The Widly-Coloured Oris Hölstein Edition 2023

Oris has a recent annual tradition where a special, limited edition piece debuts to celebrate its anniversary. Known as the Hölstein Editions, named after the town in the Swiss Jura mountains where the brand was founded in 1904, the watches are generally modified variants of existing pieces. The previous three include a bronze Divers Sixty-Five, Big Crown Pointer Date with the new in-house Calibre 403 and a classic Full Steel Worldtimer revival from the 1990s. The Oris Hölstein Edition 2023 adds a bold dial to the Aquis Caibre 400 41.5mm, which is already a best-seller powered by the in-house Calibre 400 automatic.  

If you’re a fan of the Aquis Calibre 400 41.5mm, you’ll be pleased with the familiar design and a unique dial that’s sure to grab attention. Based on the evergreen Aquis diver, the stainless steel case comes in at 41.5mm in diameter, right between the 43.5mm Aquis Date and 39.5mm models. The unidirectional rotating bezel has a grey ceramic insert and white markings, including a detailed 15-minute scale. Special addition aside, this is still a serious diving tool with a 300-metre water resistance rating. Of course, the crown screws down and is protected by partial guards, while a double-domed AR sapphire crystal protects the dial. The screw-on case back is solid with a unique (and perhaps cartoonish) diving bear motif, which is meant to show a fun side of the brand. It comes with a stainless steel bracelet with a security folding clasp and diver’s extension. 

Unlike the prior three Hölstein Editions, the fourth watch is a simpler design that mainly focuses on dial changes. This one has a deep sunray purple dial and drops the date at 6 o’clock, both of which are unique to the Aquis line. According to Oris CEO Rolf Studer, fans of the brand and particularly those from the Oris Social Club network (OSC) have frequently requested a purple dial and no date Aquis. These special editions don’t necessarily signal future models, however, so this no-date model is likely a one-off for now. Studer says that Hölstein Editions are meant as celebrations for Oris fans (and collectors). Bold applied indices have Super-LumiNova for nighttime legibility, as do the hour and minute hands, which are common to the Aquis series. 

Powering the Oris Hölstein Edition 2023 is the Calibre 400 automatic, which partially replaced the Sellita SW200 models (both versions are available). The in-house developed movement has several advantages, including more than 30 anti-magnetic parts (exceeding the ISO 764 anti-magnetic standard), a five-day power reserve via twin barrels and accuracy within COSC standards (-3/+5 seconds per day). It has 21 jewels and beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) with functions including central hours, minutes and hacking seconds (and date not utilized in this piece). 

The new Oris Hölstein Edition 2023 is limited to 250 pieces, which is tradition for all of the anniversary special editions, and retails for CHF 4,000. That’s not a bad price for an in-house Swiss pro diver and a limited edition one to boot. Availability starts in June 2023 and all come with a special wooden presentation box and impressive 10-year warranty (with MyOris sign-up). For more information, please visit www.oris.ch.