The Oris Aquis Kelp Forest Limited edition is a new addition to the Aquis date range, with a clever dial designed to raise awareness for global kelp forests. Having been hands-on with this latest venture in their range of conservation-awareness watches, that signature dial is definitely worth a closer look.
The idea for this edition came from Francis Pérez, an award-winning underwater photographer and long-time Oris ambassador. It stemmed from conversations on the decline of kelp forests in the world’s oceans and seas, which this watch aims to raise awareness of.
Starting with the focal point of the watch, the dial’s colour features an ocean-green base mixed with a light-green pattern. It’s meant to evoke “the green and gold colours found in kelp forests” and the smooth gradient is noticeable as soon as you first hold it. The smoothness of the gradient is possible because the dial is 3D printed, meaning the pattern and colour shift are made by the pigment in the dial material.
Another impact of the 3D printing process is the texture visible across the dial’s surface. It reminds me of linen face watches, where the layering of the printed material emulates the artisanal guilloche style of linen dials. The pattern is much finer in person than the press images indicate, so it did require a closer look to really notice how much texture is present. Completing the display are the gold-outlined hands and applied indexes filled with Super-LumiNova, which pick up the golden yellow theme established by the dial. There’s also a light-green minute track and a green ceramic bezel to complete the palette.
In hand, it’s a standard 41.5mm Aquis Date based on the 2024 update with revised proportions and more ergonomic lugs. The multi-piece stainless steel case is 12.9mm thick with a lug-to-lug of 49mm and features an engraved caseback with a Kelp Forest relief. The Aquis date kelp forest limited edition wears well on the wrist and with 300m water resistance and a screw-down crown it is a professional dive watch.
The three-link stainless steel bracelet tapers neatly, mixes brushed and polished surfaces and closes with a folding clasp that has quick adjustment to allow easy expansion when wearing a wetsuit. It’s also equipped with Oris’ quick-change system, which features a clasp that wraps around the screwed-in spring bar. While it does mean that changing between a bracelet and a rubber strap is easy, it does limit your choice of strap/bracelet to Oris branded and specialist third-party straps. Meaning that if you’re like me and have a drawer brimmed with Nato straps, Bund straps and everything in-between, you’ll be disappointed that you can’t use them.
Oris has made the Aquis Date Kelp Limited Edition with its Calibre 733. Based on the Sellita SW200-1 with 41-hours of power reserve, it keeps this rendition comparatively accessible, as opposed to using the in-house Calibre 400 movement. Oris seems to do this with its conservation pieces, like the Aquis Date Yangtze Jiangtun and New York Harbour in order to raise awareness among the widest audience possible. The Kelp edition is limited to 1,000 pieces and priced at £2,250. I will say that I like what they’ve done with this watch, it stands out as a well-made dive watch with a conversation starting dial.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oris.
