ORIS / Artelier Complication

Key Highlights

• Launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026
• New Oris Calibre 782 automatic — moon phase at 12 o’clock, second time zone at 6 o’clock
• 39.50 mm multi-piece stainless steel case, 11.80 mm thick, domed sapphire crystal
• Three dial options: ivory, midnight blue, and chestnut
• Designed by 24-year-old Product Design Engineer Lena Huwiler; available from May 2026

Oris Artelier Complication midnight blue dial with moon phase at 12 o’clock and second time zone at 6 o’clock” />

A Redesign Rooted in Restraint

The Oris Artelier Complication returns as the flagship of a reworked Artelier collection, and its most striking quality is knowing what to leave out. Where previous iterations carried four sub-counters across the dial, the new reference retains only two: the moon phase at 12 o’clock and a second 24-hour time zone at 6 o’clock. The result is a dial that breathes, with enough negative space for each complication to register immediately rather than compete for attention.

Powering the watch is the new Oris Calibre 782, developed from the Calibre 781 base architecture by removing the gearing that served the additional indications of its predecessor. The movement winds automatically and delivers a 41-hour power reserve. Adjustments are managed through the crown and a single pusher positioned between four and five o’clock on the case flank — a clean, considered solution that keeps the case profile uncluttered.

Dial, Case, and the Moon Phase Resolved

Each of the three dials — ivory, midnight blue, and chestnut — is structured across three zones: a textured centre field, a smooth and gently curved outer rim, and the twin sub-counters. On the chestnut variant, the counters are rendered in a deeper tone to sharpen legibility against the warmer ground colour. The moon phase aperture itself presented a longstanding design challenge: the curved cutoff required to show a waxing and waning moon tends to read as an intrusion on an otherwise rational dial. Here, the starry background of the sub-counter is matched in colour to the aperture cover, quietly absorbing its baroque form into the overall composition.

The case is a 39.50 mm multi-piece stainless steel construction, 11.80 mm thick with a lug-to-lug span of 45.50 mm. A domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inside covers the dial; the case back is stainless steel, screwed, and fitted with a see-through mineral glass. Hands are filled with Super-LumiNova, and the hour markers are tapered and stepped. A new sans-serif typeface is used for “Artelier” and “Swiss Made” — a small but deliberate signal that this is not merely a refresh but a considered reimagining. The watch is water-resistant to 3 bar.

The Designer: Lena Huwiler

The Artelier Complication is the work of Lena Huwiler, Oris’s Product Design Engineer, who joined the company in 2024 following a degree in industrial design at Basel. She is 24 years old. The decision to reduce four sub-counters to two was, by her own account, the most radical early choice in the project — one that gave the moon phase the prominence it deserved while freeing room for finer detail in the indices. The Artelier Calibre 113 provided a long-standing reference point for the collection, and Huwiler’s brief was to translate its character into a contemporary urban idiom without abandoning the spirit of the original.

Her colour rationale is equally precise. Ivory reads as calm and assured; midnight blue as strident and sophisticated; chestnut as versatile and convincing. The palette is warm without being nostalgic, confident without being loud — suited to a generation of wearers who prefer substance over signalling. For the official collection overview, visit the Oris website.

Straps, Pricing, and Availability

The Artelier Complication is offered either on a dark brown leather strap with a butterfly clasp or on a multi-piece stainless steel bracelet, also with a butterfly clasp. Swiss retail pricing is CHF 2,300 on the strap and CHF 2,500 on the bracelet. The watch is available from May 2026. Those who have followed the Oris Star series and similar mid-tier Swiss complications will find the Artelier Complication occupies a distinct space: an urban dress watch with genuine horological intent at an accessible price point.

Why It Matters

The Artelier Complication makes a case that Swiss mechanical watchmaking at its most poetic need not be the preserve of grand maisons or five-figure price tags. A moon phase, a dual time zone, an automatic movement, and a dial designed with uncommon rigour — all within a 39.50 mm case sized to suit a broad range of wrists. For collectors in the GCC who value considered design over conspicuous complication, this is an Oris worth serious attention.

Stay ahead of the latest releases. Subscribe to our newsletter for editor-curated coverage of luxury timepieces across the GCC.