Oris Partners with the Reef Restoration Foundation to Create the Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition IV Watch

Sustainability is becoming increasingly crucial as businesses grow more mindful of their environmental and social impact. Many watchmakers now use recyclable metals and polymers derived from ocean trash. Among the luxury watch brands, Oris has been embracing sustainable materials for years now — take those used in the Oris Aquis Date Upcycle in 2021 and the Dat Watt series. The company also prepared a full sustainability report in 2023, describing its efforts to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable environment.

In keeping with its sustainability initiatives, the timepiece maker has now launched the Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition IV to support the Australian non-profit ReefRestoration Foundation — the sales proceeds from the watch will be contributed to the brand’s financial assistance for the Foundation’s coral tree planting initiative. The Great Barrier Reef is under serious threat, chiefly from human activity and climate change. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the oceans but are home to 25% of ocean species. These keep our seas healthy, with the oceans offering 70% of the world's oxygen. However, coral bleaching is destroying these reefs. The ReefRestoration Foundation combats this issue by cultivating more resilient corals in order to recreate environments capable of supporting more sensitive corals. According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, aerial surveys of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park show that 73 percent of the reefs surveyed have what is known as “prevalent bleaching”. 

 Says Rolf Studer, Co-CEO, Oris,“Thebrand is climate-neutral and committed to the UN’s Sustainable DevelopmentGoals. Supporting the Reef Restoration Foundation is a joy and we’re delighted to shine a light on their work to counter the effects of climate change on the world’s reefs.” Oris partnered with the Foundation in 2018 as part of its mission to usher in “Change for the Better”. 

Dedicated to a noble cause, the latest Oris release has various distinctive design elements that make it stand out. The Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition IV is based on the latest-generation 43.5 mm Aquis Date, which was introduced earlier this year. The stainless steel timepiece has a screw-incrown at 3 o’clock with protectors, in addition to a unidirectional rotatingbezel with a grey tungsten insert that shows a 60-minute scale and a triangleat the 60 minutes mark. 

 Protected by a double-domed sapphire crystal, the gradient turquoise and blue dial has a vertical effect that simulates the sun's rays filtering through the water of the Great Barrier Reef, as seen from above. The attached, shield-shaped and faceted hour indices are tall, and are accompanied by Alpha-style hour and minute hands. The hands,hour markers, and the lollipop centre seconds hand have been coated with Super-LumiNova to improve visibility in low-light conditions.

The window at 6 o'clock displays a date disc that matches the darker dial area. The new Oris Great Barrier ReefLimited Edition IV is powered by an in-house Calibre 400 automatic movement. It has a five-day power reserve and advanced anti-magnetic characteristics. Calibre 400 operates within the COSC-recommended chronometric settings and achieves an outstanding daily accuracy of -3/+5 seconds. 

 The screwed caseback is engraved with an image of coral and a starfish. It also has the “Great Barrier ReefLimited Edition” inscription and individual limited-edition numbering; there are 2,000 pieces available. The watch also has a 10-year suggested servicing interval and a noteworthy 10-year warranty with registration. It is finished on a multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet with the Oris-patented Quick Strap Change System and a security folding clasp with the Oris-patented quick adjust clasp system.