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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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