BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Swiss brand Oris has been actively involved in projects that are aimed towards the preservation of our oceans and seas. And while we understand the noble cause that the brand is working for, what makes it all the more interesting for us watch enthusiasts is that we get to experience some really intriguing limited edition watches. So, on that note let’s have a look at the new Oris Great Barrier Reef limited edition III and Oris clean ocean limited edition watches.
Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition III
As the name suggests this is the third installment in a series of watches which have been created as a result of the brand’s collaboration with the Reef restoration foundation to save the Great Barrier Reef by planting new corals. Based on an aquatic theme the gradient dial of this watch starts with a nice shade of cyan at the center finishing off with a dark bluish black color towards the outer section of the dial. The hour markers have been applied and along with the hour and minute hand have been filled generously with luminous material. Interestingly the dates have been printed on the dial itself on a snailed circular section and the current date is indicated through a yellow indicator that rotates beneath the dial. The running seconds have been presented through a sub-seconds display at 9 instead of a centrally mounted second’s hand. Coming in at a diameter of 43.5mm the case has a familiar Aquis design offering a water resistance of 300 meters with the help of the screw down crown at 3 which is protected by crown guards. On top of the case is a dive time bezel with a blue ceramic insert to time those underwater dives. On the rear of the watch is a deeply stamped motif of a coral which highlights its Barrier Reef inspiration. Powering this watch is the Oris 743 caliber which is an automatic movement that operates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a power reserve of around 38 hours. The watch would be limited to 2000 pieces and would come attached to a stainless steel bracelet. The retail price of the watch is CHF2, 450
The Oris Clean Ocean Limited Edition
The preservation theme continues with this watch but this time around it’s more about cleaning out the harmful plastic waste from the oceans. For this endeavor, the brand has joined hands with a firm called Pacific Garbage Screening. The company is working on creating a unique floating platform which would help in the removal of plastic waste from our oceans. As for the watch, you still have a beautiful aqua blue gradient dial with lume filled applied indices. But as compared to the Barrier Reef version the date has a more traditional placement at 6 and even the second’s hand has been placed at the center along with the minute and hour hand. The case on this watch is modestly sized and has a diameter of 39.5mm which should make it sit comfortably on smaller wrists as well. On top of the case is a blue uni-directional timing bezel and the watch is water resistant to 300 meters. Flipping the watch over you still, have a closed case back which has been decorated using a Plastic medallion which has been made by recycling PET plastic. The watch is powered by the familiar Oris caliber 733 which operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and offering a power reserve of 38 hours. The watch would retail at a price of CHF 2,200 and would come equipped with a steel bracelet presented inside a box made out of algae with plastic inlays.
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