Oris Aquis Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition Review
When a watch brand like Oris takes the time to support the work of an organization that protects the endangered it's certainly worthy of a Limited Edition in support of the cause.
It was March 4, 2014, when the ESA listed the staghorn coral (Acropora Cervicornis) as endangered. This stony coral has branches that look like the horns on a stag and hence the name. Although this type of coral is the fastest-growing of all fringe corals in the Atlantic it has regretfully been seen struggling to keep its numbers up. While most people don't think of corals as high on the food chain, they do provide habitat for all sorts of species and help to grow reefs and keep the ecosystem sustainable. Their role may appear to be behind the scenes but it is a very important one.
Oris Aquis Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition Review
As a mechanical watchmaker and favorite brand for many professional divers and diving enthusiasts, Oris knows the devastation that happens when you remove one important component from a watch movement. Recognizing the importance of all pieces playing their special part is possibly why they teamed up with the Coral Restoration Foundation to support the restoration of the staghorn coral.
Introducing the Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition from Oris. An innovative and really good looking automatic diver's watch. Let's take a real close look at what makes this watch special.
CASE
The 43.5mm case is made of stainless steel has a brushed and polished finish and is built solid. The screw-down crown and gaskets used in its construction allow for a great water-resistance at 300m/1000ft. While the thickness of the case is only 12.6mm it doesn't look obstructive on the wrist and can easily fit under most shirt sleeves, in the event that you need to change out of your wetsuit.
CASE BACK
The Case back is solid stainless steel and quite beautifully engraved and decorated with a relief of the Staghorn. Surrounding the staghorn engraving are the words 'Oris Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition' with the number of the edition wrapped around it below. You'll also notice 6 bored holes around the case back which are used for removing the back of the watch.
While I personally would have liked to see the movement through a transparent case back, it's pretty obvious why they didn't design the watch with that feature since it would allow for an extra special edition case back as it has now.
BEZEL
The black ceramic rotating bezel has a graduating scale in orange going from the 12 o'clock position to the 3 o'clock position. A luminous dot is at the top of the bezel in an orange downward-facing triangle.
From the 4 o'clock position to the 11 o'clock position on the bezel you will find white numerals for the minutes every ten-minute interval i.e. 20, 30, 40 & 50 and separated from one another by white index markers.
DIAL
The dial on the Oris Staghorn edition is quite extraordinary, to say the least. An interesting thing about it that you don't see every day is how the day of the week is displayed in the center chapter ring using a disk that turns around and shows a flash of orange under a cutaway to indicate the day of the week.
The metallic blue dial is quite spectacular and has a bluish hue reminiscent of the depths of the ocean. The polished steel hour and minutes hands and index hour markers are filled with Superluminova BG W9 luminous fill to provide excellent visibility. The central second's hand is a bright orange with a luminous dot towards the end of the hand. All this beauty is protected by an anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
MOVEMENT
The Oris Aquis Staghorn Limited Edition is powered by an Oris automatic movement; the Oris caliber 735 which is based on an SW220-1 ébauche caliber from Sellita.
The signature red rotor provides the self-winding movement it's continuous energy. The 26-jewel Oris 735 movement beats at 28,800 VpH and has an approximate power reserve of 38 hours.
VARIATIONS
There are at the moment two watches in this limited edition series. One is the model that you see here which is reference # 01 735 7734 4185-Set MB and comes on a steel bracelet. The other model comes on a black rubber strap with a push-button folding clasp buckle and the reference number 01 735 7734 4185-Set RS.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand: | Oris | Oris |
| Series: | Staghorn Restoration LE | Staghorn Restoration LE |
| Model #: | 01 735 7734 4185-Set MB | 01 735 7734 4185-Set RS |
| Size: | Men's | Men's |
| Case Material: | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Dial Color: | Blue | Blue |
| Bracelet/Strap: | Stainless Steel | Rubber |
| Clasp Type: | Push Button Deployant Buckle | Push Button Deployant Buckle |
| Movement: | Automatic | Automatic |
| Bezel: | Uni-Directional Rotating | Uni-Directional Rotating |
| Crystal: | Anti-Reflective Scratch Resistant Sapphire | Anti-Reflective Scratch Resistant Sapphire |
| Case Back: | Solid | Solid |
| Water Resistance: | 300m | 300m |
| Case Diameter: | 43.5mm | 43.5mm |
| Case Thickness: | 12.60mm | 12.60mm |
| Complications: | Day/Date | Day/Date |
| Warranty: | Prestige Time 2 Year Warranty | Prestige Time 2 Year Warranty |
CONCLUSION
This is truly a gorgeous watch that has a lot of unique characteristics and offers ample water resistance for some regular scuba diving and possibly a bit of coral reef exploration but the water resistance is not meant for any serious heavy-duty deep-sea diving or anything like that. On the wrist, it looks great and with a stainless steel bracelet, it can even be quite versatile although the rubber strap model is probably best worn with a wetsuit or some other sporty setting. While it only has a 38-hour power reserve.
At the moment we carry both models and happen to have them at discounted pricing. We even have a preowned model complete with original manufacturer's warranty and all original documents and paperwork for substantially less.
