Watches & Wonders 2024: Oris Updates the Aquis Date and Aquis Date Upcycle

Last year, in its inaugural appearance at Watches & Wonders Geneva, independent Swiss watchmaker Oris delighted attendees with the launch of the ProPilot X Kermit Limited Edition, with its lime-green dial and unique Muppet date display. This year, taking center stage in Oris’ W&W presentation is a subtle but substantial revamp of the flagship Aquis collection, specifically the core Aquis Date and its megapopular offshoot, the Oris Date Upcycle.

The next-generation Aquis Date, which the brand refers to as its “modern everyday tool watch,” is designed to be both more wearable and more stylish than its predecessors, with reworked lugs and crown protectors; the former have been given a more sculpted treatment that enables them to better hug the wrist, while the latter elements now taper toward the screw-down crown to better guard it against accidental shocks and impacts.

The steel bracelet is another aspect of the new Aquis models that have helped them evolve, in the words of Oris CEO Rolf Studer, “from a functional diver’s watch into something closer to a piece of jewelry that can be worn in every moment of life.” The bracelet’s brushed center links are broader and more prominent and its overall form is more tapered; on the 43.5mm models containing Oris’ in-house Caliber 400, it’s also equipped with the brand’s Quick Adjust clasp system, which enables easy loosening or tightening of the fit without removing links. Also available are color-matched rubber straps. 

The ceramic insert of the unidirectional dive-scale bezel has been slightly re-proportioned. The dial features new, polished, shield-shaped applied hour markers and a new set of Alpha-shaped hands, both coated with Super-LumiNova. The typography on the dials is also new, a bespoke font created specifically for Oris watches. Purists will also appreciate the new date display, with high-contrast numerals on background colors that match the dial. 

What stays the same in the new Aquis collection is the variety and versatility that its fans have come to love: The top-end models, in 43.5mm cases, carry the in-house Caliber 400, Oris’ first in-house movement in many decades, introduced in 2020 and offering an astonishing five-day power reserve and an impressive level of magnetic resistance. The Sellita-based Caliber 733 can be found in the same 43.5mm case size as well as models in 41.5mm and 36.5mm cases. The 36.5mm watches, aimed primarily at ladies, also sport a newly designed “jewel-like” steel bracelet. 

For the first time since their high-profile launch in 2021, the Oris Date Upcycle models (in their largest versions, with 43.5mm cases) will carry behind their one-of-a-kind, multicolored dials, made from PET plastic recovered from oceans, the in-house automatic Caliber 400 — in addition to bearing all of the new details and styling updates of the overall Aquis collection. 

The Upcycle dials, however, are only part of the story when it comes to Oris’s efforts toward environmental responsibility. As part of the new Aquis rollout, Oris has also introduced new packaging that is even more in keeping with the company’s longtime commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. The watches will now be delivered in boxes made from low-weight, low-volume cardboard and paper that is both recycled and recyclable. As Kermit the Frog, Oris’ headlining mascot from last year, once sang, “It ain’t easy being green,” but Oris continues to make the effort.

Prices on the new Aquis Date models with the signature Oris red-rotor Sellita calibers begin at $3,900 on a rubber strap, $2,700 on a steel bracelet, and $2,800 for the Upcycle dial. With the in-house Oris Caliber 400, prices start at $3,900 on the strap, $4,100 on the bracelet, and $4,200 with the Upcycle dial; all will be available in April 2024.