Geneva is perhaps the luckiest city in the world, as it gets more major watch shows per year than any other city. And one of the stars of Geneva Watch Days – the latest festival to light up the Swiss city – is Oris, which has introduced a series of new watches and editions to get us thinking.
First up is the Bracenet special edition from Oris, based on the ever-popular Aquis Date. Bracenet is an organisation that makes accessories from upcycled ‘ghost’ fishing nets (usually bracelets) – but the latest collaboration is an amazing watch dial that underlines Oris’s well-known ‘green’ credentials.
Oris Bracenet - Credit Oris
Because few people realise just how shocking the issue of ocean garbage really is. There’s an area of plastic waste drifting between Hawaii and California that’s popularly known as the Great Pacific Garbage patch, and incredibly it’s four and a half times the size of Germany. In total, 46% of that mass is made up of fishing nets. Up to a million tonnes of fishing nets enter the ocean every year, and a ghost net is estimated to remain in the water for 400 to 600 years if it’s not removed, often trapping marine life.
Cleaning the Ocean with Oris
Bracenet is attempting to clean the oceans up, and some of the nets they have recovered are now being melted down into sheets of material that are used to create watch dials with Oris. This process forms a unique kaleidoscopic pattern, meaning that no two dials are ever quite the same.
The rest is very familiar to all fans of the well-known Aquis date, with two steel versions available powered by the familiar Oris 733 movement: one in a hefty 43.5mm size and the other in a smaller 36.5mm case, both water resistant to 300 metres. Yours for £2000; a reasonable price for a unique piece that supports a truly excellent cause. It’s actually only a small premium over the standard Aquis as well, which strengthens the argument even further.
Oris Bracenet - Credit Oris
And for those who think that 300 metres isn’t enough, Oris is also launching the most water-resistant diver’s watch that the brand has ever created. The AquisPro 4000m, as the name suggests, can withstand water pressures up to 400 bar that are experienced at 4000 metres below the ocean surface. This is a serious tool for proper professionals, who have collaborated in the watch design throughout every stage.
There’s a proprietary Rotation Safety System, designed by Oris to firmly lock the bezel in place, as well as a dedicated security crown, while inside you’ll find an Oris Calibre 400 automatic mechanical movement (with a power reserve of 120 hours and a high degree of anti-magnetism). Making the whole package stand out is an overtly nautical aesthetic, thanks to a blue gradient dial decorated with a Seamaster-like wave pattern, a blue ceramic bezel insert (with a minutes scale for timing dives) and a blue rubber strap, secured by a titanium folding clasp that can be adjusted while the watch is being worn.
Oris Aquis Pro - Credit Oris
As you’d expect from something with such resistant capabilities, it’s something of a meaty package that measures up at 49.5 mm. For what you get though, the price isn’t quite as daunting: £4900 all-in. Oris are so confident with what they are doing here that they offer a 10-year guarantee (which matches neatly with the 10-year service interval).
Finally, Oris is introducing two models that are probably the polar opposite to the new Pro, being part of the Artelier dress watch family. These embody a ‘less is more’ philosophy: forming an epitome of clean minimalism. There are two new dials in the 38mm stainless steel case: deep black, which perfectly complements the unfussy monochrome nature of the watch, as well as forest green: a nod to the rustic home of Oris in Holstein, within the lush Waldenburg Valley close to Zurich in Switzerland. The black watch comes on a black leather strap, while the green one is offset by brown leather.
Oris Artelier - Credit Oris
What both models have in common is the Oris 744 fully automatic movement, visible through the display case back. It’s a great-looking watch, and decent value at £1600, but it’s also perhaps the most counter-intuitive model in the entire brand philosophy of Oris. The company’s self-declared mission is to create watches that “make you smile” – with the recent Kermit watch being a case in point – whereas this smooth and practical Artelier is as sober as a judge (back in the days when judges used to be sober).
As Oris themselves say, the form is motivated only by what is necessary. But there’s a historical precedent to these Oris watches, and even these two somewhat restrained pieces underline the perennial ability of Oris to surprise on every front. This is just a quick look for now, but we can't wait to get some of them strapped onto our wrists. Even though I personally have absolutely no intention of descending four kilometres under the ocean.
Oris Artelier - Credit Oris
