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The Aquis line has been a mainstay in Oris’ catalog, and in the last couple of years the brand has invigorated the collection with a notable facelift that introduced a handful of new and exciting SKUs. Continuing that trajectory is the Aquis “Source of Life” Limited Edition.
For those unfamiliar with the new and improved Aquis line, the “Source of Life” measures 43mm in diameter and boasts 300m of water resistance. It also retains the iconic bolt-on crown guards and the divisive, integrated lugs.
For this edition, there’s a unidirectional bezel with a Tungsten inlay featuring a 60-minute timer scale and a vibrant blue-grey dial with applied indices chock full of Super-LumiNova. The same goes for the nickel-finished hands. Inspired by the River Rhine (chosen because it runs close to the village of Hölstein where Oris has been based since 1904), the “Source of Life” features a case back embossed with a graphic representation of the river’s path.
One of the standout design elements on the watch is the surprisingly subtle date scale running around the center of the dial. The result is a highly pleasing symmetry, which is something I always welcome.
Powering the watch is Oris’ Cal. 733, a movement that is essentially a rebadged Sellita SW200-1. It has a power reserve of 38 hours, automatic winding and hacking, and a beat rate of 28,800 bph.
The watch comes comes on either a stainless steel bracelet or a grey rubber strap. Both feature a stainless steel folding clasp that can be extended to be worn over a wetsuit.
All in all, the inspiration here is, to be quite honest, nebulous. Ignore the story, however, and what you’re left with is simply a great looking watch (that blue-grey dial is fantastic) with a set of really solid specs.
The Oris “Source of Life” is limited to 2,343 units. The USD retail is $2,200 on rubber and $2,400 on the stainless steel bracelet. Oris
