Oris calibre 400 aquis7/24/2023 ![]() Oris has chosen to drop the usual ball bearings in the automatic-winding system, as this is a typical point of damage in self-winding watch movements. ![]() For a standard mechanical timepiece to qualify as anti-magnetic, it must be accurate to within 30 seconds a day after exposure to 200 gauss. In testing by the renowned Laboratoire Dubois, calibre 400 deviated by less than 10 seconds a day after exposure to 2,250 gauss. To solve this new-age problem, Oris used more than 30 non-ferrous (not containing iron) and anti-magnetic components, including a silicon escape wheel and a silicon anchor, in the calibre 400. So when a watch gets inevitably magnetised, it either becomes less accurate, or can stop altogether. But magnetic fields are inescapable in today’s electronic world. Magnetism is a mechanical watch’s worst nightmare. We also introduced a new wheel design into the gear train that delivers far greater efficiency.” All this improves the movement’s efficiency, delivering 85 percent of the mainspring barrel torque, as opposed to an average of 70 percent in a conventional movement. Beat Fischli, Oris’s chief operating officer, adds, “We focused on reducing torque in the mainspring-where power is stored-to help conserve power and put less pressure on moving parts. It delivers this longer period of use via twin barrels, both of which house an extended mainspring, each long enough to store two-and-a-half days of power. This movement has a five-day power reserve, so it’ll still be running if you put down your watch on Tuesday and strapped it back on a Sunday. Oris’ engineers recognised the need of the customer and took care of it with the calibre 400. However, if you put a standard mechanical watch down for a day or two, it will stop as the power reserve is generally limited to about 42 hours. The modern watch enthusiast enjoys switching between watches throughout the week. ![]() Under The Microscope The five-day power reserve: Moreover, the idea is also to create a new ‘400 series’ of in-house calibres going forward, to distinguish them as those that meet ‘the new standard’ that this one sets. The numerical leap is symbolic, signifying the leap in terms of engineering and innovation. The jump from 115 to the number 400 isn’t a mistake, nor is it a marketing gimmick. We’ve seen the arrival of calibres 111, 112, 113, 114, and, most recently, the calibre 115, which made its debut in the stunning Big Crown ProPilot X in 2019. Since then, the brand has unveiled a new in-house calibre every year. This ambitious project, in collaboration with the technical specialists at L’École Téchnique Le Locle, took 10 years to come to fruition, and finally, in 2014, on the brand’s 110th anniversary, they revealed the aptly numbered calibre 110. In 2004, as an independent company again, Oris decided that it was high time they resumed creating their own movements. The company, however, braved its way through the plummeting graphs of the Swiss watch market and changing ownership. But then the quartz crisis hit, and it hit hard. So Oris is no stranger to in-house movements. Here’s a bit of trivia: from the time Oris was founded till the brand resorted to using Sellita and ETA movements in 1981, it had already created over 200 in-house calibres. While the Aquis Date Calibre 400 was first launched in a case size of 43.5mm last year, this year, the brand added three new versions to the series, in a more agreeable case size of 41.5mmīefore we jump to the party piece, it’s imperative that we talk about Oris and the legacy of its in-house movement. That should give you an idea of how important this calibre is for not just this brand, but for the horological audience and industry in general. Even so, we rarely talk about the movement first in our reviews, no matter how insanely complicated or accurate it is. After all, conceiving and designing a movement from the ground up requires an immense amount of research and development, taking years on end and requiring heavy investment. ![]() Not too long ago, watches with in-house movements were not as common as they are today, and for good reason. Through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback of this watch, what you’re laying your eyes on is Oris’ in-house calibre 400. But we’re making an exception this time because what we have here is something special. It is uncustomary of us to start talking about a watch’s movement right from the get-go.
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