Hölstein Edition 2026

HÖLSTEIN EDITION 2026

Oris releases the Hölstein Edition 2026, a special watch for the global Oris community. This year’s is based on the new Artelier and limited to 250 pieces

A STORY THAT BEGAN IN 1904

Every 1 June, we tell Oris’s story of independent watchmaking with a very special watch. Named afler our home, we call it the Hölstein Edition

You can travel the world, but no matter where you go, there’s no place like home. For us at Oris, home is Hölstein, a beautiful Swiss village set into the forested mountain foothills that form the Waldenburg Valley, some 35 km from the industrial city of Basel.

It was here that two visionary watchmakers chose to establish their company on 1 June 1904, 122 years ago. Theirs was a grand ambition. They had travelled from Le Locle in watchmaking’s French-speaking heartland, and here, where the locals spoke only Swiss-German, they found the perfect conditions to produce high-quality Swiss Made watches for the world citizens of the day. Even the connections were good: opposite the factory there was a train station that connected the village to Swiss towns and cities beyond, and further afield to countries where the name of Oris would become synonymous with beautiful mechanical watches.

Through the decades, this charming village, its wonderful people and their indomitable spirit have sustained Oris and made it the company it is today. Hölstein has provided a constant backdrop to countless watch designs and more than 280 innovative mechanical calibres, including our Calibre 100 and Calibre 400 Series. It’s now a symbol of our independence and the joyful, life-giving mechanical watches we continue to create.

Every year, we mark our founding date with a very special watch. The Hölstein Editions come along just once, and we only make 250 of each. They’re a “thank you” to the Oris community and an expression of our love for Hölstein, our home. This year’s, a one-time take on the new Artelier, continues the story.

HÖLSTEIN HAS MADE ORIS THE COMPANY IT IS TODAY

A PERFECT TIME TO REFLECT

The Hölstein Edition 2026 is based on the new Artelier and features a mirrored small seconds and an iridescent Oris Bear on the case back 

The Hölstein Edition 2026 is based on the Artelier redesign introduced at this year’s Watches and Wonders. As with previous 1 June editions, it has a number of hidden details that tell Oris’s 122-year story as the inventor and creator of handsome, purposeful Swiss Made mechanical watches designed to bring joy.

The base watch is a time-only version of the new Artelier with a small seconds. Its stainless steel case is 39.50 mm in diameter and 11.10 mm thick, and it’s set on a grey suede leather strap with a butterfly clasp. As per the redesign, it has straight-sided hour and minute hands and its applied hour markers are inspired by a style used by Oris in the 1960s. Its overall form creates the same taut, urban profile common to the new collection.

From there, it’s all about the special details. The dial is a soft grey, which at first glance disguises the presence of a mirrored backdrop to the small seconds display and its high-contrast red hand.

Flip the watch over, and the story of reflection continues on the case back. Here, we’ve used a laser treatment developed by our innovation partner Inspire (which has links to the prestigious ETH Zurich Swiss university) to engrave the Oris Bear, as well as the words “Hölstein Edition 2026” and the two concentric rings that frame them. The unique treatment gives the surface an iridescent mirror effect that shimmers in all the colours of the rainbow as it catches the light.

The Hölstein Edition 2026 also becomes the first of the new-generation Artelier to be powered by an Oris Calibre 400 Series movement. Calibre 401 is an anti-magnetic automatic with a five-day power reserve and better-than-chronometer levels of accuracy.

The Hölstein Edition 2026 is a joyful reflection on 122 years of independent watchmaking and the loyalty of the Oris community.

THE ORIS BEAR SHIMMERS IN RAINBOW COLOURS

IT’S FOR THE ORIS FAMILY

The Hölstein Edition 2026 is a “thank you” to Oris fans, says Oris CEO Rolf Studer, and a reminder that life is there to be celebrated

Rolf, always good to catch up. How are you and how’s the year started? I’m very well, thank you, and feeling energised afler Watches and Wonders where our new pieces were so well received. The fair is a huge moment and it’s a joy for the whole team when years of work get such a positive reception from people who know and love Swiss watches and really appreciate what we do at Oris. We also love coming together as a community of makers, to bond, share ideas and support each other. Swiss watchmaking is healthiest when we come together!

Since 2020, you’ve introduced a new Hölstein Edition every 1 June, the company’s founding date. What’s the thinking behind these pieces? First and foremost, it’s something we do for our community. I travel the world meeting people who love Oris and they’re a source of constant inspiration. They always bring a smile to my face: we create the Hölstein Editions to put a smile on theirs. And if I’m honest, it’s for us, too. It’s a platform for quirky ideas we’ve had that don’t necessarily make sense in a core collection piece, but create such joy when executed as a short-run special edition. It’s a birthday present for the Oris family and also for us.

This is the seventh Hölstein Edition Do you see people collecting them? Absolutely. I meet people at Oris Social Club events who have the set and it’s clearly such a source of joy and pride for them. There are few moments in life when I’m not on skis that I enjoy more than these.

You’ve said before that the Hölstein Editions are an expression of Oris’s independence. What do you mean by that and does it still stand?

Yes, it does. It’s funny, I think a lot of people see our independence as meaning we’re not in a group, and of course, it does at a purely structural level. But honestly, it’s much more than that. It’s an attitude, a posture, a way of thinking. And it’s also a responsibility, both to the company and a story that began in 1904, and to our customers, who value it so highly. Because of it, we can go the extra mile, do what we believe in and be true to ourselves without having to bend to external forces that have other interests. It’s the fuel that fires us up every day and it means we’re only ever working in service of our clients.

How valuable is being independent in today’s unpredictable world?

You could say the world has always been unpredictable and that as an independent Oris has always been able to navigate storms by staying true to itself. When the outlook is unpredictable, you have to do more to reach your targets and if you have a North Star and know why you do things, it’s so much easier. Not that plotting a course through the middle of the storm is simple, of course, but people notice who sticks to their principles when the market shifls and who doesn’t. Our mantra is to offer as much to our customers as possible, and no matter what, our promise is that with Oris they’ll get an honest watch and an honest message: this is the best watch we can do.

This year’s Hölstein Edition, then. What’s the story behind it?

At Watches and Wonders, our key launch was the revival of the Artelier collection, historically one of our most loved lines. The new model has a fresh, urban feel that’s already bringing in a new generation of people looking for a classic, versatile, Swiss Made mechanical watch at a reasonable price. The Hölstein Edition 2026 is based on the time-only version of this redesigned watch, but with a few unique, some might say challenging characteristics! The idea is always to have a watch that becomes a talking piece, a watch with a story to tell and some special perks Oris fans will appreciate and enjoy discovering and discussing. These aren’t always immediately visible, so you have to go deeper with the watch and find the things you won’t see at first glance.

Like the Oris Bear?

Exactly. Your partner in crime. He’s on the case back this time, so you have to go looking for him, and when you find him he’s as warm and approachable as ever, only now he’s also reflective and colourful, thanks to a special laser treatment. Like the mirrored small seconds on the dial-side of the watch, this encourages a moment of self-reflection, or it might just give you a glimpse of yourself enjoying the moment. The value in all of this is deliberately and entirely emotional and that’s a wonderful thing.

The Artelier redesign was overseen by Lena Huwiler, who is just 24. What did she bring to both projects? Lena is amazing and has brought such life and vitality to the Artelier. It’s still a classic, but it has a youthfulness to it suddenly. We gave her a lot of creative freedom and she delivered a fantastic watch that’s going to be at the heart of the Oris collection for years. The idea for the Hölstein Edition 2026 came from her, too, and the result shows the confidence we have in her is well placed. Of course, I can’t say more now, but we’re excited to show you what she’s working on next.

How will you mark 1 June this year? I’ll be in New York City with Oris friends, probably drinking a beer and celebrating life. At Oris, our goal is to put a smile on people’s faces. If we’re able to remind them that life can be cheerful, warm and uplifling, even though it doesn’t feel like it all the time, we’ve done our job.