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The Manual Wind: Oris Bronze Carl Brashear Limited Edition Diver

the manual wind oris bronze carl brashear limited edition diver
01 733 7720 3185-Set LS - Oris Carl Brashear Limited EditionSteel and gold are the two metals that first come to mind in watch discussion.  Sprinkle in some titanium, ceramic, and platinum and call it a day.  Hublot was one brand to run the gamut on exotic metals; tantalum, cermet, and tungsten to name a few.  One metal making a big splash lately (causing it to patina) is bronze.  Gerald Genta tried with the Gefica years ago but it wasn’t as well received as Panerai’s bronze Luminor of late.  Now Oris is taking a stab at this fun-to-wear metal with its Divers Sixty-Five inspired Carl Brashear Limited Edition.

At 42mm in diameter, slightly larger than the the Sixty-Five, the 01 733 7720 3185-Set LS_box.tifCarl Brashear is a classic diver cast in bronze.  Blue dial with round markers make for extreme legibility.  Beneath the dial lies an automatic Oris caliber 733 movement with a 40 hour power reserve.  Rated to 100m depth, this bronze case with steel caseback will suit your diving needs just fine.

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The beauty of bronze is not only its color, but its ability to change.  Based on the wearers environment, this piece will

01 733 7720 3185-Set LS_cbs.tif

darken and patina to a piece unique.  This tribute to the first African-American Navy diver is a limited edition of only 2000 pieces.  Aesthetically awesome and well priced at $2,600, i’m sure this piece with be sold out fast.  I small price to pay for diving history creating a patina based on your own history.

Update:  As predicted, this piece has been a huge hit for Oris.  Extremely tough to get your hands on, waiting lists are long and seeing one in person is a struggle.  If you see one, grab it!

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