So, yesterday’s article focused on what we’ll call a “new” luxury material – carbon fiber. If you prefer your luxury to be more in the form of the “old”, well, friend, the Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition is going to catch your eye.
Now, the observant reader will ask if this is not – basically – the same watch that we reviewed back here. Survey says – yes! At least to my eyes, this is very much the Orisu Aquis GMT Date wrapped up in a case made of 18-carat yellow gold rather than steel. Does this make it more suited to the diving world? I’m guessing not, but it does very much move it into the luxury realm.
It also helps Oris to be able to support the Coral Restoration Foundation – which, if that’s not an effort to break out your first solid-gold watch case, well, I don’t know what else would be. While some brands might pledge a portion of the funds to the initiative, Oris is doing things differently. Only 50 pieces are being produced, and serial numbers 3, 4, and 5 are being donated to the Foundation, which they will then auction off at different events to raise funds.
If you want to get a sense for this watch (aside from the gold), our full hands-on review of the Oris Aquis GMT Date can be read here which will give you a sense of the piece. If you’re not feeling in the auction mood, you should be able to buy one of the remaining examples directly from Oris for $19,000. oris.ch
Tech Specs from Oris
- Ref. no. 01 798 7754 6185
- Set Limited to 50 pieces
- Case Material: Multi-piece solid 18-carat yellow gold case with a bi-directional rotating bezel with black and blue ceramic insert and laser-engraved 24-hour scale
- Size: 43.50 mm, 1.713 inches
- Top glass: Sapphire, domed on both sides, antireflective coating inside
- Case back: Solid 18-carat yellow gold with a sapphire crystal inlay printed with the limited edition number and a special Carysfort Reef motif
- Operating devices: Solid 18-carat yellow gold screw-in security crown
- Water resistance: 30 bar/300 m
- Interhorn width: 24 mm
- Movement
- Number: Oris 798, base SW 330-1
- Dimensions: ? 25.60 mm, 11 1/2???
- Functions: Centre hands for hours, minutes, seconds and 24 hours, date window at 3 o?clock, instantaneous date, date and 24-hour corrector, fine timing device and stop-second
- Winding: Automatic
- Power reserve: 42 hours
- Vibrations: 4 Hz (28?800 A/h)
- Jewels: 28
- Dial Design
- Blue
- 24-hour time zone indicator
- Luminous material Hour markers and hands filled with Super-LumiNova?
- Strap: Blue leather with rubber coating and 18-carat yellow gold pin buckle
- Availability April 2020
- Swiss retail price CHF 17?900
- Special wooden presentation box
