It should never be lost in the mists of time that Oris has been a trailblazer in promoting sustainability and environmental causes well before it became fashionable or commercially worthwhile.
We should all welcome the fact that far more brands are banging the eco-warrior drum, but Oris was one of the first and most committed.
A limited edition Aquis launching today is one of a series of timepieces designed to raise money and draw attention to worthy causes.
In this case, Oris is returning to a long-fought campaign to cleanup the world’s oceans so they will always be safe for the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, which has seen its world population halve over the past 75 years.
“As top predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping species below them in the food chain, and as indicators of ocean health,” says Oris ambassador and underwater photographer Gerardo del Villar, who has been documenting whale sharks for more than 15 years.
“They help to eliminate the weak and sick and to maintain balance with competitors, thus guaranteeing species diversity. Without whale sharks, ecosystems will collapse in the future.”
Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer insists the company is not going to stop drawing attention to the issues facing the world’s water.
“We’re proud to work with Gerardo and support his work, but this is a drop in the ocean. To bring Change for the Better, everyone needs to play their part,” he says.
Oris’s Aquis Whale Shark Limited Edition is a GMT version of the watch and is being produced in a run of 2,016 numbered pieces.
The CHF 2,800 watch has an aqua marine blue dial engraved to look like whale shark skin.
It comes in a 43.5mm steel case housing an Oris 798 automatic movement.
The watch is worn on a steel bracelet and is water resistant to 300 meters.
