Oris BC4 Flight Timer Wristwatch

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: product design 2009

Flying watch – design and analogy
Compass, directional gyro, even the turn-and-bank indicator – the flight instruments in an aircraft cockpit have a specific look. These instruments have to be highly reliable and easy to read at all times. The instruments are both functional and precise. The Oris BC4 Flight Timer wristwatch was inspired by the design of flight instruments and is similarly clear and readable. The design is subtle and sophisticated without being overt. With its stainless steel case and four distinctively positioned screws, as well as a special sandwich construction similar to an aeroplane wing, the design of this watch clearly reflects the set-up of a cockpit. Analogous also is the layout of the watch controls: a vertical crown at 2 o’clock operates an inner dial ring, which can be set to show an additional time zone. It can also be set and used as a compass. The vertical crown is an innovative feature also taken directly from the cockpit where vertical crowns to set instruments are still often seen. Meticulous attention to the details of this watch, together with the Quick Lock Crown make this watch both exciting and user-friendly. Continuing the successful analogy into every design element of this watch, its leather strap closes via a continuously adjustable folding clasp – a mechanism that operates just like an airline safety belt.