Key Specs
Price: $1,750 +
Availability: January 23rd, 2019
Movement: Oris 733
Winding: Automatic
Case Diameter: 43mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Water Resistance: 1000 feet

Upshot:

This is the same Aquis Date you know and love, but with a different bezel, dial and two sets of options for how you’ll affix it to your wrist.

Who It’s For:

If you love Patagonia or other brands that meld activism with functionality and great design, there is a fair chance you’ll be excited by this watch.

More than just being a unique diver with raised Arabic numerals along the bezel and a coloring inspired by water itself, the Oris Aquis Date Relief also doubles as the announcement of a partnership between Oris and swimmer and water rights activist Ernst Bromeis. Bromeis is currently on a multi-pronged mission to raise awareness about the need to preserve fresh water, and to swim the length of the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal in Russia. While attempting this 745-mile swim (the driving distance from Tijuana to San Francisco…plus 230 or so miles), Ernst will have an Aquis Date Relief on his wrist.

For those who gravitate toward this kind of athletic and moral challenge, Oris’ Aquis Date Relief will be more than just a watch.

First Take:

Although it doesn’t deviate too much from the rest of the Aquis range (same movement, size, and basic design), Oris’ new Aquis Date Relief has a unique strength — it can be worn on just about any occasion. When the watch was presented in person in Vail, Colorado by the Oris team, it was on a red-ash rubber strap. The choice highlighted the dive watch’s sporty, function-driven side. But seeing the watch on leather and on a bracelet, it’s striking how dressy it can look. This ability to be both athletic and dressed-up makes the watch distinct among the rest of Oris’ Aquis range.

Insight:

This is no re-inventing of the wheel from Oris, but it is a re-affirmation of the brand’s commitment to thinking more about just the world of watches when putting out a new model.