Oris Aquis Date Relief

With the new Aquis Date Relief, Oris continues a thing that has become sort of a tradition, a special edition watch attached to a good cause. Certainly, there is a lot to love in this new edition – it is, after all, an Aquis with a cool new colour scheme – but the most important isn’t only about the watch. Oris and expedition swimmer Ernst Bromeis are going their own way to bring meaningful change to the state of the world’s water.

Before we take a look at the Oris Aquis Date Relief itself, it is necessary to look where this watch comes from and what it stands for.

The shape of water

For their latest partnership watch, Oris has teamed up with expedition swimmer and World Economic Forum Davos 2019 Speaker Ernst Bromeis, in order to raise awareness of the importance of water in our world. Water is the source of life – something that has been already covered by Oris in the “Source of Life” limited edition. But how bad is the situation?

According to the World Health Organisation, 3.4 million people die every year as a result of preventable water-related diseases, most of them children. The Pacific Institute, a global water think tank, reports that in developing countries, an estimated 90 per cent of sewage and 70 per cent of industrial waste is discharged into waterways without any treatment at all. And news reports detail stories of dead sea creatures found with stomachs full of plastic… While much is being done to improve the quality of the world’s waters, there are fears that the scale of the problem is only just becoming apparent. It seems inevitable to act now, before it’s too late.

Oris continues to work with non-profit organisations on projects that bring real change. One of the benefits of Oris’s independence is being able to respond quickly to customers’ needs. But it also means the company can go its own way and make high-impact choices that deliver change that makes a measurable difference. The Oris Aquis Date Relief and the mission to Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, with expedition swimmer Ernst Bromeis is the next step in a journey towards a future where the world is full of clean water. His 2019 project ‘The Blue Miracle’ will see him swim across a number of lakes to raise awareness of the importance of water.

The Oris Aquis Date Relief

While being close to the original Aquis Date launched in 2017, the new Oris Aquis Date Relief special edition introduces several updates on the model to make it unique. The Aquis Date Relief is inspired by the colour and feeling of water – but not the beautiful “postcard image” we have of tropical waters. Instead, the watch is a more “stormy” take on things.

The dial of this new special edition is coloured in grey, with a sunburst pattern. Other than that, the layout and position of the indications and indexes remain the same as the original Aqui Date. All the hands and hour markers are coated with luminous paint and legibility remains perfect. One other difference is the seconds hand, which has been painted here in “urgent red” – just to remind us how crucial the situation is.

Something else has evolved on this Oris Aquis Date Relief: the diving bezel. Usually, the Aquis features a ceramic insert (brushed or polished) and a white painted 60-minute scale. For this edition, to recall the colour of a stormy sea and the texture of water, the bezel is made of solid stainless steel, with the scale engraved in relief on the insert. The polished numerals and markers thus contrast with the matte grained background.

The rest of the watch is the same as other Aquis Date watches, with a robust 43.5mm steel case, with integrated lugs and 300m water-resistance. Under the mineral crystal in the steel caseback is the calibre Oris 733, a slightly modified Sellita SW 200-1 with the signature red central rotor. This automatic movement is both reliable and precise.

The Oris Aquis Date Relief will be available a special (non-limited) edition, on a choice of steel bracelet, red rubber strap, grey rubber strap or grey leather strap. All are fitted with a security folding clasp with extension.

The Oris Aquis Date Relief will be available as of January 2019 at a price of CHF 1,750 (rubber and leather) or CHF 1,950 (steel bracelet). More details at oris.ch.