Oris has chosen its birthday watch for 2026, and it’s a quieter, sharper kind of anniversary piece.
The Hölstein Edition 2026 takes the newly redesigned Artelier into limited-edition territory, pairing a compact polished steel case with the brand’s in-house-developed Calibre 401.
It’s restrained from the front, playful from the back, and limited enough to make this one of the more focused Oris releases of the year.
At a glance
- Oris is releasing the Hölstein Edition 2026 Artelier to mark its 122nd birthday.
- The watch uses a 39.5mm polished steel case, grey dial, small seconds display and automatic Calibre 401 with a 120-hour power reserve.
- Production is limited to 250 pieces, priced at CHF 3,800.
A birthday edition for the refreshed Artelier
The Hölstein Editions have become Oris’ annual June 1 ritual, linking each limited release to the brand’s home village in Switzerland.
For 2026, the choice of the Artelier is especially deliberate, because the collection has recently been reworked into a more contemporary and versatile dress-watch family.
The redesign has been led by Lena Huwiler, a 24-year-old product design engineer, giving the line a younger design perspective without pulling it away from Oris’ pragmatic character.
That balance matters here, because the Hölstein Edition 2026 doesn’t lean on loud colours or oversized proportions to make its point.
The grey dial keeps the theatre under control
The watch comes in a 39.5mm stainless steel case with polished surfaces, an 11.1mm thickness and a 45.5mm lug-to-lug measurement.
Those proportions place it firmly in modern dress-watch territory, but not so delicate that it feels overly formal.
The light grey dial is deliberately minimal, with the small seconds display at 6 o’clock providing the main visual focus.
Its mirror-polished finish catches the eye, while the bright red seconds hand gives the dial a precise flash of colour.
The applied wedge-shaped markers are one of the more interesting details, taking inspiration from Oris indices of the 1960s while feeling clean enough for the current Artelier design language.
The blunt-ended hour and minute hands echo the geometry of the markers and include slim Super-LumiNova inserts, a practical touch on an otherwise pared-back dial.
Calibre 401 and the bear on the back
Inside is Oris Calibre 401, a proprietary automatic movement derived from the Calibre 400 architecture introduced in 2020.
It uses twin barrels for a 5-day, or 120-hour, power reserve and includes antimagnetic components.
The movement configuration gives the watch hours, minutes and hacking small seconds, with stated accuracy of -3/+5 seconds per day.
Rather than displaying the calibre, Oris uses the caseback for a more characterful anniversary treatment.
The Oris Bear mascot appears alongside concentric rings and the words “Hölstein Edition 2026,” all laser-engraved to create an iridescent mirror effect that shifts through rainbow tones as it catches the light.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Oris |
|---|---|
| Model | Hölstein Edition 2026 Artelier Small Seconds |
| Reference | 401 7812 4081 |
| Case size | 39.5mm diameter, 11.1mm thick, 45.5mm lug-to-lug |
| Case material | Polished stainless steel |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating |
| Caseback | Screwed caseback with laser-treated Oris Bear decoration |
| Water resistance | 30 metres |
| Dial | Grey with applied polished tapered indices |
| Hands | Square-tipped hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova |
| Complication | Small seconds at 6 o’clock with red hand |
| Movement | Oris Calibre 401 automatic |
| Power reserve | 120 hours |
| Movement features | Antimagnetic components, hacking seconds, -3/+5 seconds per day accuracy |
| Strap | Grey suede leather with steel butterfly clasp |
| Production | Limited edition of 250 pieces |
| Price | CHF 3,800 |
The Hölstein Edition 2026 should appeal to collectors who prefer Oris at its most composed rather than its most extroverted.
It has the specs to satisfy an enthusiast, the proportions to work as a daily dress watch, and just enough mischief on the caseback to keep the anniversary spirit alive.
