Oris Diver 65 Deauville Review: A Large Watch For Small Wrists 

As you move up the affordable ladder. From Casio’s, Seiko’s, Hamilton’s, microbrands, Mido and Rado, you’ll eventually find yourself looking at Oris. The benchmark brand before heading into further luxurious brands. At least that’s how I found myself juggling the Oris catalogue during my own watch journey. I didn’t think then I’d end up with the Oris Diver 65.

I remember getting into the watch hobby back in 2016, I had distinctively picked out a then “exit watch”. If I ever got my hands on one of these, I’m out of the hobby entirely – crazy I know. Anyways, back then, it was an Oris Aquis in 39.5mm. The idea was, after 3 to 4 years of collecting, I’d be in a good place – both headspace and financial – to purchase the Aquis and offload most of my other watches. 

The time came, I went into an AD to try one out, and I didn’t like it, not one bit. The integrated bracelet and case shape didn’t really sit well with me. It was a little too “modern” and overbuilt for my taste.

Later I discovered the Diver 65 range, and thought hey, that’s vintage aesthetics I’m looking for in a modern diver. 

Brief History on the Oris Diver 65 

Back in the 1960s, as an independently owned watch brand (and still is to this day), Oris created their very diver – the Oris Diver Sixty-Five. Back then, it came in a respectable vintage size at 36mm, the same 3,6,9,12 dial configuration, a mechanical hand-winding movement, and a riveted bracelet. Safe to say pretty much all of the OG Diver 65 was transferred to the newer reissue. If only the price did as well it was only 200 Euros back in the day. 

In 2015, Oris decided it was going to start the launch an entire collection based on a particular vintage diver from 1965, and called it the Diver Sixty-Five. Since then, Oris have filled the Diver 65 catalogue with various versions of the vintage diver. From bronze cases, to chronographs, different dial options, case sizes, you name it, they got it. 

The Oris Diver 65 here is what I believe to be the best version- 40mm case size, Sixty-Five dial, in full stainless steel. 

Case & Bezel

Let’s get the usual out of the way. Nothing special about the case finishing, brushed top and polished sides, which can be a fingerprint magnet at times. A screw-down case back that is also polished, your standard text and an etched heritage logo.  

The best part about the case, is how thin it wears on the wrist, and it’s surprisingly comfortable. I was expecting the combination of the thinness and the almost 48mm lug-to-lug to wear like a handle-less frying pan, but I am genuinely surprised the Diver 65 doesn’t do that for me. It’s definitely because of how well the bracelet is done, but we’ll get to that later. In saying so, however, the lugs will overhang if your wrists are less than 6.25 inch. Unlike other experiences, you won’t find it uncomfortable.

If you’re thinking about the Diver 65 in 36mm, I’d personally give it a pass and would prefer the larger brother. I’ve handled a 36mm at the AD and it was underwhelming, and even for me, too small. The dial was way too squished. 

The Diver 65 features a PVD coated black bezel with a lume pip at the 12. Minute track with alternating block-markers and numerical-markers. Bezel action is very solid with minimal back-play, but the thin bezel makes it difficult to grip. 

The protruding crown with no crown guards is a great nod to the OG, and really adds to the vintage aesthetics. However, the crown does wobble slightly when unscrewed, but I wouldn’t call it flimsy, it’s actually barely noticeable. 

Dial & Hands

Without a doubt my favorite component of the Diver 65, the dial, especially the Deauville with its faded blue and grey color scheme. I am a big fan of dial configurations with Arabic numerals indices at the 3, 6, 9, and 12. The ones on the Diver 65 are painted with C3 Old Radium lume and glows well in the dark – as well as you’d expect a vintage-reissue to perform. 

The inner dial is painted grey with individual minute markers on the edge. I feel that this particular dial variant of the Diver 65 could do without the date window at the 6 o’clock – just makes it that much cleaner. At the very least, they could’ve used a different color for the background, the black does a decent job hiding behind the dial colors but you do notice it.

The hands are an almost-replication of the ones from 1965, with a couple of differences. The hour hand is sectioned, and the seconds hand is now a lollipop. 

I’m typically against watches that are all-dial as it makes it wear much larger than the stated case diameter, but I’m not complaining on the Diver 65. The larger dial simply makes this watch for me. It needs to space to showcase the vintage design and was mainly the reason why the 36mm didn’t appeal to me even though it wore more comfortably. 

Bracelet

The bracelet on the Diver 65 is sublime. The links themselves are thin but substantial and the taper from 20mm to 14mm is a perfect fit for my 6 inch wrists. The action on the pushers on the milled clasp feels luxurious and has a satisfying click. Seriously, the best bracelet out there in the affordable luxury category. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a complaint for the bracelet on the Diver 65. 

Comfort & Wearability

Don’t get me wrong, a 40mm diver that’s basically all-dial is equivalent to a 42mm case diameter, and I’ve had my fair share of large watches. Nowadays I’m all about smaller watches. 

The Diver 65 however, is a different story. It managers to look and wear big, but fits nicely. It’s a weird combination of the design, thinness of the case, the drastic taper from the bracelet and the double-domed sapphire crystal, it all comes together to make this supposedly larger watch to feel like a 39mm case. 

I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s SIXIW-certified, but anyone with 6.25 inch wrists and above can rock this comfortably. 

Final Thoughts

I won’t hide from the fact that I’m long past the days where I’d imagine an exit watch taking me out of the hobby, I’m in way too deep at this point. But the old me would’ve been fine settling on this Diver 65 Deauville as the last chapter in my watch journey. 

By no means is it affordable, but as for affordable luxuries, the Oris Diver 65 is one of the best Swiss-made watches out there for under $2000. This particular variant has the perfect combination of traditional skin-diver aesthetics, subtle pop of color, a well-machined and fitting bracelet, Swiss reliability, brand, and watch history. 

This blows the recently reviewed Certina DS Action Diver out of the water, and I deemed that to be the best affordable diver. The price is higher on the Oris Diver 65, but it’s worth every penny, you can genuinely feel a step up in almost every aspect of the piece. 

And for those that are looking for a more affordable alternative to the Tudor BB58? Take your pick out of the Diver 65 line up. 

To Close

Aesthetics? Combination of vintage aesthetics and modern engineering. 

Comfort? Wears nicely but will appear large. 

Price? Starting at $2200USD, a great entry point into the affordable luxury market. 

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