Oris has been making mechanical watches for one hundred and nineteen (119) years now. And in those years, they have created over 280 calibres. Their current Movement Creation Programme has 10 new calibres in 10 years. That is a serious testament to their commitment and passion for mechanical watches. These are the qualities that drive Oris to create beautiful, innovative watches with advanced performance levels.
“Go Your Own Way” is the philosophy that Oris lives by. It encapsulates the key values by which the brand functions: The spirit of Independence, Craftsmanship, and Quality. One of the ways that they chose to take is through their Change for the Better program where they work with pioneering conservation organizations that help clean, restore, and protect the planet.
The question we can ask now is, what inspires Oris to design and create these watches? The simple answer is this: We’re inspired by what we call the Joy of Mechanics. The first function of every Oris watch is to bring joy in its purest emotional, feel-it-in-your-bones sense. If an Oris watch can make someone’s day better, then they have achieved their objective.
For some time now, Oris has been looking for the ultimate expression of this and to make a watch that is pure joy. The solution came with the collaboration with a character that has brought joy to generations of children (and adults), whose sole purpose is to entertain and spread happiness to his audience. To my knowledge, he is the only muppet to cross over from Sesame Street to The Muppet Show. He is none other than Kermit the Frog.
This year, Oris is proud to present the ProPilot X Kermit Edition.
The ProPilot X Kermit Edition is based on the 39mm titanium ProPilot X Calibre 400. The only difference is, this one’s got a green dial with the green shades of Kermit himself. A surprise will reveal itself every first of the month when the date window will display the image of Kermit the Frog. This icon is there to remind us to not take things too seriously. We all need a break from work, chores, adventures, anything that may induce stress. The first of the month, when Kermit appears on the date window, is what Oris calls “Kermit Day,” a day when everyone should just feel… joy.
“If an Oris watch can make someone’s day better, we’ve done our job.”
Ken Laurent, Oris Creative Director, went to Hollywood to meet Kermit the Frog and make a TV ad with him. The ad showed Kermit just taking time for himself, drinking tea and having a massage. In the commercial, Kermit sings the aptly-named song Gotta Make Time For Me. When asked about why Kermit was subtly tucked in the date window, Laurent said: “It’s beautiful the way its been done. We could have put a big Kermit the Frog emoji on the dial. Some might have done that because they want their most important collaborations to be in-your-face, to scream. But we didn’t want that. We wanted something more humble that would respect the product.”
When asked if there will be other Disney’s The Muppets in the future, his reply was: “Maybe. You’ll have to wait and see…”
The ProPilot X Kermit Edition could be the start of the Joy Movement. I guess we’ll just have to “wait and see.”
