case to ensure water resistance.
GEAR TRAIN (TRAIN WHEEL)
The system of wheels and pinions that distributes power to the elements in the watch’s display, such as the hands.
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich is a district of London, through which the zero meridian passes and around which the world’s time zones are organised. The world is subdivided into 24 main time zones.
GO YOUR OWN WAY.
Oris’s strapline and philosophy. Find out more.
GUARANTEE
All Oris watches come with a two-year guarantee as standard. By registering to MyOris, owners of most Oris watches can extend their warranty to three years. Owners of Calibre 100 Series watches can extend their warranties to five years. Owners of Calibre 400 Series watches to 10 years. Only Oris watches purchased via the authorised Oris dealer network qualify for an Oris warranty. If your watch requires attention under warranty, we recommend you return it via your local authorised dealer.
HANDS
Hands are the long, usually thin pieces of metal that point to markings on the dial to indicate the time, date or a further function, such as a chronograph. Hands come in a wide variety of shapes. When they are hollowed out, they are called skeleton hands. They’re often filled with a luminous material such as Super-LumiNova® so they can be read in low-light conditions.
HAND-WOUND
A watch that has to be wound by hand, via the crown in order to charge the mainspring.
HARMFUL PRODUCTS
Keep your Oris from direct contact with solvents, detergents, perfumes, cosmetic products etc., as these may damage the gaskets and affect the water resistance of your watch. Generally, we do not recommend exposing leather straps to water or any other liquid as this can cause damage to the fine leather we use. If you’re going to wear your watch swimming, think of buying an Oris with a metal bracelet or a rubber strap, or investing in one of these as a replacement.
HELIUM
Helium is a noble gas. It is one the tiniest molecules and can penetrate a watch through its joins, particularly in the helium-enriched air found on diving stations during saturation dives. It’s highly advisable to wear a watch with a helium escape valve in these cases because during decompression helium particles can expand and damage a watch. Helium is not dangerous to your health.
HELIUM ESCAPE VALVE
A special valve built into a diver’s watch case that’s designed to release helium particles that have entered a watch. Helium can enter a watch through its joins, but unfortunately it doesn’t escape the same way. When a helium escape valve is opened during an ascent or decompression, the helium molecules escape without damaging your watch.
INSTANTANEOUS DATE
A date indication that changes instantaneously at midnight.
INTERHORN WIDTH
The width between the lugs where the bracelet or strap attaches to the watch.
LUBRICATION
Watchmakers use a special oil to lubricate a watch movement’s moving parts to reduce friction and prevent wear and tear. After a few years, these oils begin to degrade and need replacing during a routine service.
LUGS
The extensions from a watch case that are used to hold a strap or bracelet in place. Sometimes, these are called horns.
LUMINOUS MATERIAL
A special material that is often applied to hands, indexes and numerals on a watch dial to make them glow in the dark. Oris uses various types of Super-LumiNova®, a leading manufacturer of luminescent materials.
MAGNETISM
Magnetism is a natural enemy of a mechanical watch, like water. After extreme exposure to magnetic fields, watches can become magnetised, leading to a reduction in performance. Most Oris watches use non-magnetic nickel alloys for the balance springs have a good level of anti-magnetism and will therefore be unaffected in the presence of magnetic fields. Oris Calibre 400 Series movements are produced using more than 30 non-ferrous components and offer elevated levels of anti-magnetism.
MAINPLATE
The mainplate is the base of a mechanical movement and usually its largest single part. It holds many of the movement’s parts in place.
MAINSPRING
A flat, coiled spring housed in a barrel that provides a mechanical watch with its power.
MECHANICAL WATCH
A watch that tells the time using mechanics, rather than electronics. It requires no battery, has no computerised components or processors, and runs off power generated either by winding the crown or via the movement of the wearer.
MICRON
A measurement of 1/1000 mm or 0.001 millimetre. It’s used, for example, to measure the thickness of gold-plating.
MINERAL GLASS
A mostly flat watch glass made of mineral, rather than sapphire or Plexiglas. Mineral glass is hardened after polishing and therefore less sensitive to scratches than Plexiglass. It is not as hard as sapphire crystal.
MODULE
An assembly of parts added to a base calibre to deliver an additional function. For example, an automatic movement might carry a chronograph module. Many modern movements have a modular construction so they can carry a range of modules and functions.
MOONPHASE DISPLAY
A function that displays the 29.5-day cycle of the moon.
MOVEMENT
A generic term for an assembly of parts that sits at the heart of a mechanical watch and delivers its timekeeping function. Find out more.
NICKEL
Nickel is the most likely source of an allergic reaction caused by a watch. Oris uses steel, titanium and gold as basic materials for its watch cases. In the case of steel watches, Oris only uses high-grade 316L steel. This stainless steel has a very low, non-vaporous nickel content, and should not cause an allergic reaction. For people suffering from strong allergies, however, we recommend titanium, gold, DLC-coated or PVD-coated watches. These are all recognised as being 100 per cent anti-allergenic.
NIVAROX
A special alloy used in the manufacture of balance springs.
OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE
Some Oris watches, particularly limited editions, come with official Oris certificates. If an Oris watch is chronometer certified, it will come with a certificate supplied by COSC.
ORIS
The name Oris was chosen by the company founders in 1904, who took it from a valley near Hölstein. Find out more about our history.
ORIS MOVEMENTS
Oris loves mechanical watchmaking and has a long and illustrious history as a movement creator. Since 1904, the company has delivered almost 300 different mechanical calibres. In 2014, the company revived its movement creation programme with Calibre 110, a hand-wound movement with a 10-day power reserve and a non-linear power reserve indicator. Today, Oris is proud to present watches powered by the Calibre 100 Series of hand-wound movements and the Calibre 400 Series of automatics. Calibre 400 movements set the new standard in Swiss Made automatics with elevated levels of anti-magnetism, five-day power reserves and 10-year warranties and recommended service intervals.
OSCILLATING WEIGHT
An oscillating weight, or rotor, is only found on an automatic watch. It is attached to a movement and swings with the natural movement of your arm. As it spins, it winds up the mainspring of the automatic watch.
PLEXIGLASS
Watch glass made of a highly shock-resistant acrylic that can be polished very easily.
POINTER CALENDAR
One of Oris’s signature ‘Pointer’ complications. In this case, pointer hands indicate a calendar function via scales on the dial, rather than through apertures.
POINTER DATE
One of Oris’s signature ‘Pointer’ complications. In this case, the date is indicated via a central, tipped hand that points to a scale on the dial, instead of through an aperture. The Pointer Date function was introduced into the Oris collection in 1938.
POINTER DAY
One of Oris’s signature ‘Pointer’ complications. In this case, the day is indicated via a central, tipped hand that points to a scale on the dial, instead of through an aperture.
POWER RESERVE
The power reserve is the length of time a mechanical watch will run before it stops. Power is stored in a mainspring, which is housed in a barrel. When the mainspring is fully wound, the power reserve is full. When the mainspring has wound down, the power reserve is empty.
PUSH BUTTON
A push button operates additional functions on a watch. A chronograph, for example.
QUARTZ WATCHES
Watches with an analogue or digital display, and with a quartz movement that’s powered by a battery and shows the time via electronically driven hands or an LCD display. Oris does not make quartz watches.
QUICK CHANGE CORRECTOR (DATE)
A mechanism that enables direct date setting, without having to advance the hands 24 hours.
ROSE GOLD
An alloy of gold, copper and silver. The rose gold tone comes from the copper content.
ROTATING BEZEL
A rotating, ratcheted ring that sits on top of a watch case. Typically, a bezel carries a scale that’s useful for recording additional data. Diver’s watch bezels are usually uni-directional for safety reasons, but bezels can also be bi-directional. For example, when the bezel carries a GMT scale.
RSS: ROTATION SAFETY SYSTEM
The Oris-developed and patented Rotation Safety System (RSS) is an innovative bezel-locking function that features on the Oris AquisPro. Once activated, the system locks a bezel into place so that it cannot be accidentally adjusted during a dive. The system was developed with professional divers.
RUBY
A synthetically produced precious stone of artificial sapphires or rubies that have been drilled, chamfered and polished to serve as bearings for the gears and as stones for the pallet-arms. Rubies reduce friction between mechanical parts to a bare minimum. A good watch requires at least 15 jewels. Because they have so many more gears and moving parts, automatic watches sometimes have as many as 25 jewels.
SALT WATER
After swimming or diving in salt water, immediately rinse your watch in fresh water. If your watch has a rotating bezel, turn the bezel several times while rinsing it. This will prevent salt build-up and corrosion under the bezel.
SAPPHIRE GLASS
A hardened watch glass made of artificial sapphire that’s used in high-quality watches. Sapphire glass is highly resistant to scratches because of its extreme hardness.
SATIN FINISH
Many watch cases and clasps or pieces of jewellery are given a matt finish by using a very fine, mostly crosshatch pattern. This procedure is called a satin finish.
SCREW-IN CROWN
A crown that is screwed in to increase security and water-tightness. Found mainly in sports and diver’s watches.
SECONDS HAND
A hand displaying the seconds. This can be a central seconds hand, which is mounted in the centre of the watch, or a ‘small seconds’, which is a small hand mounted on a secondary counter on the dial.
SETTING MECHANISM
A mechanism activated by pulling out the crown to set the time and date.
SHOCK ABSORBER
Watches are sensitive to shocks, particularly the pivots and jewels found in a mechanical movement’s balance. Without shock protection, they are the most likely part of the watch to be damaged under impact. Many mechanical watches have built-in shock-absorbers to dampen the effects of such impacts.
SHOCK RESISTANCE
Oris watches are shock resistant in line with NIHS 91-10; SN ISO 1413:1985 and can withstand being dropped accidentally from a height of one metre onto a horizontal surface of hard wood. All Oris movements are fitted with a shock absorber.
SILVER
Silver is rarely used in the manufacture of cases, but dials are sometimes silvered.
SKELETON
The term skeleton is used to describe a watch movement, dial, hands or case that has been hollowed out, usually to reveal the inner workings. This also creates a striking aesthetic.
SMALL SECONDS
A subsidiary counter on the dial that shows the seconds independently of the hour and minute hands.
SPARE PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
For technical and quality reasons, we only deliver spare parts to our international customer service network partners. This also applies to accessories such as bracelets and straps. Oris Customer Service Centres are accessible to all our customers and offer professional servicing, carried out according to our high quality standards.
SPRING BAR
A small, metallic, spring-loaded bar that sits between the lugs to hold a strap or bracelet in place.
STAINLESS STEEL
A high-performance steel that does not corrode. Oris uses stainless steel in watch cases, clasps and buckles.
STOPWATCH
A watch for measuring short periods of time, such as a race. A stopwatch is an instrument purely for time measurement. It does not show the time. Watches with a stopwatch function are called chronographs.
SUPER-LUMINOVA®
A non-radioactive, phosphorescent pigment charged by daylight or other light sources that stores light like a battery so that it glows in the dark. In low light conditions, it can glow, or be luminous, for several hours, depending on the quantity of the material. Super-LumiNova® is a registered trademark not owned by Oris.
TACHYMETER
A tachymeter is a scale found on chronograph watches used to measure speed over a known distance, usually of 1 km or 1 mile. For example, set the chronograph running at the moment a moving vehicle passes a starting point and then stop it when it passes the 1-km or 1-mile point. The chronograph seconds will be pointing to a position on the tachymeter scale. This is the speed in km or miles per hour. The speed over the whole test run must be the same.
TELEMETER
A telemeter is a scale found on chronograph watches to measure the distance between an event that is seen first and heard at a later time. For example, you can use a telemeter to calculate the position of a storm by pressing the chronograph start button when you see the lightning, and again when you hear the thunder. The chronograph seconds will be pointing to a position on the telemeter scale. This is the distance from the event.
THE NEW STANDARD
A term applied to Oris Calibre 400 Series automatic movements. These class-leading movements have elevated levels of anti-magnetism, five-day power reserves and 10-year warranties and recommended service intervals.
TIME
The reason we’re here.
TIME ZONE
The Earth is subdivided into 24 main time zones each comprising 15 degrees of longitude. Each time zone is aligned to the time at the zero meridian, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT.
TITANIUM
A lightweight, warm, anti-allergenic metal with a grey colour sometimes used in high-performance watch cases, bracelets, buckles and clasps.
UTC
Stands for Coordinated Universal Time. This is the standard time on which the world runs, measured by highly precise atomic clocks.
WATER RESISTANCE
Oris watches are tested according to international standards and rated based on laboratory pressure tests comparable to a swimmer or diver sitting still at that pressure level. In principle, when engaging in a water sport or swimming, a water-resistant watch to 3 bar should not be worn because the movements involved in swimming can easily take the pressure higher than 3 bar. For this purpose, an Oris diver’s watch is the best option. A watch’s water resistance rating does not take into account the ability of the watch to stay water-resistant as it ages. Its rating may be affected by ageing of gaskets or by accidental shock to the crown or a pusher. Make sure not to activate the time-setting crown and/or the pushers while the watch is submerged, and make sure that the crown has been pushed in or screwed down correctly. We recommend you have the water resistance of your watch checked once a year by an approved Oris Customer Service Centre. Do not under any circumstances open the watch yourself.
WEEKDAY DISPLAY
An additional display that shows the day of the week.
WORLDTIMER
A watch with a sophisticated movement and dial display that shows the time in other time zones.