Though Oris has been in operation since 1904, it wasn’t until fairly recently that the Swiss watchmaker started producing limited edition timepieces honoring various individuals of historical or cultural significance, most recently with American jazz drummer, Art Blakey and baseball legend, Roberto Clemente. For the Hölstein horological outfit’s latest limited edition release, Oris has opted to once again pay tribute to the late Carl Brashear, the first African American Diving & Salvage School graduate and US Navy Diver.
Water-resistant down to 100 meters, the watch features a 40mm bronze case with a blue dial and is paired with a matching blue NATO-style strap with a bronze clasp. In addition to sporting a US Navy Diver insignia, the stainless steel case-back is also engraved with Brashear’s famous quote, “It’s not a sin to get knocked down, it’s a sin to stay down.” And though it maintains the outward appearance of previous Oris dive watches, the new Carl Brashear Limited Edition’s biggest claim to fame is undoubtedly its all-new in-house-developed Calibre 401 movement, a Swiss-made automatic motor with a 120-hour power reserve, a 28,800BPH beat rate, 24 jewels, and a whopping decade-long recommended service internal (and warranty). Limited to only 2,000 units worldwide and sold in a special wooden gift box, the Oris Carl Brashear Calibre 401 Limited Edition Dive Watch is available now, with pricing set at $4,200.
