Today at Silverstone racetrack, and on the first day of the British Grand Prix Race it hosts, Oris launched the Chronoris Williams 40th Anniversary Limited Edition.
Produced in partnership with the namesake Williams Martini Racing F1 team, the new Chronoris (based on the original Chronoris motoring-watch from 1970) is a 40mm, self winding, stainless-steel cased, chronograph, produced in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces and available on numerous strap and bracelet options.
The Williams 40th Anniversary’s dial is particularly attractive, featuring an ‘over and under’, 12/6 o’clock sub-dial layout and 1970s-esque hour and minute marker design; a busy but highly-legible layout with indexes of dramatically varying sizes and shapes.
With the current renaissance for well designed, busy-dialled, 1970s sporting chronographs (one need only look at the rapidly increasing prices dealers are charging for previously inexpensive examples from the likes of: Lip, Le Jour, Wakmann, Lemania and Tissot. Not to mention the Yema chronos’ which sold for well above their estimates at Watches of Knightsbridge’s last auction in June) this new Chronoris will surely strike a note with the prevailing tastes of today’s watch collectors and consumers.
Oris and Williams have been partners since 2003, making it the longest standing watch brand/F1 team partnership in the sport and Williams’ longest serving partner over all.
Initially producing stand alone, limited edition watches in collaboration with Williams and its drivers, Oris introduced the permanent Williams Collection into its line-up in 2015.
Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principle of the eponymous F1 team, says of his partnership with Oris, “In Oris we have a loyal friend that has been with us for 14 years… I hope our partnership continues for years to come.”
