Oris Pro-Pilot x Kermit Edition Is All About Fun & The Unserious Route

Watchmakers take their craft very seriously, as do those who employ them. But, at Watches And Wonders 2023, Oris has decided to take the not-so-serious route! This collaboration is encouraging everyone to pause for a moment...Introducing the ProPilot X Kermit Edition from the Oris x Disney's The Muppets timepiece.

Many of their press releases have likely begun with statistics about how long they've been in business (119 years), how many calibers they've created (more than 280), how many calibers they plan to create in the next decade (ten) and how many partnerships they've formed to promote positive social change (ten) (lots).

To put it simply, these things matter. And in a serious way. They've made some noise along the way, too, trying to explain their motivations for doing things like making the watches they make. The standard response is that "the Joy of Mechanics" serves as a source of motivation for them. Every Oris watch is designed first and foremost to make people happy, in the deepest, most visceral sense. That settles the matter. As long as an Oris watch brightens someone's day, the company has accomplished its goal.

They've been working on a "joy watch" for quite some time, looking for the purest way to express this idea. Finally, it dawned on them. Working with Kermit the Frog from The Muppet Show, the most laid-back human being on the planet. Kermit's purpose is to make us laugh and smile. As a matter of fact, he's been at it for quite some time. Would a watch be possible with him? As it turned out, that was possible.

They are overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear, and extremely pleased to present us with the ProPilot X Kermit Edition. It's essentially the same watch as their titanium ProPilot X Calibre 400, but with a green face and an added twist. Every month on the first, the date window at 6 o'clock will be replaced by an emoji of Kermit the Frog. The point of "Kermit Day" is to enjoy life without taking it too seriously. Relaxing and enjoying oneself. It's not that they aren't completely serious, but they're not.

Where did they find the inspiration?

Oris’s Ken Laurent says, “We don’t want ambassadors where take their emotion and put it on top of ours. We always want someone who becomes part of the Oris family. Kermit is that. We have a lot in common. He’s the “everyfrog”, like the everyman. He’s down to earth. I mean, he comes from a swamp. And he’s never trying to be the centerpiece, but he always has an important role to play. The main goal of The Muppets is to entertain people, have fun, make people laugh, and have a good time. At the same time they’re always trying to solve something but in a fun way. Snap!”

What is a mechanical watch for?

We talk a lot about functions in a literal sense, but really, the purpose of an Oris watch is to make people smile. That’s it. And with the ProPilot X Kermit Edition, there’s nothing else to it. Ok, yes, it’s powered by brilliant movement and the case design is spectacular, but the function of this watch is really simple: to bring joy.

Why is the link hidden?

It’s beautiful the way it’s been done. They could have put a big Kermit the Frog emoji on the dial. Some might have done that because they want their most important collaborations to be in-your-face, to scream. But Oris didn’t want that. They wanted something more humble that would respect the product.

The watchmaking world is all about collaborations, so will we see another Disney collaboration by Oris? Well maybe? But until then, let’s have fun some fun with Kermit!

Priced at CHF 4400, this watch will be available from April 2023!

Case: Multi-piece titanium case with satin and sandblasted finishes
Size: 39.00 mm (1.535 inches)
Dial: Green Luminous material Indices and hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back: Titanium with satin and sandblasted finishes, screwed, see-through sapphire glass
Operating devices: Titanium screw-in security crown with protection
Bracelet: Titanium with folding clasp with Oris-patented ‘LIFT’ system
Water resistance 10 bar (100 m)
Number: Oris Calibre 400
Functions: Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o’clock, date
corrector, fine-timing device and stop-second
Accuracy: -3/+5 seconds a day (within COSC tolerances)
Extra features: Highly anti-magnetic
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 120 hours
Warranty*: Extended to 10 years with MyOris sign-up. Applies to watch and movement.
10-year recommended service intervals. Five-year recommended water-resistance check