The Oris Divers Sixty-Five RedBar LE
It should go without saying that Oris is a brand that RedBar members just “get”. No pretense, no fluff, just solid watches that do what they say on the tin. Even better, the people behind the name – from North American CEO, VJ Geronimo, to global CEO, Rolf Studer – couldn’t be more passionate about their product, or the people who buy them. Indeed, one could say that Oris “gets” RedBar as much as we get them. To this end, we’ve worked together on the launch of their now iconic Carl Brashear Divers 65 LE, as well as the Big Crown D.26 286 HB-RAG LE (say that five times fast) and have collaborated on a myriad of events here in the United States and abroad. Another facet of Oris that resonates with RedBar is their dedication to charitable causes, which perfectly aligns with our own mission. I think that RedBar Group CEO, Kathleen McGivney summed it up best when she said:
“One of the things I like the most about Oris as a brand is their commitment to partnering with charitable organizations. One of the core tenets of RedBar's mission is to give back to charities in our local communities, and it is important for us to work with watch brands that share a similar vision. We are delighted to partner with Oris on this watch and hope our two companies can continue to support each other in our charitable endeavors.”
In light of the above, it should come as no surprise that when the opportunity presented itself we all but jumped at the chance to collaborate with the Holstein, Switzerland based manufacture on a watch for our members. Our first task was to settle on a model, which, to be honest, was a complete no-brainer: the Divers Sixty-Five. To our thinking, there is no watch in their catalog that better represents the vision, ethos, and, yes, straight up bang-for-the-buck that is so emblematic of the Oris of today. Regardless of which version one selects, the Sixty-Five is a stunner, a fact that created a rather unique problem for us. Namely, how do you stand out in a field of superstars? Well, I think we managed it.
For starters, the watch we chose as a foundation wasn’t just any old Divers Sixty-Five, mind you. No, for us it absolutely had to be the darling of their Baselworld 2018 collection, the new 40mm version with its contrasting bronze bezel and applied markers.
With that settled, it was time to set about creating a watch that was visibly “RedBar” yet held broad appeal for our members. From the very beginning, we knew that the date window was getting 86’d – hey, we like to know the date as much the next person, but in this instance, it had to go. After that, our focus shifted to the dial; it was a forgone conclusion that the color red would figure heavily, but the shade had to be just right. (If I’m being perfectly honest here, the color we use in our logo would be far too bright in this application.) Ultimately, after digging through Oris' archives, we found a watch from their past that used the gradient oxblood shade that you see here. In our opinion, it complements the vintage vibe established by the bronze bezel, gold hands, gold indices and lightly aged lume to a tee, and better yet, it has a historical precedent within the brand. Flip the RedBar Limited Edition over and you’ll find our logo engraved on the caseback, along with the LE number.
As both organizations are passionate about philanthropic pursuits, a portion of the proceeds from this watch will go to benefit the RedBar Fund, which donates to various charities within their local communities.
Are we happy with the end result? Most definitely yes. In the words of the inimitable James Lamdin, founder of Analog/Shift and founding member of RedBar Group, who’s design input was invaluable to this project:
“RedBar is all about bringing people together, having fun and not taking any of this too seriously, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner with Oris in bringing some serious horological street cred AND a great set of values to our collaboration – a true meeting of the minds that every RedBar member will be sure to embrace. Plus, it’s fucking RED!”
Well said, James.
In closing, I can't help but feel that the RedBar Divers Sixty-Five RedBar LE is the perfect expression of RedBar’s collector focus and enthusiasm, as well as an enduring example of our close and abiding friendship with Oris. In a nutshell, this is a relationship that we’ve come to cherish, and one that we don’t see changing one iota in the foreseeable future.
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five RedBar Limited Edition is available for purchase exclusively by RedBar members worldwide. MSRP: $2100 USD
Contact kathleen@redbargroup.com to reserve yours.
Photos courtesy of Atom Moore
