Oris Divers Sixty-Five 40 Social Club Edition
There’s a new Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph on the market today and – to the delight of many – it’s been downsized to 40mm in diameter.
Oris debuted the non-limited edition Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph all the way back in 2019. The watch had a mix of steel and bronze and played into the popular vintage-inspired feel of the time. Since then the brand has been relatively quiet with the line. The feedback from watch lovers seemed to be that despite an attractive package, the watch – at 43mm wide and around 16mm thick – was just a bit too big.
Instead of leaning into a fully vintage aesthetic with the gilt/bronze accents and bezel, the new Divers Sixty-Five chronograph leans slightly more modern (within the 1965-inspired framework) with an all-black and white color palette. The case is fully stainless steel with a mix of brushed and polished edges and can come with a faux-riveted bracelet or Cervo Volante deer leather strap. Inside is the same self-winding Oris 771 movement – based on the Sellita SW 510 – that was in the last release, with 48 hours of power reserve. That goes to show you that just because a watch is a certain size, doesn’t mean that the movement is always a limiting factor to shrink it.
Nearly every Oris Divers Sixty-Five 40 release convinces me to switch my pick for my favorite line of its watches. A new Aquis reminds me how solid the Aquis is. A new Big Crown reminds me of classic Oris Styling. This new Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph hits the same note. Classic, simple, solid, legible – everything you’d expect from Oris.
As ever, I’m going to reserve my final judgment on fit and value for when I see the watch in person. Generally, I find it rare that Oris has any missteps, but I don’t think that the original Divers Sixty-Five chronograph was a standout success for the brand. My gut reaction is that this new edition is still pretty thick with a domed caseback, but shrinking the case width-wise will hopefully lead to a watch that feels and looks smaller on the wrist.
