Before delving into any offering from Oris, particularly one from the Divers Sixty-Five family, I feel I have to recuse myself as unqualified to provide an unbiased opinion. I am an unapologetic fan. If you are a long-time reader of the website, you know this. You also know that skin divers, in general, evoke sublimanal responses from some place deep inside my brainstem. And Oris makes some of the best skin diver on the market. Think the 12-Hour Calibre 400 or the Limited Edition for Hodinkee. So keep all this in mind as I blather on about the lovely Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy in Steel.
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In many ways, the watch contains all the retro hallmarks of the Divers Sixty-Five, reaching back to the eponymous original. In fact, it’s a pretty faithful recreation of the Cotton Candy series in Bronze that the brand issued in 2021. It has a similar bezel insert in embossed stainless steel and is a restrained 38mm in diameter. And like most watches in the Divers Sixty-Five Collection it cuts a well-balanced figure with a robust, unguarded crown; however, this latest iteration is proportionately different–most notably in its svelte lug to lug of just under 46mm.
In fact, the Divers Sixty-Five, in general–and the Cotton Candy, specifically–in my opinion, is one of the most comfortable, ergonomic case shapes on the market. The way the Cotton Candy melts into your wrist belies its case thickness of 12.8mm. And while the lug width is a cantankerous 19mm, I have to admit that the slimming effect of this taper–which continues down to 14mm at the bracelet clasp–is next-level athletic refinement.
The case is uniformly brushed along the top and smoothly polished to a mirror shine on the sides, the bezel flange, and case back. The latter is, if course, screw down and bears an engraving of the Oris shield. The Cotton Candy is rated to 100m of water resistance.
The three-link rivet bracelet is a perfect pairing and suits the watch to a tee. But for those after even more colour, a perlon strap option is also available. Perlon has never resonated with me, but I understand the choice here and certainly the colour-matching is bang on. For me, this would live on the rivet bracelet, which is surprisingly fine without feeling fragile.
Of course, the raison d’être of the Cotton Candy series is its dial. These rich pastels are absolutely luscious next to the stainless steel and elicit a very different response than they do in the earlier bronze iterations. I love the polished pencil-style hands and simple dive marker layout, found in numerous other models in the collection, which allow the colour to do all the talking. And it does a great job through the delectable sapphire dome. The solid application of BGW9 Super-LumiNova looks particularly good next to the pink dial.
As they did with the bronze series, Oris have chosen to use their Calibre 733–a Sellita SW200-1 base–foregoing the in-house Calibre 400. This means big savings for the consumer, and while the 400 is a proven contender, I think the 733 is the right choice here. The Cotton Candy, being a bit of a novelty watch, works better at the lower price point.
SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 38mm Diameter 45.7mm Lug to Lug 12.8mm Thick 19mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Case Back 120-Click Unidirectional Bezel 100m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Domed Sapphire Crystal /w AR Glossy Dial Applied Markers Pencil Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Oris 733 (SW 200-1) 26 Jewels 28 800bph 38-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Stainless Steel 3-Link Bracelet /w Folding Clasp |
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy
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Of Interest
While some will lament the continued reliance on 100m of water resistance with the word ‘Divers’ right in the model name, I applaud Oris for sitting to their guns. I have to reiterate an argument I feel that I have on loop: 100m is all you need in a sports watch unless you are a technical diver, and then you’ll want a dive computer. The purpose of the Divers Sixty-Five has never been to serve the professional diving community. It’s a vibe. It celebrates a sporty lifestyle in style. Besides, at 100m of water resistance, I’d take this watch reef diving in a heartbeat.
Quibbles
This watch would be perfect if it had a ratcheting, micro-adjusting clasp. Frankly, it’s pretty close to perfect now.
Final Thoughts
Oris has priced the Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy in an accessible, entry-level enthusiast bracket. Call it fun. Call it a summer watch. Call it yours. The watch is a dream on the wrist. The finishing is crisp. The clean steel lines and pastel palette are so good you’ll want to lick it. But maybe that’s just me. You were warned from the outset.
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy in Steel retails for $22350USD on perlon and $2550USD on the bracelet. For more information, please visit the brand website.
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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