In the world of fine time pieces, Oris watches are well known and admired. They have a long and proud history, dating back over one hundred years to two gentlemen and a factory in Holstein, Switzerland and extending forward to the twenty-first century, when Oris watches are worn by some of the world's biggest celebrities. Although they have never attempted to be trendy, they are always fashionable; and though they do not leap on every new technology (they still maintain an all mechanical line) they are known for innovation.

The story of Oris begins with the founder of the company, Georges Christian. He was born in 1875, in the small town of Le Locle, Switzerland, a center of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Here, he would have been exposed at a young age to the craft and business of watchmaking as many important watchmakers had been located in the town for decades. As an adult, Christian chose to establish his company in the town of Holstein. Christian found a business partner in Paul Cattin, another native of Le Locle, and between them they hired twenty-four workers and took over the recently closed Lohner & Co. watch firm. The Oris Watches Company (named after the nearby Oris brook and valley) was established in 1904 and began producing simple, affordable, high-quality time pieces.

By 1911, Oris was the biggest employer in the area around Holstein, employing over 300 workers and even going so far as to build homes for them near the factory. In 1917, Paul Cattin chose to leave the company and Christian became the sole owner of a company that had grown to include not only the Holstein factory, but four other sites around Switzerland. The company continued to grow under Christian's watchful eye, opening its own electroplating factory in 1925, introducing wristwatches to its existing line of pocket watches, and finding buyers for its products all over the world. When Christian passed away in 1928, his brother-in-law, Oscar Herzog, took over the running of the company, brought it public, and continued to oversee its continued growth for over forty years.

As the years passed, Oris watches faced some hard times as economies suffered and management lacked a vision for the Oris market. However a turnaround came with the discovery of a large market in Japan for high quality mechanical watches. Oris continues to produce high quality watches at competitive prices. Their watches included features such as high quality gold plating, high water resistance, extremely accurate and durable clockworks, and informational features such as day, month, year, and moon phase.

In what was to be a momentous decision for the company, Oris watches sponsored The Oris London Jazz Festival in 1996. The collaboration was a great success and Oris continued a sort of spiritual connection to jazz. Subsequent to the Oris London Jazz Festival, Oris released commemorative limited-edition watches each year celebrating different jazz greats, such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker.

In the twenty-first century, Oris celebrated its one hundredth anniversary. In the current century, Oris watches have partnered with sports figures from Formula 1 racing, free diving, and aviation. Oris watches are seen in films and on the wrists of Hollywood celebrities. Oris has continued its tradition of excellence in design and looks set to set standards for quality for decades to come.