Oris Revamps the Aquis Collection for a New Generation

Oris is revisiting their most popular dive watch this year with the introduction of a new generation of the Aquis. If you’ve ever listened to me drone on about dive watches, you’ll know my stance that they make for the best everyday tool watches. In the press release for this new Aquis, Oris refers to it as their “evergreen, everyday tool watch” which is a sentiment that works well in connecting the watch to a broad audience, as well as opens it up to a diverse set of themes that Oris is known to celebrate. In this sense, Oris is pretty good at practicing what they preach, and that applies to everything from the new packaging the watch will ship in, to the ergonomic changes they’ve made to the case itself. The new Aquis brings some welcome changes to the table, all without losing its signature design language. 

Oris is coming out of the gates strong with the new Aquis collection, covering three different sizes, multiple strap options and dial colors, as well as different movement options that span the tried and true base Sellita units, to their still young in-house caliber 400. Offering so many choices is a very pro-consumer move that I’d like to see embraced by more brands, and has the added benefit of firmly establishing the new collection from step one by having something for everyone. 

The new Aquis will look awfully familiar at a glance, which is of course by design, though nearly every component of the case and dial has received some level of refinement or rebalancing – all in the name of creating a more viable “everyday tool watch” as they’ve labeled it. To that end, I think they’ve largely succeeded, however I will say that this new generation of the Aquis will likely do little to win over new fans who weren’t exactly keen on the look of the prior generation. This is very much an evolutionary step rather than a complete overhaul. 

The new case will be offered in 43.5mm; 41.5mm; and 36.5mm sizing. Each size will offer Sellita based movements, while only the 43.5mm size will offer the Oris caliber 400 option. If I were a betting man I’d say we’ll likely see a 40mm cal 400 equipped version at some point down the line, as that most popular size feels suspiciously absent here. Dial colors on offer are green, black, blue and a creamy MOP in the 36.5mm option. Each size also gets an upcycled dial variation made of recycled PET plastics in furtherance to their Change for the Better initiatives. 

The case itself is the real story here, though you might not be able to fully appreciate it in pictures. Every element has been refined in a meaningful way, from the lug shape and taper, to the crown guard and case profile. It all adds up to an appreciably better experience on the wrist, and while I wouldn’t have said this about the last generation, I will say that this new design does make for a great daily wear option thanks to these changes. Additionally, the caliber 400 equipped references will get Oris’ quick change strap system which allows for the steel bracelet to be swapped for a rubber unit on the fly. 

This new Aquis is a welcome change for their unflinching modern dive watch, and does indeed make it a viable “evergreen, everyday tool watch” in a way it’s never been before. The new Aquis is priced starting at $2,500 with a Sellita-based Red Rotor version on Rubber Strap and $2,700 on a steel bracelet, while the Upcycle models are $2,800. Moving to the Aquis caliber 400 equipped models start at $3,900 on a rubber strap and $4,100 on a steel bracelet, with Caliber 400 Upcycle models priced at $4,200. Oris.