« Limited Editions Honor a Hero »
In 2021, Oris honors American Navy diver Carl Brashear for the third time with a special bronze model. Like its predecessors from 2016 and 2018, the newcomer is limited to 2,000 pieces and features a dark blue gradient dial. At the heart of the Calibre 401 Limited Edition is the newly unveiled in-house movement of the same name, with a five-day power reserve and precision figures that exceed the COSC standard. Part of the proceeds goes to the Carl Brashear Foundation, which keeps alive the memory of the courageous serviceman's remarkable achievements.
"It's not a sin to get knocked down. It's a sin to stay down"
No life motto could sum up Brashear's story better. Born in 1931 into a sharecropping family in Kentucky, the African American faced racism, poverty, and illiteracy from an early age.
In 1948, shortly after racial segregation was abolished in the U.S. military, he joined the US Navy and fought for years to be admitted to the demanding salvage diving service. He succeeded: in 1954, Brashear became one of the first African American divers in the U.S. military and displayed extraordinary dedication.
In addition to risky bomb disposal operations, he took on the role of diving instructor, and from 1956 to 1958 he was responsible for escorting Eisenhower's presidential yacht. In 1966, Brashear lost his left leg below the knee during a recovery mission off the Spanish coast.
Although the injury seemed to rule out any future career underwater and the Navy pushed for his retirement, the tenacious serviceman refused to give up and spent two years regaining his diving abilities. In 1968, he became the first amputee diver in the US Navy, followed by his promotion to "Master Diver" in 1970. He did not retire from service until 1979. His life's achievements gained international fame through the film "Men of Honor" (2000), starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Oris and the Brashear Foundation: Partners Since 2015
After the veteran's death in 2006, his son Philip established a foundation dedicated to the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and to passing Brashear's message of never giving up on to younger generations. This commitment caught the attention of Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer, who initiated a partnership between the Swiss watch brand and the American foundation in 2015.
A win-win situation: while the foundation benefits from additional attention, the Hölstein-based company launched a special edition bearing the American diver's famous name the very next year.
Limited Edition 2016: The First Oris with a Bronze Case
What made the 2016 Oris Brashear stand out above all was its case: the 42 mm dive watch was the brand's first model made of bronze, which makes it highly reactive and turns it into a one-of-a-kind piece after a certain amount of wear. Anyone who puts the 100 meters of water resistance to the test should be prepared for particularly strong patina development. Beneath the specially engraved stainless steel caseback ticks the automatic Calibre 733, based on the Sellita SW 200-1, which gives the Oris Brashear an unremarkable 38-hour power reserve. One strength is the date window at six o'clock, which preserves the dial's symmetry.
Even more eye-catching than this detail is the coloring of the dark blue dial: covered by domed sapphire crystal, it combines a deep blue gradient design with bronze-colored indices and matching lume in "light old radium." New buyers receive this exotic piece in an elegant wooden presentation box that underscores the special status of the limited model. All in all, the first special edition was a resounding success: the 2,000 pieces sold out in no time and now trade on the pre-owned market above the original retail price of €2,600.
Number Two: Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph
Reason enough to continue the partnership between Oris and the Brashear Foundation. Two years after the debut came the Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph (Ref. 01 771 7744 3185), which combines its predecessor's basic aesthetic recipe with a larger diameter (43 mm) and the stopwatch function that gives it its name.
Much remains the same: not only the distinctive bronze case, but also the limitation to 2,000 watches, the engraved stainless steel caseback with individual numbering, and the dial color match the 2016 model.
The Oris Brashear has established itself almost as a model family of its own in the Hölstein manufacturer's portfolio, far outperforming ordinary editions. Just like the first Limited Edition, it wasn't long before it sold out and pre-owned prices rose above the retail price of €4,400.
No wonder: with its pared-down bicompax dial, the Oris Diver Chronograph looks extremely elegant and has a fascinating story to tell as well. Less exciting is what's inside, where we're greeted by the automatic Calibre 771, based on the Sellita SW 510. With 48 hours, the latter is a solid workhorse, but it can't match the prestige of an in-house caliber.
2021: Third Generation with an In-House Movement
In 2021, the engineers in Hölstein decided to change that and make the Oris Brashear a real showstopper on the inside as well. Ideally suited for this purpose is the in-house Calibre 400, unveiled in October 2020, which is used here in the 401 version with small seconds and boasts impressive performance figures. Two barrels deliver a hefty 120 hours of power reserve (five days), a figure that would easily hold its own among the highest ranks of haute horlogerie. The same goes for precision: while COSC specifies a maximum mean daily rate deviation of -4/+6 seconds, the diver from Hölstein achieves -3/+5 seconds. Certification would therefore be guaranteed, but the Swiss remain modest and forgo the official designation.
Far more valuable anyway is the Oris Brashear's resistance to magnetism: because 30 of the movement's 150 components are made of non-ferrous materials (such as the silicon pallet fork and escape wheel), the Limited Edition proves extremely robust. Another special feature concerns its size. Based on the case of the Divers Sixty-Five, the latest edition measures a comfortable 40 mm, making it noticeably more compact than its predecessors. Everything else, however, feels familiar: the bronze case, dial design, and limited run of 2,000 pieces mark a consistent continuation of the dynasty. As usual, the Oris diver, water-resistant to 100 meters, comes in an elaborate wooden box.
If you want to own the Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition (Ref. 01 401 7764 3185), you'll need to budget €3,700 new (if still available). Included: a near-record 10-year warranty that underscores the Swiss brand's confidence in its in-house mechanics. "Confidence" is probably the perfect closing word for an article about Brashear.
