We watch enthusiasts are definitely ones to take things a little too seriously. Resale value, brand perception and the watch mechanism are all too often topics to see whether a watch is enough to be taken seriously. But if this is a hobby for the majority of us, where is the fun in graphing second hand values, and debating this brand over that? We believe that Oris has the fun answer to counter the seriousness encroaching into our lives, in the form of the ProPilot X Kermit – a watch that injects the start of each month with just a little more fun.
A little context – over the last decade, Oris has made amazing leaps and bounds in movement manufacturing, unveiling 10 calibres over 10 years. Historically, the brand has been making watches for 119 years, and made 280 calibres in that period – so it can be said that Oris is undoubtedly serious about watchmaking. Amidst all of these serious stats, a watch of pure joy for Oris is something they had wanted to achieve which is how the ProPilot X Kermit came about. Formed through a partnership with The Muppets, it was created with the belief that watches today have the sole purpose to make people smile, and according to Ken Laurent, Creative Director of Oris, even though the watch is powered by the very serious Calibre 400, its sole purpose is to bring joy to the wearer.
As previously mentioned, the watch is based off the ProPilot design, measuring in at 39.00mm in diameter, and made out of titanium featuring satin brushed and polished surfaces. The bracelet is also made from titanium, featuring the brand’s patented “LIFT” clasp, echoing a plane’s seatbelt fastening system. Looking at the dial, there is no doubt that the brand has taken inspiration from Kermit the Frog, with its green hue perfectly matching the colour of the world’s favourite puppet amphibian. Markers denote the hours, and they along with the hands are filled with SuperLuminova, giving great night time visibility. The watch is 10 bar water resistant with a screw in crown, meaning that this watch is able to accompany you on your adventures wherever you may go.
Visible through the sapphire crystal case back is the Oris Calibre 400. Lauded for its performance at its very affordable price point, the Calibre 400 boasts a 5 day power reserve, as well as precision of timekeeping to within -3/+5 seconds per day – well within chronometer specifications.
The date function on the dial side at 6 o’clock displays all of the dates of the month, except for the first – this is reserved for Kermit himself, showing his face on the first of the month to remind the wearer to inject a little bit of fun into their day at the beginning of the month.
Oris is undoubtedly audacious to create the true Kermit the Frog watch, but in some ways, the watch world needs something like this to remind us very serious humans to enjoy ourselves. Like a pair of colourful socks hiding under a pair of tailored trousers, the Oris ProPilot X Kermit does a fantastic job of making serious watchmaking fun – bringing many of us back to our childhood years when joy was our priority, and not concerning ourselves with outside opinion.
Technical Specifications
Case Multi-piece titanium case with satin and sandblasted finishes
Size 39.00 mm (1.535 inches)
Dial Green
Luminous material Indices and hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back Titanium with satin and sandblasted finishes, screwed, see- through sapphire glass
Operating devices Titanium screw-in security crown with protection
Bracelet Titanium with folding clasp
with Oris-patented ‘LIFT’ system
Water resistance 10 bar (100 m)
Movement
Number Oris Calibre 400
Functions Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o’clock, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
Accuracy -3/+5 seconds a day (within COSC tolerances)
Extra features Highly anti-magnetic
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 120 hours
Warranty* Extended to 10 years with MyOris sign-up. Applies to watch and movement. 10-year recommended service intervals. Five- year recommended water-resistance check
Swiss retail price CHF 4,400 Available April 2023