Hands-On Review of the Oris Coulson Limited Edition
Oris has spent a lot of time doing good for the planet. And that central tenant of the brand has manifested itself in interesting collaborations that not only further that mission, but produce cool watches with interesting back stories.
We have seen such collaborations in the Oris Aquis Limited Edition New York Harbor, in partnership with the Billion Oyster Project, a nonprofit organization with the goal of restoring one billion live oysters to New York Harbor by the year 2035. Beyond being a very cool mission, Oris went as far volunteering to clean up New York Harbor with the Billion Oyster Project.
Enter the Oris ProPilot Coulson Limited Edition, another partnership with the intention of “doing good”. For the Coulson Limited Edition, Oris partnered with Coulson Aviation, the world’s leading aerial firefighting organization to create an extremely unique looking watch based on their ProPilot model.
When looking at the watch, you’ll immediately notice the almost black case brushed with “swirls”. While the swirls are aesthetically pleasing, they are due to the manufacturing process of the carbon fiber case. Oris helped pioneer a new, patented 3D printing process to create a lightweight and strong case. If aerial firefighters are going to be wearing this watch, you probably want it to be both light and strong. Oris achieved that with Coulson.
Besides the innovative case, my favorite part of the Coulson is probably the dial. The red to orange gradient dial really stands and fits the firefighting theme without coming off as gimmicky. The white applied hour markers add some depth to the dial and make the Coulson extremely legible. The indices and hands are also coated with SuperLuminova lume. Like other ProPilot variations, the Coulson has an angled fluted bezel. Being a big fan of Rolex, I always approve of a fluted bezel, and Oris’ variation is unique and well-executed.
At 41mm, the Coulson has wrist presence while not being overly large. It wears and feels smaller than its 41mm size due to the lack of a crown guard and light weight. The Coulson did not look oversized on my 6.75 inch wrist.
The Coulson runs on the Oris’ in-house Calibre 400 movement. This is the same movement that powers Oris’ ProPilot X series. The Calibre 400 is equipped with 5-day (120 hour) power reserve as indicated on the dial of the watch. Oris proudly displays the movement through the caseback. The watch is finished well, so the display caseback adds to the aesthetic of the watch.
The black textile strap is comfortable and the orange underside of the strap fits with the fiery theme of the Coulson. Oris uses a unique pvd-coated deployant buckle that is shaped, and indeed works, like a commercial airplane seat buckle. This buckle is used on many ProPilot models and is a nice tribute to its aviation inspiration. While not a dive watch, the Oris Coulson has 100 meters of water resistance. So you can swim with the watch without being concerned.
While the orange dial of the Coulson might not be for everyone, it is a fun watch that is easy and comfortable to wear and fits Oris’ brand identity to a T. If you want a conversation piece with an interesting back story, and that supports a good cause, pick up the Oris Coulson. The Coulson is limited to 1,000 piece and retails for 4,500 USD at Oris’ Website .
