Here at Fratello, we love vintage dive watches. They not only represent the times in which they were made but also express the quality and precision of manufacturing available these days. So when I came across this awesome collaboration, I felt the need to take a closer look at the new CronotempVS × Oris Spirit of Sixty-Five.
Back in the sixties, two underwater diving pioneers Hans Hass and Christian J. Lambertse needed a proper tool fake watch that was technologically advanced enough to help other divers keep track of the time while diving. Oris was the major contributor in this venture and it resulted in the very first Oris diving replica watches for professional divers.
In 2015, Oris decided to commemorate this diving milestone. The brand released a tribute to those early diving replica watches from 1965. The first model from the Sixty-Five collection had the original details of the first diver but benefitted from all the technological advancements made since the initial release 50 years earlier. In 2016, Oris launched the 42mm case as a limited edition and homage to Carl Brashear, the first Afroamerican Master Diver in the United States Navy, whose story was immortalized by the motion picture "Men of Honor? In reference to the equipment used by the rescue divers of that era, Oris chose bronze to pay tribute to Master Diver Brashear.
The Spirit Of Sixty-FiveThis latest iteration of the Oris Sixty-Five was always on the horizon. It was only a matter of time. This year, our friends from CronotempVS Collectors teamed up with Oris to create a truly unique timepiece that looks like the one quality replica watches from 1965. What I love the most about this fake watch is the gorgeous dial. It expertly apes what a 50-year-old tritium dial might look like.
The grey-fumé mixed with unsaturated green Super-LumiNova results in the ultimate vintage vibe. Additionally, the deep red lacquer second hand is a stand-out feature here. To top it all off, the "Spirit of Sixty-Five?comes with a vintage brown leather strap.
The 42mm case is waterproof up to 100 meters. Moreover, its solid screw-down crown and steel case back makes it an absolutely ideal dive watch. At its heart, it carries an automatic movement. Behind that closed case back, the Oris 733 will happily beat away for 38 hours on a full wind.
Price and AvailabilityThe design of this fake watch is not the only thing that nods to the famous dive fake watch from 1965. This piece is limited to only 65 units. The price? An approachable ?,000, which seems pretty reasonable for such an attractive homage. You can reserve yours on the CronotempVS website.
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