The Oris Aquis Date 36.5mm With Mother-of-Pearl Dials

Geneva Watch Days 2022 brings us a fun trio of Oris Aquis Date models, this time with reserved, unisex cases and earthy mother-of-pearl dials. Don’t let the relaxed aesthetics fool you: these are serious divers with a pro depth rating and sophistication that Aquis Date watches are known for. They follow similar yet larger models like the Aquis Date New York Harbor Limited Edition with a green mother-of-pearl dial (almost identical to one of these three), but the smaller size and steel bracelets give them distinctive personalities. Women might be a bit more drawn to these, but they’re certainly suitable for anyone above or below the water.

The multi-piece stainless steel case has the familiar Aquis Date look with a steel unidirectional rotating bezel and 60-minute scale in relief. At 36.5mm in diameter, it’s on the smaller end of the collection but, again, universally sized for just about any wrist. A double-domed sapphire crystal with an interior anti-reflective coating protects the dial, while a mineral glass exhibition caseback displays the automatic movement. The partially guarded crown screws down, and water-resistance is rated at 300 metres, so you can do some pro diving with style. A three-link steel bracelet complements the case with brushed centre links and polished outer links. It’s not integrated per se but does have that vibe. Unlike similar models, it doesn’t have an optional rubber strap.

The mother-of-pearl dials come in three earthy colours – Blush Pink, Aegean Blue or Seafoam Green. They all have a shimmering effect that Oris compares to sunlight on the surface of the water, bringing some fun and colour to the high-performance series. Applied silver indices with white Super-LumiNova inserts surround the dial, and a white date window sits at 6 o’clock. Silver hour, minute and seconds hands come with matching Super-LumiNova. Legibility is expectedly high for such divers, but the darker blue dial variant naturally has the best contrast. These may not be as playful as the casual Cotton Candy watches but certainly aren’t as “toolish” as other performance divers.

Powering the trio is the tried and true Oris 733 automatic, based on the Sellita SW200-1. The in-house calibre 400 is slowly making its way into Aquis models, but the Sellita-based 733 is a reliable workhorse and keeps prices down. It has 26 jewels and beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) with a 38-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes, hacking seconds and date.

The Oris Aquis Date 36.5mm retails for CHF 2,200/USD 2,400 and again only comes with the steel bracelet. Not bad for such capable divers with mother-of-pearl dials. For more information, please visit the Oris’ website.