Introducing Oris Refreshes The Divers Sixty-Five Into The New 'Divers Date' (Live Pics)

Oris is approaching the 60th anniversary of one of its most iconic and core releases—the Divers Sixty-Five—and it's doing it by making some subtle updates and rebranding as the Oris Divers Date. If you know the Divers Sixty-Five, then you will feel right at home with the new watch.

The new Oris Divers Date is, of course, a classic steel dive watch that comes in three dial colors, blue, black, and beige, with a date at six o'clock and applied Super-LumiNova-filled hour markers and hands. The case measures 39mm by 12.1mm thick, with a 46.5mm lug to lug. It also features a slightly domed sapphire crystal that gives a three-dimensional effect against the dial (which you can see below). The hour markers now have beveled edges, which is a subtle tweak. A new condensed typeface was developed exclusively for the new Divers collection, keeping the retro vibe.

The dimensions also come with a slightly changed case profile, so the watch feels a bit more compact. It's also a bit heavier and more robust, with the case being bumped up to 200m of water resistance from the old 100m of the past. You'll also notice the faux-riveted bracelet that keeps it in line with the vintage feel of the model. And while it might be relatively subtle, you will notice that the bezel is now ceramic with a matte finish.

Inside, the watch is powered by the Sellita-based Oris Caliber 733, with 41 hours of power reserve and automatic winding. Don't believe me? Now, there's an open caseback so you can see the movement for yourself. And it was even easier to photograph the movement because the supplied bracelet (and included rubber straps) has a built-in quick release.

With the tweaks and improvements, the Caliber 733 movement has kept the price point accessible: $2,700 for the new Diver Date is an attractive price point. The watch is available now and is not a limited edition.

As updates go, this is a pretty subtle one, but a nice one at that. Increased water-resistance, a better bezel material, and a comfortable case shape. What more could you ask for?

One thing I noticed was that the black dial never really felt that black to me. With the three-dimensional crystal, the watch picked up all kinds of stray light, giving it almost a reverse fumé effect of a blue dial that got lighter at the edges. I didn't mind it—I could see that dial color being quite popular, even. But that kind of effect might strike some as a failing if they're looking for a much more prominent black dial.

The beige dial is quite interesting – probably my favorite out of the trio. The white date window isn't the best visually, but it's not as stark as on the blue dial. I also feel like more white-dial divers are never a bad thing. They're even maybe an antidote to an over-saturation of black dial divers. The beige is a nice alternative to even just white. Another nice feature is the quick-change system. I don't think the movement will be a ton to look at daily, but the quick release makes it much easier to either look at the movement or swap to a leather strap.

Sometimes, when you've got a good thing going, all you need is a few tweaks to make something a lot better. I am curious to see if this will be the start of something new with the Caliber 400 movement as well, but as an affordable entry, this is a strong start.

Brand: Oris
Model: Divers Date
Reference Number:

Diameter: 39mm
Thickness: 12.1mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Black, blue or beige
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: Multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet with folding clasp and quick strap change system; supplied with additional black rubber strap with stainless steel buckle

Caliber: Oris Caliber 733
Functions: Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o'clock, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
Power Reserve: 41 hours
Winding: Automatic
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: $2,700
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: No

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