Oris signalled it’s intention of dominating the mid tier space or the entry level luxury category buy announcing the inhouse movement calibre 400. This clearly showed that the brand has upped the game and taking competition head on. The movement boasts a 120 hours power reserve (5 days) accuracy within the COSC chronometer standards (they have not applied for certification) and a 10 years warranty. I wrote about the movement in my previous article and also stated that they are yet to announce the models that will have this new movement. Well the wait is over as Oris has finally revealed the model.
Introducing the new Oris Aquis, the line Aquis is probably their most recognized one and it is this series that will be the first to house the internally developed movement. What they did was to keep the ethos of the watch intact and shift the focus to the new dynamic movement. They have not tried to alter the already established design of the Aquis Date.
Unlike the old models that were available in variety of dial colors/ strap combos/ indices colors etc. As of now the new line is limited to single royal blue color having the options of both the stainless steel band or black rubber. The dimension still remains at 43.5mm, stainless case with big crown guards (to givethat 300m of water resistance) and semi integrated lugs. The deep royal blue bezel is just eye catching and enhances the aura of the watch but the main magic can be seen through the sapphire display caseback.
As stated the company has kept the same design without bringing in complete overhaul. Apart from the see through caseback one can distinguish the new Aquis from the old one by looking closesly at the ^ o’clock location which has the words “5 days” written on the last line. This is a subtle way of indicating that the machine that powers this watch is the new calibre 400 which has the 5 day power reserve.
What I will miss is the red winding rotor which was a signature of the Aquis but has been replaced by the sharply etched stainless steel skeleton rotor. The movement is not a decorated one as one can expect from the price point but it’s beautifully finished and really “clean”. As to specs it has accuracy within the intervals of -3/+5, high resistance to magnetic field and (repeating myself) 120 hours power reserve.
Now coming to the most important thing for the buyer, how much extra does one has to shell out. Well the Aquis were priced at around $2,000-$2,500 which will bump upto $3,000-$3,500. In context to INR, the MSRP (Maximum Suggested Retail Price) was around Rs. 1,57,000-Rs1,75,000 which will go upto Rs. 2,57,000 on average. The question arises is it worth to pay the high price? Well that’s completely subjective. At first glance the hike is really steep but if you weigh in the fact that you are getting a superior movement in terms of everything then the deal doesn’t look that bad. Maybe we are spoilt with the fact that Oris used third party movements and kept the price down. If you compare apples to apples i.e. with brands that offer inhouse movements then you will realise how well priced the New Aquis is and you are getting a lot for the money!!!
The Enigmatic Pen 