ReviewThe Oris Big Crown ProPilot Series Goes More Professional With The TLP Limited Edition
Oris’ latest offering, the TLP Limited Edition, in association with the Tactical Leadership Programme—an elite pilot training institute—is high on legibility and durability. Taking forward design staples of the Big Crown collection, it has all the makings of an ideal pilot watch
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Details such as an oversized crown, large Arabic numeral hour markers, and a very legible dial have been staples in Oris’ designs for their aviation watches for over a century. With their every creation the Swiss manufacturer has ensured to impeccably balance form with function. A case in point is its recently unveiled TLP Limited Edition—a 750-piece edition of the ProPilot series within its Big Crown aviation pillar. It was launched in partnership with the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP), an elite pilot training school based in the Spanish city of Albacete. Besides rolling out regular pieces for the public, Oris as a part of its latest association, will also be offering bespoke renditions to TLP graduates bearing their name, programme year, and a limited edition number on the caseback.
A Footing In History
For the uninitiated, let’s take a look back at the history of aviation timepieces. In a lot of ways, tracing the past of this very popular genre is like sifting through the archives of modern watchmaking itself. A spectrum of design revelations defines the historic trail of today’s quintessential pilot watch. In 1904, a Brazilian pilot by the name of Alberto Santos-Dumont sought help from his friend, horologist, Louis Cartier to design a flight-appropriate wristwatch. Cartier’s idea was to graduate from a pocket watch to a more manoeuvrable model.
The result was a simplistic design featuring a square case, Roman numerals, and a leather strap. Soon after this, in 1909, French aviator Louis Blériot—who is credited as the first pilot to successfully fly across the English Channel—was seen sporting a Zenith timepiece that had all the makings of a dependable pilot watch. With a large case, black dial, and white indices, legibility was its most recognisable trait. Both the World Wars also played a pivotal role in shaping the modern design language of a pilot watch. Gradually, luxury watchmakers such as IWC and Breitling started catering to the growing commercial demands of aviation watches that were beginning to transcend their primary purpose as professional tool watches.
Like its counterparts, Oris’ vision of a pilot’s watch found solid ground on legibility and durability. Their first pilot’s watch dates back to 1917. Featuring a round, brass case, an aluminium dial, and a pin-lever movement, the piece comprised wire-loop lugs soldered onto its case. For the larger part of history, watch connoisseurs believed that Oris forayed into pilot watches with their Big Crown of 1938—a timepiece that owes its moniker to its oversized crown. However, during archival research, brand insiders stumbled upon an in-house timepiece dating back to 1917, which was the first and original Oris pilot’s watch. The idea behind creating a distinguishing big crown was allowing pilots to adjust their watches while wearing leather gloves.
Military Memorandum
Looking at Oris’ association with aviation-inspired timepieces, their partnership with the Tactile Leadership Programme (TLP) seems to be a natural fit. Also referred to as the Pilot School of Nato, TLP was founded in 1978, and since 2009, is headquartered at Spain’s Albacete Air Base. Supported by the governments of 10 participating nations—Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US—it aims at preparing NATO’s allied forces for worldwide tactical operations. Besides this, the school also concentrates on increasing the effectiveness of Allied Air Forces through the development of leadership skills and mission planning.
A Flight-Friendly Anatomy
As an aviation timepiece, the TLP edition has a distinct focus on legibility and durability. With its 44mm stainless steel case, a big crown, and an enlarged day and date windows, it stays true to Oris’ bestselling pilot’s watches from the Big Crown collection. The watch definitely presents a utilitarian appeal that can certainly aid pilots, but can also be a very useful daily-wear watch for anyone. The jet engine-inspired coin-edged bezel takes forward an element that has been a ProPilot success in the past. The grey gun-mental PVD treatment on the case in steel is just the icing on the cake.
Instead of leather, this timepiece features a textile strap made in Ventile®—a high-performance textile that was invented during World War II for British Royal Air Force pilots. Owing to its breathable and waterproof properties, the fabric gained instant popularity among military personnel and remains a highly-functional material even today.
Furthermore, looking at the dial, one realises how the military has inspired the complete canvas of this timepiece. It features a very specific khaki green, inspired by the flying overalls worn by TLP pilots. This green is interspersed with beige detailing—the colour scheme of TLP’s eagle emblem, which can be seen emblazoned in gun-metal grey on the caseback. The white, applied hour numerals and central timekeeping hands are adequately coated with Super-LumiNova aiding legibility when it’s dark. The TLP Limited Edition is powered by the calibre 752, based on a Sellita SW 220-1, which beats a frequency of 28,800vph. Offering a 38-hour power reserve, this automatic movement comes equipped with the instantaneous changing of the day and date, and a stop-seconds feature for accurate time setting.
Just in case you are on the lookout for a timepiece that is versatile and durable, Oris’ TLP limited edition might be your best bet. Needless to say, it exemplifies aviation timekeeping at its best.
