Oris has essentially turned the limited-edition Aquis into a rotating ambassadorship for ocean conservation, and we love seeing what they come up with next. Finless porpoises in the Yangtze, oyster reefs in New York Harbor, coral off the Florida Keys; the brand has got a watch for all of it. The latest cause is one most of us have never thought twice about, and it might be the coolest execution yet. Meet the Oris Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition.
A Dial Printed, Not Painted
The headline act here is the dial, which skips the usual stamping and lacquer work in favor of a 3D-printing technique that builds the texture and color right into the surface. The result is a rippled landscape of greens and golds that appears to shift as light moves across it, basically like seaweed caught mid-sway.
It’s a legitimately novel bit of dial-making from a brand that usually saves its weird ideas for the ProPilot X. Gold-outlined hands and applied markers carry Super-LumiNova, with a date window sitting down at 6 o’clock.
The Kelp Problem
Now, why kelp? The push came from longtime Oris ambassador Francis Pérez, an award-winning underwater photographer who’s spent 30 years watching these forests thin out firsthand.
And the stakes here are definitely real. Kelp grows up to 60cm a day, pumps out roughly 2 percent of the planet’s oxygen, and shelters entire ecosystems. And yet warming seas and commercial harvesting have scientists using the phrase “underwater deforestation.” Flip the watch over and you’ll find a kelp forest engraved in relief on the caseback, individually numbered out of 1,000.
The Rest Is Pure Aquis
Underneath, this is still the same 41.5mm Aquis Date including 300m of water resistance, a screw-down crown, and a green ceramic bezel to match the flora. Oris’s Caliber 733 (a Sellita-based automatic with 41 hours of reserve), handles timekeeping duties.
Spec Sheet
Model: Oris Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition
Reference: 01 733 7787 4187-Set
Case Size: 41.5mm
Case Thickness: 12.9mm
Lug-to-Lug: 49mm
Case Material: Stainless steel with green ceramic bezel insert
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: Oris Caliber 733 automatic (Sellita SW200-1 base)
Power Reserve: 41 hours
Dial: Green with 3D-printed kelp texture
Band: Stainless steel bracelet with quick-adjust folding clasp
Limited Edition?: Yes, 1,000
Pricing & Availability
The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition is available now, limited to 1,000 individually numbered pieces and priced at $2,950 (CHF 2,450). Head over to Oris’s website to snag one.
Recap
Oris Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition
Oris dedicates its latest 1,000-piece Aquis Date to the ocean’s disappearing kelp forests, topping it with a 3D-printed dial that mimics swaying seaweed.
