Earlier this year, iW Managing Editor / Swiss Correspondent, Nola Martin, caught up with Chairman and CEO of Oris, Ulrich Herzog. Here, Herzog discussed Oris’ beginnings including the introduction of one of the brand’s most popular collections, the Big Crown. Herzog also described the design process in creating an Oris timepiece, where professional divers, pilots and drivers are consulted to ensure appropriate functionality and ergonomic fit.
Over the summer, Martin took to the skies with Oris at the first annual Aviators Academy in the Swiss Alps.
In June, I was privy to Oris’ first annual Aviators Academy at the Ambri airfield, located in the middle of the Swiss Alps. A former Swiss Air force airbase, the airfield was built during WWII and is still considered one of the rockiest airports of the Airforce with a 7,000 ft. runway surrounded by 8,000 ft. mountains. The Academy hosted pilots from Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy who participated in all-things-aviation. I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat in the cockpit to witness the action and test out the Oris Big Crown Timer, a day I won’t soon forget.
My adventure began in my Oris personalized flight suit embroidered with my name strutting around the airfield with a crew of future pilots, styled circa “Top Gun.” A fleet of jets lined the runway including a Hawker Hunter, De Havilland Vampire, Pilatus PC7 Turbo Trainer, Antonov AN 2, Pilatus P3 and a Boeing Stearman. It was after seeing this, that my nerves began to build in anticipating the big day ahead of me.
Continue reading and check out the video of the flights and skies here.