By Jovan Krstevski
Oris is a known participant in the limited edition watch scene with a cause. We have seen the Clipperton Limited Edition, the Movember Edition, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Edition which are very nice watches. These limited pieces are not just geared for collector’s pleasure as they are linked to a good cause or a mission to bring “change for the better”. The new Oris ‘Source of Life’ Limited Edition is a testament to the resolve of the brand. It is a celebration of water, one that we often take for granted because of our busy schedules. Water also represents life, I can go on and on about this but what we really have here is a diver’s watch based on the Aquis.
The new Oris ‘Source of Life’ Limited Edition watch uses a cold blue tone dial with a sunburst pattern that adds a subtle contradiction to the grey bezel. The polished applied indexes and hands also brings in more contrast to a rather tough appeal. The new addition so far is the date indication that is presented on a round date indicator with a scale from 1 to 31. The novelty addition as stated above is the date indicator but honestly, when it comes to function, I am inclined with the traditional display. However, I will admit it is a cool new style and the wearer would probably take some time to get accustomed to it.
Moving on, the ‘Source of Life’ Limited Edition gets inspiration from the River Rhine which is near the village of Hölstein, home of Oris since 1904. This closeness to water prompts the brand to take action as the world literally thrashes water with plastic and chemicals. So as a reminder, we have this watch. The Source of Life Limited Edition is the brand’s brainchild with a priceless philosophical connotation that highlights the need to protect the world’s water sources. This brings Oris closer to its mission of bringing “change for the better.”
It sits just about at the proper radius of the traditional date window so its placement does not really affect legibility. Then a white indicator aligns with the scale thereby telling the date. It is a new take on a rather boring date display which is cool. Moreover, an automatic movement based on the Sellita SW 200 powers the new watch. this movement has been around long and it is trusted by many watchmakers. I love the story of this watch so please read on. The tough steel case construction is resistant to 300 m.
The map of the River Rhine is engraved at the back of the Oris ‘Source of Life’ Limited Edition. This river runs through 6 countries from the Tomasee source in the Swiss Alps.
Finally, the watch wears on a grey rubber strap to go with the overall River Rhine theme although a metallic bracelet is also available. It’s limited to 2,343 pieces in reference to the elevation of the Lai da Tuma and retails for CHF 2,100 on rubber strap or 2,300 on steel bracelet. For more info, visit Oris online.
