Oris Artelier Jumping Hour
Angus Davies provides an in-depth review of the Oris Artelier Jumping Hour. This watch features a combination of jumping hours, off-centre minutes and small seconds, paired with a gorgeous guilloché dial and packaged in a remarkably affordable form.
This detailed review of the Oris Artelier Jumping Hour includes live images, specification details and pricing.
When thumbing through some watch catalogues, the familiar design codes used often result in some brand’s models appearing virtually identical. The brands in question appear to be almost typecast and sometimes seem a tad predictable. This does not mean I necessarily dislike these product offerings, but it is similar to always wearing a a pair of jeans or listening solely to one genre of music; as philanderers around the globe espouse, “variety is the spice of life”.
When it comes to life’s experiences, I am greedy, albeit monogamous. I adore sampling an eclectic array of foods, clothing, music and, more pertinently, watches.
Oris, the Swiss brand founded in 1904, proffers an incredibly diverse collection of timepieces to sate every need and desire. To date, I have been drawn to several of its diving and aviation models. However, I recently fell for the charms of an especially elegant watch, the Oris Artelier Jumping Hour.
The Oris Artelier range is at the heart of the brand’s “Culture” collection. Interestingly, the company from Hölstein groups its collections, in the majority of cases, with active pursuits such as “Diving”, “Aviation” and “Motorsport”. By contrast, the “Culture” Collection exudes a more relaxed, calm and dressier tone.
The dial
Launched earlier in 2014, the Oris Artelier Jumping Hour features a brilliant silver dial, exquisitely adorned with a guilloché motif. Immediately, one is struck by the overwhelming sense of taste and refinement. This watch, despite its relatively accessible pricing, exudes a notable air of luxury.
Denoting the hours, eight applied indices, highly polished and faceted, gracefully aid the interpretation of the time. They exhibit a tear-shaped profile and are graduated in size, from relatively small, adjacent to 2 and 10 o’clock, to large, near 5 and 7 o’clock. Their shape, scale and position accentuate the off-centre location of the hour and minutes display.
The hours are depicted via an aperture at noon. The numerals displayed, remind me of a soldier stood to attention within a sentry box. They are upright and formal, drawing admiring eyes to their smart appearance. The beauty of a jumping hour display is that it delivers the numeral(s) in a succinct, simple to interpret form without the distraction of neighbouring values being visible.
A sole, silver coloured lancine shaped hand traverses a circular sea of wave patterned guilloché. Encircling this display is a minute rail which sits in a recessed ring, accentuating the delightful depths of the dial composition. It is marked with a combination of Arabic numerals and short black lines augmenting ease of interpretation.
At 6 o’clock, a small seconds display overlaps the upper dial area, resembling a Venn diagram. This snailed subdial again expertly exploits depth, engaging with prevailing light and delivering sublime tranches of light and shade.
The remaining surfaces of the dial canvas repeat the felicitous appeal of the aforementioned guilloché motif with its flinqué pattern granting a splendid mien, normally the preserve of much costlier timepieces.
The case
The case diameter of the Oris Artelier Jumping Hour measures 40.50mm. Its restrained dimensions, by modern-day standards, should offer ubiquitous appeal. Indeed, this model should not merely attract those of diminutive or, conversely, behemoth build but fit the wrists of a broad band of brothers.
Oris has expertly blended polished and satin brushed surfaces to deliver a cultured persona ideally suited to the refined tastes of a discriminating clientele.
The crown design is lovely. The knurled detail of the grip consists of neat, straight lines which charmingly blend with the curved edges of the crown. Close examination reveals a satin-brushed bevel between the horizontal and vertical planes of the crown. At the hub of the vertical flank is the Oris nomenclature. The crown seldom warrants mention on most watches but, in this instance, it manifestly illustrates the maison’s welcome fastidiousness and close attention to detail.
A sapphire crystal graces the posterior of the case, revealing the self-winding movement within.
The Artelier Jumping Hour is supplied with a brown calf skin strap, marked with a simulated crocodile skin pattern and is presented on a stainless steel folding clasp. The quality of the materials used feels a cut above many similarly priced watches and the deployant has a positive action to its clasp, according a secure and comfortable fit.
The movement
The Oris 917 is an automatic movement, based on the Sellita SW300. The movement has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz), contains 31 jewels and provides a power reserve of 42 hours.
The oscillating mass features bi-directional winding and the brand’s now iconic, bright red colour. The general finish is a tad industrial, but typical of many watches priced at this modest level.
Closing remarks
Periodically, I receive emails from readers and queries via social media channels enquiring which watches I would recommend. The difficulty in answering these queries is that the selection of a timepiece is very much influenced by the lifestyle of the individual, their physical stature and, of course, there available budget.
However, when it comes to accessibly priced watches, Oris is a name I often mention in the most glowing of terms. The Swiss made timepieces have become a byword for robust construction, reliable operation and stylish aesthetics.
Historically, I have been drawn to the company’s diver’s models, but this particular Artelier model has certainly grabbed my attention with its gorgeous dial and pleasing wrist feel. And now we come to the pièce de résistance, the asking price of £2920 (RRP as at 26.9.2014), a sum which seems remarkable bearing in mind the painstaking attention to detail found with this highly attractive timepiece.
Moving forward, I will be skewing my attention to more of Oris’s Artelier models as I explore more of this brand’s impressive and diverse array of models.
Technical Specification
- Model: Oris Artelier Jumping Hour
- Reference: 01 917 7702 4051-07 1 21 73FC
- Case: Stainless steel; diameter 40.50 mm; water resistant to 5 bar (50 metres); sapphire crystal to front and caseback.
- Functions: Jumping hours; minutes; small seconds
- Movement: Oris 917 (base SW300); self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 31 jewels; power reserve 42 hours
- Strap: Dark brown calf leather strap with croco pattern presented on a stainless steel deployant
- Price: £2920 (RRP as at 26.9.2014)
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