Round the clock rescueThe new Oris GMT Rega Limited Edition
Oris is proud to present the Oris GMT Rega Limited Edition, the second watch made in support of the partnership between the independent Swiss watch company and Rega, the Swiss air-rescue service. The new watch has a second time zone, indicated by a 24-hour central hand, a function chosen in partnership with Rega jet pilots and to represent the worldwide service they offer across all time zones.
Last year, Rega repatriated 869 people from all over the world through its 24-hour repatriation service with their ambulance jets. It operates three Challenger CL-604 air ambulances, manned by highly trained crews. The jets carry all the equipment necessary to transport intensive care patients.
The new Oris GMT Rega Limited Edition is based on Oris’s Big Crown ProPilot GMT and is the perfect marriage of the values shared by the two organisations – quality, reliability, precision, tradition and innovation. The watch is powered by Calibre 748, an automatic mechanical movement with a second time zone, or GMT function, indicated by a black, red-tipped central hand that points to a 24-hour scale printed around the dial edge.
Its 45mm stainless steel case is designed with pilots in mind. It’s coated in hard-wearing matt gunmetal grey PVD to offset cockpit glare, and features an oversized crown for quick time, date and second time zone adjustments. The watch’s black dial features luminescent Super-LumiNova® Arabic numerals, hands and hour markers for exceptional legibility, even in low-light conditions, and Rega’s logo. The grey textile strap is lined with red leather as a nod to the service’s corporate colour.
Rega
Rega is a non-profit organisation and is supported and funded mostly by donations from its 3.3 million patrons. It was founded in 1952 and is recognised as one of the world’s leading airrescue services. Its name is a combination of ‘RE’ from ‘Rettungsflugwacht’ and ‘GA’ from ‘Garde Aérienne’ and ‘Guardia Aerea’, respectively the German, French and Italian for ‘air rescue’ or ‘air guard’.
In 2016, Rega conducted more than 15,000 rescue missions using its fleet of helicopters and ambulance jets. These are specially designed to undertake round-the-clock air-rescue operations in Switzerland and all over the world. Oris has appreciated Rega’s mission before. The Oris Altimeter Rega Limited Edition was based on the innovative Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter, the world’s first watch with both an automatic mechanical movement and a mechanical altimeter. As with the Altimeter Rega Limited Edition, the new watch is a limited Edition to 2'000 pieces.
Oris has a rich pilot’s watch tradition. The independent Swiss company made its first wristwatch in the early 1910s at the dawn of aviation, and its first pilot’s wristwatch in 1917. In 1938, the introduction of the Oris Big Crown marked a watershed moment in pilot’s watch history and in Oris’s story. It featured an oversized crown designed to aid gloved airmen, and a pointer date function, which would go on to become an Oris signature.
‘We consider it a real honour to work with Rega, one of the world’s leading air-rescue services,’ said Oris Chairman Ulrich W. Herzog. ‘This second watch made in partnership between us highlights another of Rega’s extraordinary services, as well as our shared commitment to quality, tradition and innovation. We’re delighted to be able to show our appreciation for its work with the Oris GMT Rega Limited Edition.’