A few days ago, Oris unveiled a new watch that is part of their Aquis line but also has conservation being the biggest driving factor for this watch. Not only is it a beautiful watch with an astonishing dial, it being part of the conservation efforts by bringing more awareness to the endangerment of whale sharks deserves a lot of praise. The watch is limited to only 2,016 pieces as this was the year that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed that due to growing human pressures on whale sharks they are now at an increased risk of extinction and as a result listed as an endangered species.
Due to various reasons all of which are caused by mankind the global population of whale sharks have dropped more than 50 percent in the last 75 years. Oris has always been a big part of conservation especially with their “Change for the Better” campaign which focuses on restoring, cleaning and protecting the oceans. Oris as part of this campaign has also released multiple limited edition watches every year and for 2021 whale shark conservation is at the top of the list. As a fun fact the whale shark is the worlds biggest fish which reaches lengths of 40 feet or more. Another reason as to why this watch has come to light would be Gerardo del Villar, who is a brand ambassador for Oris. He has been working with whale sharks for more than 15 years and this watch will help in supporting his research and his short films about whale sharks that are supported by Oris.
Speaking about the watch it is based on the Oris Aquis GMT diver’s watch with a few added details to make it more appropriate for what they are trying to convey. The dial of the watch mimics the skin that is seen on the whale shark and has a blue/green dial that gives the dial a beautiful texture. It comes in a case made out of stainless steel with a case size of 43.5mm and has domed sapphire with an anti-reflective coating inside. Being a diver, it has a water resistance of 300m which is even more impressive as it comes with an automatic movement. It comes with a Oris 798 automatic movement that has a power reserve of 42 hours. It comes with a standard stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp. The indices on the watch as well as the hands are all luminous which makes it very easy to be able to read in the dark or in very deep water. The caseback of the watch has a whale shark engraved on the back and has “Whale Shark Limited Edition” written on it with the piece number.
It is very nice to see big manufacturers and brands come up with their own unique way to not only bring awareness but also support major conservation efforts. Oris has not only managed to make a watch that is highlighting the conservation efforts of whale sharks but also made it beautiful enough that people would be willing to purchase it. As mentioned before the watch is limited to 2,016 pieces and is priced at $3,200 and is available through Oris or their authorised dealers.
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