Since Paul Cattin and Georges Christian developed the first Oris watch factory in Holstein, Switzerland in 1904, Oris has made countless breakthroughs in achieving numerous milestones in its rich watch-making tradition.

In the minds of watch fans today, the name Oris is synonymous with the mechanical watch. This didnt just happen by accident. At the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, when the normal watch consumer was becoming more educated in the ways of mechanical watches, the small watch company, Oris, noted the growing demand and reacted immediately. Oris called upon a rich fund of historical models that reaches back to 1904 that all seemed to have something special about them. There was huge demand for the hand-winding alarm watch outfitted with the AS Caliber 1730 and a carefully modernized 1950s design that captivated an entire generation of mechanical watch consumers. Strongly fueled by the catchy slogan, Its high mech by Oris, and with just the right mixture of nostalgically designed watches, slightly modified movements and affordable prices, Oriss position in the market was continually pushed upward. At first the cases were designed with the 1940s in mind and seemed a bit old-fashioned, but today, they are designed with a more contemporary style, and the watches have also been outfitted with some remarkable technical innovations.

Secure in its good nose for the likes and dislikes of its customers, Oris presented models like the Pointer with an unusual sweep calendar the Complication and the Rectangular. The Worldtimer models, sporting a dial train exclusively developed for Oris, proves that the company also has the technical competence to modify ETA-base movements immensely.

In 2001, Oris combined traditional watch making techniques with modern micro technology by producing collectible pieces such as the Big Crown with a large crown and pointer calendar. Watch collectors around the globe are snatching up the Big Crown BC3, the Big Crown Commander Divers and the classic Big Crown Commander Divers Regulator.

Oris signed an agreement in 2003 to become the exclusive watch partner of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. The Oris Limited Edition WilliamsF1 Team Chronograph watch was the most successful Oris watch in 2003.