Why the Oris Divers Date Watch Is the Best Gift for Fly Anglers

Not all watches are created equal. You can find them online for nineteen dollars or ninety thousand, more if you really go looking. And if all you want is accurate time, you don’t need a watch at all—your phone handles that just fine. But for some of us, a watch is much more than a time-keeper.

Watches Are a Keeper of Memories

I have a watch that is so full of memories and meaning that when someone offered me a lot of money for it—and I mean A LOT of money, I turned it down without hesitation. Ok, maybe a little hesitation, but I turned it down. I’m not wealthy. I could’ve used the money.

But the watch has a history with me. It’s tied to different chapters of my life. Its classic look has improved each year with age. And most importantly, it carries a life lesson from the person who gave it to me, someone who has since passed.

A Watch as Functional Art

At its most basic, a watch is a tool. Add a little design and style and it becomes a piece of jewelry. For many, it’s also a statement—no different than the clothes you wear or the vehicle you drive. A watch can be many things to many people.

A fly angler releasing a salmon, an Oris dive watch on his wrist, and a fly rod with a Loop fly reel in his hand. — The Oris Divers Date is a beautiful, hard-working watch built to take a beating in some of the most rugged, remote, and unforgettable places a fly angler will ever fish. | Photo by Luke Valentino

Investing in Quality and Craftsmanship

But one truth holds: if watches matter to you, you never have to justify owning a good one. Some people spend a couple hundred dollars on a bottle of bourbon that’s gone by the weekend. I’d rather have a watch that gains meaning every year I wear it and stays with me for life.

A Well Chosen Watch Makes the Best Christmas Gift

That’s why a quality watch makes such a powerful Christmas gift. And one built for the elements and adventure makes an especially meaningful gift for people who love the outdoors.

An Oris Divers Date watch on a Seigler fly reel submerged in a few inches of seawater on a beach. — The Oris Divers Date is a dressy tool watch that can handle abusive environments and look good doing it. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

A Perfect Watch for the Fly Angler

I consider a watch part of my fly-fishing system. It’s going to get submerged in fresh and salt water, banged around, and exposed to heat, cold, rain, and sun. Like all my fly gear, I don’t want to have to baby it when I'm in tough environs, and I expect it to perform at a high level.

My watch is the Oris Divers Date. I originally considered it my 'fly-fishing' watch, but after wearing it through Alaska, Africa, Puerto Rico, and Montana, it’s become part of my Every-Day-Carry (EDC). It balances being a true tool watch—something built for rugged, practical use—with the look of a classic retro diver that dresses up nicely.

An Oris Divers Date watch sitting in a mud print of an Alaska Coastal Brown Bear. — The Oris Divers Date meets Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear | Photo by Ken Baldwin

Specs for the Watch Nerds

The case is 39mm. The Oris Divers Date uses a sapphire crystal on the front—curved inside and out with an anti-reflective coating—making it extremely scratch-resistant and easy to read in bright sun or low light. On the back, it has a stainless-steel screw-down caseback with a small mineral-glass window to view the movement.

The Heart of the Watch

Inside is the Caliber 733-1, a Swiss automatic movement that winds itself as you move. It’s what gives the watch its soul. There’s something about an automatic—how it depends on you being alive and active to keep it alive and ticking. There are no batteries, and as long as you’re moving, it never needs winding.

The Oris Divers 65 on the wrist of a man with the ocean in the background. — Oris has a retro diver's watch, the 60th Anniversary Edition, with the same DNA as the Oris Divers Date. Choosing either as a Christmas gift is a win. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

A Swiss Watch Worth Giving This Christmas

The fly angler who loves watches, the outdoorsman who appreciates quality gear, the traveler looking for an everyday watch that fits any environment—each of them would appreciate what this watch brings to the table. The Oris Divers Date is an exceptional Swiss watch and a Christmas gift that will carry meaning for the rest of the wearer’s life. KB – Connect with me on my Fly Fishing On SI's Facebook page.

"Slow down...listen to the hoppers...be patient with yer wife...eat sardines with hot sauce... catch “Gagger” trout!!!" – Flip Pallot

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The gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for the purpose of evaluation. The views and assessments presented are my own.