Oris Turn the Aquis Purple for the Hölstein Edition 2023

Every year on June 1^st Oris launch a new Hölstein Edition in celebration of the brand’s heritage and their hometown of Hölstein. They often use this special edition as a chance to cut loose and explore concepts that their normal collections don’t usually allow them to, such as the Worldtimer from last year or the utilitarian Big Crown from 2021. For the Oris Hölstein Edition 2023 they’ve launched the first ever Aquis no-date.

Off the bat (an apt turn of phrase considering Oris are the official sponsor of Lord’s Cricket ground) my immediate assumption is that Oris are using the Hölstein Edition 2023 to test a couple of concepts to see how popular they are before they commit to adding them to the permanent Aquis collection. Specifically, the watch introduces a purple dial to the collection and removes the date window.

Colour has always been one of Oris’ strong suits so it’s surprising to me that there hasn’t been a purple edition previously. The Aquis Upcycle shows that there’s an appetite for more experimental, colourful designs beyond the standard array of black, green and blue. The purple here is at least a step in the right direction with a gorgeous rich hue, sunray brushed finishing and a slight gradient around the edges.

Let’s focus in on the date window for a moment, or rather the lack of one. The Aquis has always traditionally had a date aperture located at 6 o’clock on the dial, relatively small and innocuous. However, many collectors prefer their tool watches without a date and Oris have finally listened. The Hölstein Edition 2023 replaces the former date window with another facetted index, giving the piece a full complement of hour markers and a satisfying symmetry on every angle.

Although, it’s worth noting that even though Oris are describing this as the first no-date Aquis, that’s actually a misnomer. The Artist Special Edition Sun Wukong (featured at the end of this article) is technically an Aquis without a date window, making that model the first Aquis no-date. However, I also understand why they’d omit the Sun Wukong as it’s such a different beast compared to the main Aquis line – it is still fabulous though.

Powering the Hölstein Edition 2023 is the Oris Calibre 400 which by this point most people will be familiar with. It’s their flagship movement with a five-day power reserve, solid accuracy and 10-year service intervals. The movement is protected with a solid steel caseback bearing a depiction of the characterful Hölstein Bear, which for this dive watch edition has been given scuba gear. It’s a fun touch, although I’d be a little concerned for the bear’s health swimming in purple water.

As for pricing and availability, like the previous Hölstein Editions the 2023 Aquis version is limited to just 250 pieces. It’s priced at £4,000, which puts it right at the top of the Aquis price range, only below the Sun Wukong and diamond editions. I can already predict that some forums won’t be impressed as it’s the peak example of a product having less features and an increased price. However, the purple dial and no-date are aspects that the Oris community has been asking for, so perhaps the price won’t be an issue. If this were a regular addition to the Aquis line instead of a special edition, it would be an instant favourite.