Oris Celebrates the Life and Career of a Baseball Legend with the Hank Aaron Limited Edition

Back in the fall of 2020, Oris had a breakout hit with their Pointer Date Roberto Clemente Limited Edition. It was a watch that hit all of the right notes: a much loved complication that is deeply tied to the brand’s identity, an appealing but uncommon colorway, and, most importantly, it helped to tell the story of the late Roberto Clemente, who is as well known as a humanitarian as a he is a baseball player. Now, Oris is back with another baseball themed watch, this one honoring the legacy of Hank Aaron, the Hall of Famer who held MLB’s home run record for decades after his retirement, and still holds records for most career RBIs and total bases. This project, however, is really more about Hank Aaron’s humanitarian legacy, and as a collaboration with the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, it seeks to honor the important work that took place after his baseball career ended. 

The Chasing the Dream Foundation was founded in 1994 as a non-profit whose mission is to award scholarship funds to young people with limited opportunities. According to Oris and the Foundation, they have provided assistance for over 800 kids to further their education, with many pursuing careers in education, the sciences, and the arts. Earlier this week, the Atlanta Braves began a celebration of Aaron’s life and legacy, with the release of the new Hank Aaron Limited Edition version of the Big Crown Pointer Date playing a central role. 

The watch takes a familiar format and adds color and detail that are specific to Aaron’s life and career. Most notably, the colorway of white, red, and blue is lifted from the Atlanta Braves uniform that Aaron wore for most of his career. The stitching on the blue leather strap is meant to evoke the stitching on a baseball glove, and you’ll find an engraving of Aaron on the caseback. The subtlety of the design of this limited edition is by design, according to Oris. More on-the-nose design cues like a baseball bat hour hand or Aaron’s name or jersey number scrawled across the dial wouldn’t be in keeping with his humble nature and approach. Instead, the design is tasteful, and like the Roberto Clemente limited edition, it can be enjoyed simply as a great looking watch by enthusiasts who aren’t necessarily baseball fans, but that story is there for them when the time comes. 

The story, if you step back and look at it, is actually fairly incredible. Hank Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1934, and began his career in the Negro Leauges in 1951. In 1954, he was signed by the Milwaukee (later Atlanta) Braves, and was with the organization until 1974, the year he broke Babe Ruth’s homerun record. That period of time was somewhat fraught for Aaron – he received death threats and was the target of racist vitriol as he closed in on Ruth. When the Braves played away games during the 1974 season, Aaron stayed in a hotel separate from his teammates under an alias, for his safety and the safety of other players. His perseverance over a long career, philanthropy post-baseball, and what everyone who knew him seems to agree was a kind and humble nature, are universally admired, particularly in Atlanta, where he’s still revered and being celebrated this week.

Specs on the Hank Aaron Limited Edition align with other recent Big Crown Pointer Date variants that Oris has released. The case diameter comes in at 40mm, and has the vintage inspired coin edge bezel that is a hallmark of this collection. It runs on an Oris 754 movement, a modified Sellita caliber with 38 hours of power reserve. The watch is limited to 2,297 pieces (a number matching his record RBI total) and ships in a specially designed presentation box. The retail price is $2,500. Oris