Back in 2023 Oris entered the big leagues (or should that be deep leagues) of dive watch design with the creation of the Aquis Pro 4000m. A watch that at dimensions of 49.5mm x 23.4mm (almost two Rolex Submariners stacked) was as much of a leviathan as the sea creatures that dwell in the depths. Now though Oris have scaled things back a bit to present a distinctly more wearable option that still offers significant depth resistance. It’s the Oris Aquis Pro 1000M, which we got hands on with at Geneva Watch Days.
The big thing here really is the wearability of the watch. At a new thickness of 16.6mm it has returned to the realms of reason. It’s still big, even in comparison to the majority of dive watches, but there are at least thicker watches out there such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea at 17.7mm. It’s also no less broad than the original, maintaining a diameter of 49.5mm. On the wrist it now wears like a large watch, so it still suits well-built individuals the best, but you would actually be willing to wear it without needing an exercise regimen to pull it off.
Structurally, the case is made titanium with a dark grey PVD coating that provides a dark backdrop for the deep blue ceramic insert diving bezel. That bezel is equipped with Oris’ patented Rotation Safety System (RSS), which is essentially a cuff around the edge of the bezel that when raised allows it to rotate and when pushed down, locks it in place. It was developed in response to Oris’ surveys of professional divers who wanted a more secure bezel than even the traditional unidirectional design.
For the dial, they’ve kept it more or less identical to the original Aquis Pro, featuring a wavy pattern and a slight blue gradient. It ensures a good level of clarity thanks to large lumed hour markers, paired with equally lumed hour, minute and lollipop seconds hand. Lollipop hands, as the name suggests, have circular disks at the end of them, which makes a lot of sense on a dive watch because it makes it easily apparent that the seconds hand is rotating and therefore that the watch is operating normally. That’s something you want to be certain of 100 metres down.
Under the waves of the dial is the Oris 733 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve. It’s a bit of a downgrade from the 4000m’s Calibre 400 but that also plays into the idea of the Oris Aquis Pro 1000M being the more wearable, more accessible variant. The manufacture calibre 400 always carries a premium with it.
Speaking of price, the Oris Aquis Pro 1000M is £3,000, £2,000 less than its counterpart, which is a substantial chunk of change. While a dedicated, actual professional diver might still prefer the boosted specs of the 4000m – especially if they need some extra ballast – for most of us who appreciate an ultra-deep diver, the new version is a much more attractive prospect.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oris.
