One of the most love-it-or-hate-it watch launches of 2023 was unquestionably the Oris ProPilot X Kermit. A Muppet collaboration for the ages that saw Oris adorn the dial of their technical pilot’s watch with the most vibrant green dial you’ve seen outside a full lume display in the dark. Having grown up on various Muppet media, I personally like the collaboration. So when the Kermit launched, I was asking, where’s the Miss Piggy in pink, or the Gonzo in blue? Hell, I’d even take a Fozzie Bear in brown. Well, now Oris have answered one of those questions with the launch of the Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy.
As you’d expect from the Femme Fatale, this new pilot’s watch is decidedly a women’s watch. It measures 34mm in diameter in stainless steel with the ProPilot X’s signature fluted bezel and angular, facetted design. I was actually fortunate enough to briefly get hands-on with this piece (unfortunately too brief to snap any pictures) and it feels surprisingly dainty in the hand.
Despite its bold, industrial aesthetic, the combination of the pink dial, small size and the diamond index at 12 o’clock really sell the idea of femininity. That duality actually captures the character of Miss Piggy very well. Dressed to the nines with fire make-up but willing to knock you out with a karate chop at a moment’s notice.
Like the Kermit that came before, a small emoji-style picture of the character can be found hidden on the watch. For the Kermit that was on the date disk, meaning you’d see him once a month. For Miss Piggy she’s pictured on the automatic movement’s rotor with a small aperture in the caseback allowing you to glimpse her as she spins past. To my mind it’s an improvement over the Kermit as you can see her on demand rather than waiting 30 days, which is a large part of the interest in a Muppet collab.
Oris don’t produce all that many overtly feminine watches so it’s kind of refreshing to see them tackle the colour pink outside the Cotton Candy line. Plus, this is a really stand out pink dial with its intense colour and matching but slightly differently toned hour markers. Also, Oris have learned from the Kermit and the dial isn’t eyewatering-ly bright. If it were a touch bigger, it would be perfectly unisex (maybe swap out the diamond index too).
The movement inside the ProPilot X Miss Piggy is the Oris 531 calibre with 42-hour power reserve. It’s a pretty significant downgrade from the Calibre 400 in the Kermit, but that’s somewhat inevitable given the dramatic size difference between the two. Given the size limitations, it’s fine. Plus, the reduced specs are appropriately represented in the price as the Miss Piggy is £2,500 compared to Kermit at £3,800.
This collaborative series is a little confusing. I don’t really understand why these watches exist. All I can say is I’m glad they do out of curiosity and interest to see how they interpret each of these characters. If you’re not a muppet fan and don’t like it, fair play.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Oris
ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition
Case:
34mm
diameter, stainless steel
Dial:
Pink
with lab-grown baguette diamond at 12 o’clock
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
Oris
calibre 531, automatic
Frequency:
28,800
vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve:
42h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet
Price:
£2,500
More details at Oris.
Oracle Time