Independence to Innovate Keeps This Swiss Watchmaker at the Forefront

Founded in 1904, in the Swiss town of Hölstein, Oris is still independently making watches from the same headquarters to this day. In a world full of conglomerates, Oris stakes its success in being a small entity. From the price point to its ability to act creatively, the watchmaker has been pushing out quality products for more than 110 years.

And for Oris’ Co-CEO Rolf Studer, independence is everything. “It’s not just being financially independent; it also means you can think independently and come up with your own solutions to problems,” he says.

When Studer first came to Oris 12 years ago, he was astounded by how lean the team was — a mere 70 people work in the Hölstein HQ. But today, Studer touts the merits of working with so few people — everyone has to be nimble, creative and tuned in to the success of the business. “It means people do a lot of things,” he says. “Wearing many hats is also broadening your horizons.” With staff involved in many different aspects of the making of mechanical watches, it lends a sense of comradery. “We do have a family feel,” Studer adds.

And wearing a lot of hats also opens up the possibilities in terms of creativity. Its independence and small size is the key that’s behind the development of Oris’ most notable product developments. “When it comes to products, it means we also think a little bit out of the box. It means that we are not only looking for solutions within the movements but also in the watch as a whole.”

That sentiment is reflected in the Oris credo that its mechanical watches always stick to: “Things must make sense.”