Oris Aquis -- ALL it's cracked up to be!

2manywatches

Tyme Machine
Joined
Jul 23, 2019
Messages
2,749
So, it's been a GREAT week for watches, probably the best ever. Oris Aquis, Seiko Sumo in green, and an Aragon to top it off. Here ends my watch mania for this year, but what a great finish! Will post up the other two watches shortly, but, had to start with the mighty ORIS!!!

I'm a late comer to the brand, but have vowed to eventually stop piddling away my watch budget on fun affordables, and save up for stuff that's leaning a bit more toward my grail hopes, and, indeed, an Oris has been on the radar for ages, literally, so this is one of those big moments, for me, although this presentation is likely old news for a lot of veteran watch owners here.

Why so long to get one? Idk. Price, mostly, I suppose. Just seems a big leap sometimes, from a few hundred or even a grand, up to something more in the two grand territory, and then one considers a basic SW movement and wonders, hmmm, isn't that better put toward something twice as expensive? Plus, thoughts of, hmm, SW movement in a 500m WR case, geez, lots of options for a lot less....

Then, along comes the logic, but WAIT, it's an ORIS!!! Brand lust! Those four letters make it worth it....right?! And, so I came here, asking opinions of the much respected WIT masters, and, thank you, everyone, for their input. Good advice here led to more deep thinking on it, and, as it turns out, it's a brand right up the street along my logic of getting more watch for less money.

Perhaps it's "just" the poor man's Seamaster haha, but call me a lucky poor man then, because, once on the wrist, it has the look and feel of any of the options three to four times the cost. It's just freakin' beeeeyoooooteeeeffullll!!!!

And, I get it now, the general consensus of what an impressive watch it is, despite not having some uber fancy movement inside.

And, as a side note, on that front, it's keeping time within COSC specs at present, so, definitely no complaints on the SW220-1 (Oris Calibre 752). I love the 28,800 bph sweep, and, yes, just a 38h PR, but, it lives in a winder when off the wrist (which it hasn't been, yet!) so, again, nothing at all to whine about.

But, on to the WATCH!!!

Arrives nicely boxed in colors that highlight the famed "red rotor" (although mine is not an exhibition caseback):

H9UuWET.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==


AnwCVnS.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==


5CihCgB.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

One might wonder, why the Big Day Date, instead of the "regular" Aquis? Well, I'm a fan of the day/date combo and a fan of bigger cases, so, this one not only gives me that more appreciated information detail, but also bumps the case up to 45.5mm, which is much more appealing to me. Also gets pushed up to 500m WR, which is pointless, naturally, haha, given that I don't even dive at all, let alone would want to die at 500m down, but, in the "oh that's cool" world of watch specs, I just liked the beefier overall presentation, compared to the 43mm Aquis line I was able to handle at an AD location.

This all became much easier to decide when I came across this model on sale, for about a grand less than an AD wants and, at the lower price point, it only increased the "how much watch am I getting for how much" factor, and felt, honestly, like somewhat of a steal.

2bOfX6L.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==


LrafGKR.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==
?

rP5dkMf.jpg
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

This model also eliminates the indices between the main hour markers, opting instead for a marked chapter ring, which, for my preference, gave a cleaner design, aided by numerical marking rather than just hash marks.

G3JUKt6.jpg


Ceramic bezel, of course, with engraved indices and number markers, and action of the 120 click bezel is incredible, being both firmly assured yet buttery smooth and easy to operate. Screw down crown is equally stellar, attesting to the superlative build quality here.

And, apologies for blathering on -- I know this is preaching to the choir, so to speak -- but, this being my first Oris, I'm a bit spellbound, haha, so thanks for putting up with my starry eyed account of things...

9ZsuSGv.jpg


Legends of the bracelet quality are not overblown, at all. Not just a work of beauty, but supreme comfort, and the variety of link sizes to remove resulted in a fantastically perfect fit. I can see why they go with a proprietary bracelet. A bit bold, one might think, to announce to the customer that one won't be swapping this out, but, I wouldn't want to! Utterly handsome, a beautiful taper down to the clasp, which, itself, is a work of art, hefty, secure, nothing stamped of metal here, all solid pieces, including the dive extension.

oEe8hyT.jpg


BulIg9H.jpg


WOvpOLe.jpg


While not getting to see the famous Red Rotor, I nonetheless love the adorned caseback, with conversion scale of meters to feet....

xGS4A0z.jpg


The finishing of the case itself is a joy to behold. I don't have a ton of "high end" watch experience, other than drooling over photos, for the most part, haha, but the presentation here is certainly more than enough to make me smile!

YF3d41v.jpg


pJNRLWc.jpg


On the wrist, it's a bit of heaven, for sure. I believe it is what is called a "kettle case" design, meaning a slight flair outward from case top (which is tucked just under the overhang of the bezel -- a sight extension beyond the case which really augments the ease of bezel use) and, with the downturned lugs, the outcome is a perfect parking job atop the wrist.

8UY7ALN.jpg


KHWjJB7.jpg


Vijm3OC.jpg


The deep navy dial is highly expressive under different lighting, so, the watch can almost seem black on black, with the ceramic bezel, but catches light beautifully to reveal the oceanic blue...

Ubqja3p.jpg




RuDi2aQ.jpg


And, last but not least, a big deciding factor over the less pricey Longines I was considering, is the lume of the Oris, which is excellent! Great shade of blue, and lasts all night.

2j0qrlg.jpg


So, again, many thanks to all of those who gave me feedback on my inquiries about this watch. I'm pleased beyond expectation, which is saying a lot, considering I'd built up a lot of hopes here.

This is definitely a significant chapter in my watch hobby/madness, and this piece is a real joy.

Thanks for reading all!
 
gr8 score on big donut

- big leap from 10 HUN to 20 HUN

-this brand is among the few i see holding pricing power...wear it in good health ( wearing the donut is better for you than eating the donut )
 
Once you get a really quality watch like this on your wrist it's hard to go back to the TV brands. (at least for me) That doesn't mean you should quit wearing the ones you already own, only that you get a better understanding of what out there and what some watch companies produce. Truth be told, even a lot of the micro brands can produce quality timepieces for under a grand and I have plenty of those too.

But I knew when I got my first Oris (and some other brands) that there was no going back to the brands that got me collecting. Now I much rather forgo 4 or 5 lesser watches and get that 1 better piece. Some folks will obviously disagree with me on this but that's what makes this hobby so much fun. We all have different needs and wants.

A big congrats on picking up your first Oris... :wink:
 
excellent observation Joel. An Aquis is like a gateway drug! lol I don't think I've bought a single TV brand since getting my Aquis. Not to disparage those watches and those who enjoy them. I still enjoy the ones I own for sure.
 
Back
Top Bottom