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http://www.friendsoforis.com/board_entry.php?id=1839&page=0&category=Reviews&order=last_answer&descasc=DESC
WilliamsF1 Team Day Date review
Oris WilliamsF1 Team Day Date review
by papagoonz
All photos by rob ayala (except the lame one at the end by me
)Case, Crown and Bracelet
The Oris WilliamsF1 Team day date has a 40.5 mm round stainless steel case, approximately 10 mm. thick. The case is a two-piece design with a flat sapphire crystal and a flat mineral exhibition case back that provides a good view of the ETA 2836-2 movement. The case back is secured with four small screws. The watch has a signed, non-screw-down crown and is water resistant to 50m. The triple link bracelet is solid SS with matte outer links, polished center links, and a deployment clasp with holes for micro adjustment. A rubber strap is also available.
The case flares outward very slightly from back to front (ca. 1-2 mm.), an effect that is balanced by the bezel which slants back inward. The bezel represents about 2 mm. of the total case thickness. In profile the bezel is polished to set it off from the matte finish of the rest of the case. Looking down at the dial, the bezel is about 2 mm. thick, matte finished, and set back about 1 mm. from the edge of the case.
One of the most unusual features of the case is a pair of slanting surfaces each of which seems to take a diagonal slice out of the cylindrical case. These cutouts produce a striking visual effect. Seen in profile along the 12/6 axis the cutouts make the case look significantly thinner. Rotate the watch 90 degrees, and the cutouts form an arc that approximates the curve of the bracelet around the wrist.
Lugs
The Williams features unique pivoting lugs that make the bracelet seem almost like it's connected directly to the case. The lugs are inset into notches in the side of the case and secured with a pin that pierces the case itself. The lugs pivot on the pin just like any other bracelet links. A crease where the lug changes shape to wrap around the pin provides a visual transition and gives the design a somewhat more traditional feel. A pair of translucent plastic nibs attached to the inside of each lug prevents them from scratching the case and limits the their motion to the desired range.
Dial and Hands
The WilliamsF1 Day Date is available with a black or blue dial. (A similar TT2 Day Date is available in black, blue, silver, and bronze.) The inner part of the pie pan dial is a textured carbon fibre with the Williams logo and day and date at 6, luminous Arabic numerals at 12, 3, and 9, and highly reflective silver baton markers at the other positions. The outer ring of the dial is matte black with luminous dots and Arabic numerals every five minutes/seconds and minute/second marks in between.
The obelisk-shaped hour and minute hands are tipped with superluminova. The sweep second hand is tipped with Williams blue. Two of the date numbers--3, and 4--are also blue to represent the numbers of two WilliamsF1 team drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya (3) and Ralf Schumacher (4).
Legibility is excellent, due in large part to the superluminova on the hands which appears bright white, but not reflective, in daylight conditions. The day display at 6 is partly obscured by the hands for a longer period than it would be at 3, but this is not a big deal. Of greater significance is the rather small size of the date display.
Movement
The watch houses an ETA 2836-2 movement, dressed up with the signature Oris red rotor. This movement is used in watches by a wide variety of manufacturers as well as several others in the Oris line. Accuracy and reliability have so far been excellent.
Summary
Pros:
Impressively detailed modern design with just the right amount of traditional style.
Outstanding wearing comfort
Great versatility – works as a sports watch or a dress watch
Excellent legibility
Unbeatable value
A large watch that looks great on a small wrist
Cons:
Date display is a bit small
Conclusion:
A great watch that's bold but not bulky and hits the sweet spot between sport and dress.
