Oris is certainly one of my favorite accessible Swiss watch brands. Like many of you, I also appreciate a watch brand that not only has a solid heritage and reputation, but a brand that has remained independent throughout all these years. The new Aquis Date that we’re reviewing here is a culmination of the above, as it retains the classic Aquis design with the recycled plastic dial first introduced in 2021, but adds some small adjustments that we’ll get into below.
Recycled materials and economical product production is very much on trend currently, and even brands such as Ulysse Nardin have jumped on board with their new Diver Net and Skeleton Ops – Oris is hitting a market segment with the Upcycle version we’re looking at here.
Styling and Materials
First off, you may be wondering what this dial really looks like in person, after all it’s made from recycled PET plastic that’s been harvested from the ocean. To be frank, after gazing at it for some time now, I still can’t perceive much of a difference from actual marble. If someone handed me this watch with no spec information and asked me to guess the dial material I’d probably go with some kind of natural marble finish, I think what’s helping it here is the high-gloss polished finished. If the dial were to have a matte kind of finish I think it would take on an entirely different appearance, most likely one that leans towards a plasticky look which I think we’d want to lean away from for a watch at this price point.
Of course the dial is really the standout feature of the Aquis Date Upcycle, but there have been a few minor tweaks as well for this new 2024 release. For one, the date wheel is now a white on black format to match the darker dial hue. The hands and markers have also been reworked with a more modern style and for increased legibility. The bracelet, which has always been a strong point on the Aquis line of watches has now also been slightly slimmed down in size, and really provides the watch a more elegant and comfortable fit on wrist.
Quite predictably, there haven’t been any massive style changes here. Watch brands like Oris know better than to make drastic changes to flagship models, often opting to make incremental refinements over the years. The small updates here are very tasteful and compliment what the Aquis is all about, which is a sporty and capable dive watch that also looks absolutely fantastic during everyday wear out of the water.
Wearability & Movement
There’s not a whole lot to report on here if you’re familiar with the older generation Aquis. The case shape is essentially untouched, and the new variant here is offered in both a 36.5mm and 41.5mm size. The 41.5mm version we have on hand here today is the size you should be going for if your wrist is not smaller than 6.5 inches. For a watch of this size it fits fairly compact due to the short and sharply angled lugs. The crown guards do not protrude too much and are ergonomically angled around the side of the case giving the appearance of a smaller watch, and they’re also less likely to snag on anything.
The case thickness is only 12.6mm which is surprisingly thin for a diver of this classification, although for some reason it feels thicker to me when I have it on wrist. It could be the caseback that bubbles out slightly giving me this impression as the top crystal is actually perfectly flush with the bezel, and when running your finger across it there’s no discernible ledge down.
One important aspect of the Upcycle to touch on, is the Sellita movement, more precisely the Oris 733 which is based on the Sellita SW 200-1 with 38 hours of power reserve. The model we have here is not equipped with the Oris in-house caliber 400, which is generally regarded as superior to the 733, but it’s available on the new upgraded reference. The one benefit to this is price point, which is keeping this specific Upcycle relatively affordable at $2,300 USD when compared to other Aquis variants using the 400.
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