Introducing – Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II

Oris’ motto is “Real watches for real people“… and it’s not just a marketing gimmick (which happens rather often in this luxury watches industry, to say the least). Don’t be surprised to see that Oris watches are worn by ambassadors that are just a bit further away from red carpets than most brand ambassadors. For instance, take a look at the Rega Altimeter, or the El Hierro Limited Edition… For their latest creation, it’s with Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service (one of the world’s most iconic aeromedical services) that Oris is teaming up with, to introduce a new watch, the Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II.

“The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides emergency and primary healthcare services to people living in rural areas of Australia. It operates a fleet of more than 60 aircraft from bases around the country, including the Swiss Pilatus PC-12. It will shortly add long-range Pilatus PC-24 jets to its fleet.” You won’t be surprised to know that what they need as a wrist instrument is a so-called doctor’s watch. In watchmaking, doctor’s watches usually refer to pieces with a pulsation dial, meaning a watch that can track heart beat rate (pulse). Like the first limited edition watch, the new model features a pulsometer, used to take a patient’s pulse. Oris has upgraded the pulsometer, for an even more efficient use.

This new Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II is based on Oris’s Big Crown collection, meaning pilot-oriented pieces, which makes sense in the case of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Using the 45mm stainless case of the collection, this watch here adds a pulsometer feature, scaling it over 20 heartbeats for even faster readings. The watch’s bi-directional rotating bezel means measurement can start at any time – which seems compulsory, as the watch doesn’t feature a chronograph as some other doctor’s watches. Yet, practicality of the measurement is certain.

The pulsometer scale is in a contrasting deep orange, not only a colour the eye picks up quickly, but also a reference to the earth in Australia’s Outback where much of the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s work takes place. The watch’s bi-rotating bezel can also be used as a timer or a second time zone – and knowing the size of the Australian territory and the fact that it lives on 3 different time-zones, it rather makes sense. The dial shows a typical matte black color, with large pilot hands and numerals in white, again for a maximized legibility, even at night. At 3 is a double window with day-and-date feature.

Under the engraved case-back (adorned with organization’s logo), the Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II relies on the well-known and reliable automatic Oris Calibre 735, based on a Sellita SW 220-1. The Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II will be limited to 2,000 pieces and will retail for CHF 1,900 on a leather strap (with pin buckle) and CHF 2,100 on a stainless steel bracelet or crocodile leather strap (with folding clasp). Oris will make a donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Specifications of the Oris Royal Flying Doctor Service Limited Edition II

• Case: 45mm diameter – rotatable bezel, bi-directional – stainless steel – sapphire crystal on the dial side – 30m water resistant
• Movement: Oris Calibre 735 (Sellita SW 220-1 base) – automatic – 4Hz frequency – 38h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, day-and-date
• Strap: brown leather strap on pin-buckle, brown crocodile leather strap on folding clasp or stainless steel bracelet