Last year WatchPro unveiled its Watches of the Year 2013, made up of 10 winning timepieces and 90 highly commended watches that we felt boasted commercial appeal, innovation and had wowed consumers and retailers alike over the past 12 months.
Winner of the WatchPro Sports Watch of the Year 2013 was the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge.
As watch brands pepper the market with diving watches and continue to compete to create watches that go deeper and offer more precision than ever, it was the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, which actually boasts a built-in depth gauge, that really made a splash at BaselWorld this year.
The technologically advanced divers’ watch, which measures time and depth, builds on the experience the brand has gained in developing and producing the ProDiver and Aquis series.
When a diver descends into the water wearing the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, water enters into the milled channel through an inlet at 12 o’clock into a small channel in the sapphire crystal. The increasing water pressure compresses the air inside the channel. The water causes the channel to become dark grey and the edge between the dark grey (water) and the light grey (compressed air) marks the depth on the yellow metre scale on the inside of the sapphire crystal.
So that a reading can be made more easily, the sapphire crystal has a non-reflective treatment on both sides.
For reading the time, the black ceramic inlay of the unidirectional revolving top ring has an engraved 60-minute scale, with individual minute lines from zero to 15. Protection is provided by a stainless steel safety barrier into which the stainless steel screw-in security crown is embedded.
This snazzy bit of kit, which not only has the chunky and robust appearance we expect from a trusted diver’s watch, as well as the built-in depth gauge, even comes in a special waterproof case as part of a set that includes a replacement metal bracelet and a set of tools to change the strap. Looking ahead to holidaying in 2014, this watch definitely has a place on our Christmas wish list.
To read a digital version of the WatchPro Watches of the Year 2013 edition click here.
