ROTD: ORIS PROPILOT X KERMIT EDITION · Watch Lover

Chris Turton

Nov 2 • New Releases & Reviews 📝

ROTD: ORIS PROPILOT X KERMIT EDITION

ORIS PROPILOT X KERMIT EDITION

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Reference: 01 400 7778 7157

Price: $3,315 (Pre-Owned w/ Box & Papers)

Condition: Pre-Owned

This is a LEGITIMATELY EXCELLENT Swiss watch (Caliber 400, full titanium, 39mm perfection) with a DIVISIVE NOVELTY FEATURE (Kermit's face on date wheel). At $3,315, you're paying $500+ premium for licensed Muppet IP that will either bring you daily joy or grow tiresome within 6 months. The technical execution is FLAWLESS. The gimmick is POLARIZING. Your tolerance for whimsy at $3,000+ determines if this is brilliant or cringe.

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RATING SUMMARY

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MOVEMENT: 8.5/10 █████████████████░░░

BUILD QUALITY: 8/10 ████████████████░░░░

DESIGN: 6/10 █████████████░░░░░░░

FEATURES: 7.5/10 ███████████████░░░░░

VERSATILITY: 5/10 ███████████░░░░░░░░░

VALUE: 6/10 █████████████░░░░░░░

BRAND: 7/10 ███████████████░░░░░

RESALE: 4/10 █████████░░░░░░░░░░░

FINAL SCORE: 6.6/10

VERDICT: EXCELLENT WATCHMAKING UNDERMINED BY $500 MUPPET GIMMICK

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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The technical execution is FLAWLESS. The gimmick is POLARIZING. Your tolerance for whimsy at $3,000+ determines if this is brilliant or cringe.

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MOVEMENT: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✓ Caliber 400 is EXCEPTIONAL in-house movement (Oris flagship)

✓ 120-HOUR POWER RESERVE (5 days fully wound—beats Rolex's 70hr)

✓ 10-YEAR SERVICE INTERVAL (vs standard 5-7 years—saves $400-600)

✓ Anti-magnetic to 2,250 Gauss (protects from phones, laptops, magnets)

✓ In-house Oris design (not ETA/Sellita—shows technical capability)

✓ Bi-directional automatic winding (efficient power generation)

✓ Running accuracy likely +6/-4 sec/day (Swiss standard, not COSC but solid)

✓ Visible through exhibition caseback (beautiful finishing, Geneva stripes)

✗ NO DATE QUICKSET (must cycle through 24 hours to change—BIZARRE omission)

✗ Not COSC certified (Oris doesn't submit for chronometer testing)

✗ 28,800 bph standard frequency (not hi-beat like GS 36,000)

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BUILD QUALITY: 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✓ FULL TITANIUM CONSTRUCTION (case + bracelet = lightweight luxury)

✓ 39mm diameter × 11.5mm thick (PERFECT modern sizing)

✓ Lug-to-lug ~47mm (wears beautifully on 6.5-7.5" wrists)

✓ Grade 5 titanium (40% lighter than steel, hypoallergenic)

✓ Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating (scratch-proof)

✓ Titanium bracelet (brushed finish hides scratches well)

✓ 100M water resistance (safe for swimming, daily wear)

✓ Swiss made with quality control (mid-tier Swiss standards)

✓ Solid construction (no rattles, tight tolerances)

~ Push/pull crown (not screw-down—fine for 100M but less robust)

~ Standard clasp (no micro-adjust mentioned—disappointing at this price)

~ Titanium scratches differently than steel (harder to polish out)

~ Pre-owned condition (inspect carefully for titanium scratches/dings)

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DESIGN: 6/10 ⭐⭐⭐

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✓ 39mm size is PERFECT (modern but not oversized)

✓ Green dial is on-trend (Rolex Hulk/Kermit, Seiko Alpinist influence)

✓ Titanium gray case is understated (not flashy)

✓ Clean pilot watch aesthetic (legible, functional)

✓ Applied indices add depth (not printed flat)

✓ Sword/dauphine hands with lume (good night visibility)

✓ Date at 6 o'clock (balanced dial layout)

✓ Exhibition caseback shows movement (appreciated by enthusiasts)

~ Green dial is POLARIZING (love it or find it juvenile)

~ KERMIT'S FACE ON DATE WHEEL (appears on 1st of month)

~ Kermit gimmick is either CHARMING or CRINGE (no middle ground)

~ Muppet collab undermines professional/formal versatility

~ Can't wear to serious business meetings (Kermit = childish signal)

~ Can't wear to job interviews (shows lack of seriousness)

~ Limits outfit pairing (green dial + Kermit = very casual)

~ Novelty wears off (Kermit smile is cute for 3-6 months, then meh)

✗ RESALE APPEAL NARROW (only Muppet fans + watch nerds will buy)

✗ Not timeless (gimmick dates the watch to 2024 collab era)

✗ Too whimsical for tool watch purists

✗ Too expensive for casual novelty buyers

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FEATURES: 7.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✓ 120-hour power reserve (wear Mon-Fri, still running Sunday)

✓ Date display at 6 o'clock (practical complication)

✓ Kermit date wheel (unique feature—like it or not, it's distinctive)

✓ Anti-magnetic 2,250 Gauss (protects from everyday electronics)

✓ Sapphire crystal (scratch-proof, anti-reflective coating)

✓ Luminous hands + indices (decent night visibility)

✓ 100M water resistance (swim-safe, daily shower OK)

✓ Exhibition caseback (view Caliber 400 movement)

✓ Titanium construction (lightweight, hypoallergenic)

✓ 10-year warranty on movement (extended service interval)

~ Date only (no day, no GMT, no chronograph—simple watch)

~ 100M WR is adequate but not dive watch (200M ISO would be better)

~ No screw-down crown (limits ruggedness)

~ No micro-adjust clasp (comfort compromise)

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VERSATILITY: 5/10 ⭐⭐⭐

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✓ 39mm size works for all wrist sizes (6"-8"+)

✓ Titanium lightweight = all-day comfort

✓ 100M WR = swim, shower, daily activity safe

✓ Pilot watch aesthetic = casual to smart-casual

✓ Green dial + titanium = pairs with earth tones, denim, casual wear

~ Green dial limits outfit pairing (clashes with some colors)

~ Kermit is CASUAL ONLY (can't dress up)

~ Too whimsical for conservative environments

✗ **CANNOT WEAR TO:**

- Job interviews (Kermit signals lack of seriousness)

- Formal events (tuxedo + Kermit = fashion disaster)

- Conservative corporate meetings (signals unprofessional)

- First dates (unless date also loves Muppets)

- Anywhere you need to project authority/gravitas

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VALUE: 6/10 ⭐⭐⭐

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**PRICE BREAKDOWN ($3,315 PRE-OWNED):**

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR:

• Caliber 400 movement: $1,200-1,500 (technical value)

• Titanium case + bracelet: $400-600 (material premium vs steel)

• Swiss made + Oris brand: $500-700 (mid-tier Swiss cachet)

• Sapphire crystal + finishing: $200-300 (quality components)

• Kermit licensing + novelty:$300-500 (Muppets IP + limited production)

• Included box + papers: $100-200 (completeness premium)

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TOTAL REAL VALUE: $2,700-3,300

**VERDICT:** At $3,315, you're paying SLIGHT premium for Kermit novelty, but

price is within reasonable range for Swiss titanium watch with Caliber 400.

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BRAND: 7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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**ORIS STRENGTHS:**

✓ Independent Swiss watchmaker (not corporate conglomerate)

✓ Mechanical-only focus (respects traditional watchmaking)

✓ Caliber 400 innovation (120hr reserve, 10yr service = industry-leading)

✓ Environmental focus (ocean conservation, sustainability partnerships)

✓ Reasonable pricing for Swiss (more accessible than Rolex/Omega)

✓ Tool watch heritage (dive, aviation, motorsport legitimacy)

✓ Creative collaborations (Kermit, Hölstein Edition, artist partnerships)

**ORIS WEAKNESSES:**

✗ Mid-tier prestige (general public doesn't recognize brand)

✗ Inconsistent value (some models overpriced, some fair)

✗ Resale value moderate (loses 30-40% like most mid-Swiss)

✗ Less history than Rolex/Omega/Longines (120 years vs 200+)

✗ Limited retailer network (harder to find than Tissot/Hamilton)

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RESALE VALUE: 4/10 ⭐⭐

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**HARSH REALITY: NOVELTY COLLABS DEPRECIATE HARD**

**DEPRECIATION FORECAST:**

CURRENT PRICE (PRE-OWNED): $3,315

**IN 2-3 YEARS:**

Best case: $2,200-2,500 (lose 25-33%) ████████████████░░░░░░░░

Realistic case: $1,800-2,200 (lose 35-45%) ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░

Worst case: $1,500-1,800 (lose 45-55%) ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░

**IN 5-10 YEARS:**

Stabilizes: $1,500-2,000 (lose 40-55%) ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░

**WHY KERMIT EDITION WILL TANK:**

✗ **NOVELTY WEARS OFF** - Muppet gimmick is cute now, tiresome later

✗ **LIMITED BUYER POOL** - Must love Muppets + watches + have $3,000

✗ **ORIS DOESN'T HOLD VALUE** - Mid-tier Swiss typically loses 30-40%

✗ **GREEN TREND MAY FADE** - Trendy colors depreciate when fashion changes

✗ **NOT INVESTMENT PIECE** - No historical significance (2024 collab)

✗ **COLLABORATION FATIGUE** - Market flooded with brand collabs (oversaturated)

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FINAL VERDICT

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**OVERALL RATING: 6.6/10** ⭐⭐⭐⭐

**WHAT THIS RATING MEANS:**

• 8.5/10 TECHNICAL EXECUTION (Caliber 400, titanium, build quality)

• 5.0/10 MARKET POSITIONING (overpriced novelty, poor resale)

• 6.0/10 DESIGN (polarizing Kermit gimmick limits versatility)

• 6.0/10 VALUE (fair price, but better alternatives exist)

**THE BRUTALLY HONEST SUMMARY:**

This is **EXCELLENT SWISS WATCHMAKING** (Caliber 400 is LEGIT) wrapped in **DIVISIVE MUPPET NOVELTY** (Kermit is love-it-or-hate-it). Buy this if Kermit brings you JOY that transcends rational value analysis. Skip this if you want BEST VALUE, VERSATILITY, or RESALE POTENTIAL At $3,315, this is **HEART PURCHASE**, not **HEAD PURCHASE**.

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