It’s one of the world’s most recognisable diver’s watches. But how well do you know its story?
The Aquis’s roots go back to the 1960s when Oris made its first diver’s watch. While the plexiglass crystals and 30-metre water resistance of those first models look dated now, at the time, they were welcomed by the diving community – and an Oris tradition was born.
The current generation Aquis stems from the Oris Full Steel, created in 1998. Here’s a quick history.
1998 Full Steel This sports watch wasn’t aimed at divers – it didn’t have a rotating bezel, for starters. But the performance and design precedents were set. You only have to look at those horns to see the Aquis DNA coming through.
2001 TT1 Inspired by F1 tyres, the TT1 wasn’t a diver’s watch either, but the hi-tech fusion of materials and advanced performance levels proved Oris’s watchmaking ambitions. This watch would lead to Oris’s long-time partnership with the Williams F1 Team.
2002 TT Divers From F1 to the depths. The TT Divers took the TT1 formula and adapted it to the deep, bringing in a uni-directional rotating bezel, heavy use of lume and a hefty stainless steel case and bracelet. Nearly 20 years on, its influence over the current Aquis is clear.
2009 ProDiver Oris worked with commercial divers to develop the high-spec ProDiver, which debuted the Oris-patented Rotation Safety System, or RSS. This mechanical system locked the bezel in place, giving divers added reassurance when timing dives. It’s still in the collection today.
2011 Aquis Ten years ago, Oris introduced a high-performance diver’s watch aimed at the wider diving community. With its uni-directional rotating bezel, screw-down crown, crown protectors, lollipop seconds hand and impressive water resistance, it was a diver’s watch category milestone.
2013 Aquis Depth Gauge Underlining its spirit of innovation, Oris created ‘the watch with a hole’. The Aquis Depth Gauge allowed water into a channel milled into the crystal, creating a watermark read off against a gauge running around the dial. An ingenious invention that’s gone down in watchmaking history.
2017 Aquis Second Generation In recognition that many owners were choosing to wear their Aquis as a daily watch, Oris redesigned it, slimming the case and bracelet down while retaining the same high levels of performance and build quality. It’s become Oris’s most popular model.
2020 Aquis Date Calibre 400 Last year, Oris announced an in-house developed five-day, anti-magnetic automatic calibre with a class-leading 10-year warranty. This new standard in Swiss Made automatics needed a home for launch. Where better than the heroic Aquis?
