Oris Adds the In House Caliber 400 Movement to the 41.5mm Aquis

Over the last several months, Oris has been involved in an all out blitz to introduce their new Caliber 400 family of movements into as many watches from their diverse lineup as possible. We’ve brought you stories on new watches featuring derivatives of the Caliber 400 from the Divers 65 family, their Big Crown line, and of course the start of it all: the Aquis. Now, Oris has returned to the Aquis for their latest Caliber 400 release, this time adding it to the midsize 41.5mm Aquis case size. 

The Aquis is Oris’s modern divers watch, falling somewhere between the vintage inspired Divers 65 and the ultra professional ProDiver. For a brand that gets a lot of mileage out of an attention to their history and vintage inspired designs, the Aquis is somewhat unusual in the catalog for it’s unapologetically modern and contemporary design. It often (unfairly) gets lost in the shuffle of integrated bracelet sports watches, and has proven to be a great canvas for a number of colorful limited editions over the years. 

The sizing, though, is tough. With an integrated bracelet watch, there is little room for error, and Oris has responded by releasing the Aquis in a range of sizes, from 43mm at the high end to 39.5 at the smaller side of the spectrum. While the 41.5mm Aquis has been available with an off the shelf Sellita derived movement for some time, the release of this watch in 41.5mm with a Caliber 400 movement illustrates Oris’s commitment to providing their customers with choice, and is also evidence of a larger trend we’ve seen with the brand (and the industry in general) in making a move toward smaller sizes. (Not that 41.5mm is small, necessarily – but it’s certainly a notable notch down from the full size Aquis at 43mm.)

This new Aquis is available with blue, anthracite, and green dials. Again, Oris is all about choice, and the color range here moves from traditional to playful, and the dials themselves have sunburst effects meant to come alive in the light. The bezels are in matching colors and feature ceramic inserts, and the watch is specced as you’d anticipate with a full 300 meters of water resistance, a screw down crown, and sapphire glass. Of course, the start of the show on the technical side of things is the Caliber 400 movement itself, which features a more efficient winding system, an extended power reserve of 120 hours, timekeeping within COSC standards, and a ten year warranty and matching recommended service interval. 

The new Aquis Date in 41.5mm is available now with a retail price of $3300 on a rubber strap, and $3500 on a stainless steel bracelet. Watch this space for a full review of this watch with hands on impressions in the coming weeks. Oris