Oris Aquis Date “Cherry Red” Watch Review

Oris releases a new addition to the Aquis dive watch collection, dressed in a vivid “Cherry Red” dial colour.

How many cherry sunburst dive watches do you have in your collection….? Exactly. The new Oris Aquis Date Cherry Red dive watch is a complete head-turner. And why no other luxury watch brand has ever thought of releasing one before remains a mystery, as it not only carries a striking personality but its dial ticks all the boxes when it comes to legibility. The new Oris Aquis Date watch with a cherry red dial is ready to take to the water but equally as eager to lap up the attention it deserves on the wrist of any Oris watch lover. Every serious dive watch aficionado who owns a dive tool with a vivid dial or bezel is sure to want to welcome the new colourful Oris Aquis Date into their collection. Its design reinvents the steel-on-steel dive watch instantly associated with the 1970s and promises a robust yet compact case that protects a tried-and-tested movement at its centre. Meanwhile, a 300-meter water-resistant case ensures it can withstand plenty of underwater exploration.

If colourful dive watches are your jam, you definitely need to meet the new  Oris Aquis “Cherry Red” watch. Having released the new Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy colours in time for Watches & Wonders 2021, it seems the Swiss brand is dipping its toes into more adventurous colours this year. The “Cherry Red” flavour is both unexpected and instantly memorable, wrapped in a 41.5mm case engineered from robust stainless steel. The last time Oris played around with red was when it created a collaborative model in the form of a Pointer Date, yet the new red shade used in the Cherry Red Oris Aquis Date watch is much brighter and flirts with the light unapologetically thanks to a stunning sunburst effect.

Laid out in a typical Aquis fashion, the dial of the new Oris diving watch stays true to form with a simplified three-handed display equipped with luminous material to assist with timekeeping in dark conditions. The detailed minute track borders the edge of the dial and the baton markers representing each hour location are bold and coated with Super-LumiNova. The chunky hour and minute hands are also filled with Super-LumiNova and join a lollipop central second hand. A date window resides at 3 o’clock, dressed against a white background to enhance readability underneath a strong lens crafted from sapphire crystal glass. This remarkably durable glass material that has a hardness second only to a diamond, is treated with anti-reflective properties to rid the dial of any undesirable glare whilst caught under artificial lighting or natural sunlight.

The new Oris Aquis Date “Cherry Red” dive watch doubles up as a great daily beater and promises value for money thanks to its affable price tag – two qualities that Oris has worked hard to maintain throughout its watchmaking journey. The rugged round case of the Oris Aquis Date Cherry Red watch sits in between the larger 43.5mm case belonging to the first Oris Aquis released back in 2011 and the more unisex 39.5mm option that surfaced in 2018. Dive watches today, being more likely to serve the wrist on dry land as opposed to being worn as a deep-sea diving tool, need to be versatile enough to adapt to day-to-day life. The Aquis, therefore, received a facelift back in 2017 to overt its instrumental tool characteristics. The horns and bracelet were reduced in thickness, the crown guards and screw-done crown was further refined and the overall shape of the case boasted an all-round sleeker silhouette. The stylish vibe of the reworked Oris Aquis watch has never been more noticeable. The “Cherry Red” dial of the Oris Aquis Date watch is framed by a unidirectional rotating bezel crafted from stainless steel, which goes without the addition of the ceramic insert. Instead, the 60-minute markings are polished against a textured surface to enhance visibility in a relief effect. The purpose of a bezel that only rotates in the counter-clockwise direction ensures that the remaining dive time can never be extended whilst underwater. This style of bezel has been used by the Swiss brand before in the special edition Oris Aquis Date Relief model back in 2019. The well-defined grooves along the bezel promote an easy-grip effect underneath a wet diving suit and the crown guards at the side of the case are angular in shape.

The back of the case features an exhibition window crafted from mineral glass, granting a clear view of the automatic movement as it performs inside the case. The Oris Calibre 733 is a reliable movement that has served Oris well throughout its catalogue. Based on the Sellita SW200-1, it provides a 48-hour power reserve and beats at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Protected inside its 300-meter water-resistant case is one feature that does make for a spectacle - the modified red rotor which can be admired through the back of the case. Its striking red hue seamlessly complements the rich cherry red tones of the watch’s dial side.

The new Oris Aquis Date “Cherry Red” watch is completed on a robust three-link bracelet with brushed and polished finishes. It secures firmly to the wrist with a folding clasp and an integrated diver’s extension facility for securing over the top of thick diving gear.  For more information on the new Oris Aquis Cherry Red watch, or to explore our entire range of Oris Aquis watches at Jura Watches, you can visit the full collection here or call our team on 01335 453454

Technical specifications of the Oris Aquis Date “Cherry Red” watch

• Reference: 01 733 7766 4158 8 22 05 PEB
• Case: Diameter 41.5mm – brushed and polished finishes – 300-meter water-resistant – domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front – mineral glass caseback – screw-down crown with protecting guards
• Dial: Sunburst cherry red – date at 3 o’clock – painted minute track – Super-LumiNova-filled baton hour markers – Super-LumiNova-filled hour and minute hands – lollipop second hand
• Movement: Oris Calibre 733 – self-winding – based on the Sellita SW200-1 – 38-hour power reserve – 28,800 v.p.h – Oris Red rotor
• Strap: Stainless steel 3-row – polished and brushed finishes – folding clasp – integrated diver’s extension
• Price: £1,600