Oris Supports an Important Conservation Effort With Their New Lake Baikal Aquis Limited Edition

Oris continues their mission to clean, protect, and preserve water sources across the globe with the new limited edition Lake Baikal Aquis.

At 1,642 meters, Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake and holds 20 percent of the global fresh lake water reserves. It also houses a unique array of wildlife and biodiversity. But, like many of the world’s important aquatic systems, Lake Baikal is under threat, which has spurred conservation efforts focused on reversing the damage. Oris has partnered with the Lake Baikal Foundation, and born of that partnership is this limited edition Lake Baikal Aquis, sales of which will help raise funds to support “Point No.1,” a Lake Baikal conservation project run by the Scientific Research Institute of Biology at Russia’s Irkutsk State University that collects water samples, analyzes them for marine life and pollution, and observes patterns in the data to keep the lake healthy. It’s the longest-running and most detailed environmental water monitoring project in existence. 

This Lake Baikal limited edition is based on Oris’s ever-popular Aquis platform, but with a few of its own twists that make it truly special. First, the specs. 

Oris Lake Baikal Aquis Limited Edition

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Gradient Blue
• Dimensions: 43.5mm case
• Crystal: Double domed sapphire with inside AR coating
• Water Resistance: 300m
• Crown: Screw down
• Movement: Oris 733 Automatic
• Strap/Bracelet: Stainless bracelet with folding clasp with extension
• Price: CHF 2,250
• Edition: 1,999 pieces
• Expected Release: February 2020

At first glance, it’s the dial that really stands out here. The gorgeous, icy-blue gradient starts off lighter at the center and darkens as it moves to the outer edge. The coloring is meant to capture Lake Baikal’s iced-over surface and extreme depth. A beefy rotating bezel around the dial features a dark blue ceramic insert that coordinates with the outermost shade of blue on the dial. On the caseback, you’ll find engraved specs for the edition with a special insert in the center that looks just like the icy surface of the lake.

Since the Lake Baikal is based on the Aquis, you should be familiar with much of the spec sheet. You’ll get a double-domed sapphire crystal up top, a stainless steel case that measures in at 43.5mm, and an integrated bracelet with a signed folding clasp. The case design and screw down crown keep things water tight up to 300 meters — more than enough for serious diving and water activities. Inside, you’ll find Oris’s cal. 733 (base Sellita SW 200-1) with automatic winding and a 38-hour power reserve.

Overall, the Oris Lake Baikal Aquis Limited Edition is a fresh take on a popular and familiar platform. It pulls from past Aquis editions, with some similarities to the Clean Ocean limited edition from last year, but with enough differences — especially the fumé-esque approach to the dial — to make this one distinct. It has a retail price of CHF 2,250, and is available starting in February 2020. Oris

What are your thoughts on the new Oris Lake Baikal Aquis Limited Edition? Let us know in the comments below.