Hands-On: Oris New Big Crown Bullseye and Atelier Year of the Fire Horse from the Slopes of Vail

I just wrapped up a whirlwind trip to Vail, Colorado, as a guest of Oris for an exclusive preview of their 2026 releases. Three days of skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, and of course watches. The mountain backdrop was straight out of a postcard. But let's get to the good stuff: the watches. Oris is killing it by offering everything from accessible entry points like the new Bullseye to powerhouse calibers in their Atelier collection. I got hands-on with three standouts that embody their ethos.

We kicked things off with the Big Crown Pointer Date in a fresh 38mm "Bullseye" configuration. This one's a nod to vintage designs, featuring a symmetrical dial with a central red arrow pointer for the date—no clunky window disrupting symmetry. It's powered by a modified Sellita-based movement that gets Oris's standard red rotor. The coined edge bezel adds vintage flair, its compact (38mm), and comfortable.

Next up, the star of the show from the Atelier collection: a 43mm limited edition celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse. The blood burgundy dial with its fume gradient sub-dials is mesmerizing. Inside beats the Caliber 113, a in house hand-wound full calendar (month, week, day, and date) withan impressive 10-day power reserve. The power reserve indicator instead of a traditional up/down or full/empty uses a galloping horse when fully wound and a resting one when it's time to wind it up. Strapped on, it felt surprisingly wearable despite the size. Oris really nailed the thematic details here, blending cultural nods with serious horological chops.

Another stand out was the Big Crown 5-Day, which I actually had on wrist during the trip. This beauty sports a small seconds at 6 o'clock, a pointer date with that signature red tip for the date hand. Powered by Oris's in-house movement with a 120-hour (that's five full days) power reserve, it's compact for what it packs and sits perfectly on the wrist. Oris has models like this with the Caliber 473 starting around $5,000 on a strap.

What strikes me most about Oris is their smart balance: Sellita-based affordability in pieces like the Big Crown Bullseye just under $2,400, alongside in-house heavy-hitters like the Fire Horse starting at around $8000. It's a brand that's evolving while staying true to its roots.

Got thoughts on these Oris drops? Fire Horse fan or Big Crown devotee? Hit the comments below

Check Oris's website for more information - Oris - Swiss watchmaking

Check out my Vail video here - https://youtu.be/eOlDV3b5BZM

Swing by my Instagram @watchchrisblog for behind-the-scenes from Vail