News Desk
DUBAI: It’s a great joy to bring you an exclusive preview of the new Aquis, which will be released at Watches and Wonders Geneva in April. The new collection will be Oris core launch for 2024 and is an update to Oris evergreen, best-selling line of luxury sports watches. Through the Upcycle edition and it’s dial made of recycled PET plastic, it’s also become a symbol of our Change for the Better campaign and our ambitious Oris Emissions Reduction Programme.
The Aquis redesign is driven by the principles of contemporary refined luxury. Every detail has been carefully reconsidered and upscaled by our in-house teams of designers and engineers to deliver a beautiful, desirable, high-performance watch that perfectly balances form and function.
A new slimline profile
This begins with the new Aquis’s profile and silhouette, both of which have been gently and elegantly refined to deliver improved aesthetics and ergonomics. The new watch has a fluid, slimline case, and yet it is still distinctively Aquis, even while elements such as its sculpted lugs and crown protection have been reworked, and while the three-link metal bracelet has been skilfully redeveloped so that the central link is broader and the overall form more tapered. As a result, the new Aquis’s proportions look and feel exquisitely balanced: easy on the eye and on the wrist.
The relentless pursuit of detail
Every detail in the new Aquis has been reconsidered, from the polished shield-shaped applied hour markers and bespoke, Alpha-style hands to the new proprietary typography that will only ever feature in the dial text of Aquis models. The refinement process even dipped under the dial: all new- generation Aquis watches will have a date wheel with a background color to match the dial color and high-contrast text, creating a seamless, pleasing relationship between the two while also protecting legibility.
Quicker, easier, better
Calibre 400 models will also feature Oris’s patented Quick Strap Change system so that wearers can switch easily and safely between a collection of interchangeable straps and bracelets so their watch suits an occasion or activity. The same models will also be supplied with a new Oris-patented quick adjust clasp system that can be easily set in three comfort positions to accommodate the wearer’s wrist as it responds to environmental conditions.
A bespoke 36.50 mm design
One of the big stories behind the new Aquis collection is the release of a reimagined 36.50 mm version that picks up on the Aquis themes, only with a series of bespoke design touches and finishes that give it its own distinctive profile. The elegant, svelte H-design bracelet with brushed and polished links has been created exclusively for this model. The core 36.50 mm collection will be offered with either a black dial or a crème mother-of-pearl dial, both finished with special applied hour markers with diamond-shaped tips. The result is a bespoke, more glamorous expression of the Aquis design.
The return of the Upcycle
In recent years, one of the most in-demand Aquis Date models has been the Upcycle edition, which features a memorable dial in multi-coloured recycled PET plastic. We’re delighted to introduce four new Upcycle editions to the new Aquis family: one at 43.50 mm with Calibre 400, and three automatics at 43.50 mm, 41.50 mm and 36.50 mm. Because of the unique way in which the dial material is made, no two dials will be the same, creating both a personal touch and a unique reminder of the Oris sustainability story the Aquis Date Upcycle represents.
Smiles all round
Bringing all these upgrades and detail refinements to bear in a single collection required several years of intensive development across Oris’s design and engineering divisions. The product of that investment is a stylish, modern versatile line of refined luxury stainless steel sports watches designed not just to serve their owners, but to make them smile.
“Rebooting a best-seller, a watch that people already love, comes with risks,” says Oris Co-CEO Rolf Studer. “But because Oris is an independent company making us free to go our own way, we could be confident that it was the right thing to do. We’re excited to share the new Aquis with you as we build up to the official launch at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, and kindly invite your feedback.”