The last time we saw a new chronograph in Oris‘ Aquis line was in 2018. It was a watch certainly of its time: It was big, had an asymmetrical dial layout, and as far as I can tell, came in just black and blue. There was no sign of the rainbow of dial colors you see on Oris models now, but it was unmistakenly an Aquis — anyone who knows what the Aquis is will never forget what one looks like. On the heels of the Aquis redesign (or refinement), the brand has decided it’s time to bring back and rework the Oris Aquis Chronograph.
Even though the Aquis just underwent a redesign that gave it a better wear, it’s still a chunky watch. That’s even truer for the Aquis Chronograph, which has the same 43.5mm diameter and 51mm lug-to-lug as the dive models but a 16.2mm thickness — a full 3mm thicker. Yes, that’s quite a substantial watch, and my experience with the Aquis is you feel every bit of every dimension. That said, it’s a decrease from the previous model that clocked in at a 45.5mm, and the updates to the Aquis case and bracelet should help to make the Chronograph wear just a touch better than expected. The case features a unidirectional timing bezel with a color-matched ceramic insert with a lumed pip. The right of the case carries the inverted chronograph pushers and the screw-down crown (the watch has 300m water resistance), while large screwed-on crown guards fill in the gaps between. To me, the guards aren’t strictly necessary and create quite a bit of imbalance to the watch. As is the signature of the Aquis, the watch has a truly integrated steel bracelet that appears to lack the quick-release mechanism introduced on the new Aquises. Similarly, the bracelet’s clasp lacks the new diver’s built-in micro-adjustment mechanism, opting instead for a diver’s extension and a series of holes for sizing with a tool.
Oris is firm in asserting this as an Aquis and nothing else. The only model available at launch will have a brilliant blue sunburst dial with 3-6-9 subdials for the 30-minute chrono, 12-hour chrono, and running seconds, respectively. The applied indices are polished and sloped, and the hands are the same as on the dive models, including the lollipop seconds hand, which here acts as the chronograph seconds. The subdials appear to have a slight recess and blend a circular-brushed ring with a snailed center. I can’t imagine any legibility issues here, and the layout is pleasingly symmetrical. The only blemish is the harsh cutout date that sits almost entirely within the 6 o’clock subdial — but not quite entirely, as its lower edge peeks out. I would’ve liked to see more care taken with the execution.
The Oris Aquis Chronograph uses the Oris Caliber 771, which is based on the Sellita SW510 automatic chronograph movement. The movement has a solid 62-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph with 27 jewels. I can’t speak to the complexity and obstacles in creating an in-house movement, but given how aggressively Oris touts its Calibre 400 and how long it’s taken them to revisit the Aquis Chronograph, I would have thought this the perfect opportunity to introduce an in-house chronograph caliber.
This revision of the Aquis Chronograph is a long time coming indeed and getting it down from 45.5mm to 43.5mm, a diameter shared with the rest of the revamped Aquis line is an admirable accomplishment that should widen its appeal. That said, these strike me a bit like the Omega Seamaster chronographs — an excellent dive watch sullied by adding a chronograph. Oris already has a chronograph-equipped dive watch in the Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph and it’s just 40mm! If anything, I would’ve liked to see them introduce/reintroduce a chronograph to the neglected Propilot collection. As it is, this watch will likely find its footing with a very niche set of watch enthusiasts, most likely those with an existing love of the Aquis or ardent devotion to Oris. The Oris Aquis Chronograph is priced at $4,900 USD. For more information, please visit the Oris website.
