Last month, Oris released their annual Hölstein Edition watch for 2023, and it takes the form of an Aquis Date model with a captivating purple dial. The Hölstein variant pays tribute to the origins of the company, as Oris was founded in Hölstein, Switzerland, in 1904. Oris has come to be known as one of the major dive watch makers in their price segment and this new release now gives buyers a relatively rare dial colour, purple, as an option.
The Aquis Date comes in at 41.5mm in diameter and has a water resistance of 300m. The main distinguishing feature of this watch compared to other Oris Aquis models is, of course, the sunburst purple dial. Set next to the dial is a unidirectional stainless steel bezel that includes a grey ceramic insert with white accents that looks pretty good against the purple dial. I think I would have preferred a black bezel more akin to Zodiac’s Liberty London Super Sea Wolf as purple and black tends to be a pretty good combo, although the Zodiac featured only limited purple accents (rather than a full purple dial), but the grey of this Aquis Date does keep the feeling of the watch a little brighter than black would. The hands and indices are both filled with Super-Luminova allowing for readability in darker conditions. As it is a dive watch, the watch also has a stainless steel screw-down crown set between crown guards. Overall, I like the general look of the watch and the dial sets this watch apart from much of the competition.
Inside the watch is Oris’ Cal. 400, a 4Hz automatic movement, that is advertised as not necessarily being COSC-certified, but as being within COSC specifications as it is supposedly accurate to -3/+5 seconds per day. What’s really impressive here is the fact that the Cal. 400 has a massive power reserve of 120 hours… beating out pretty much all of its competitors, even more impressive when considering that it’s an automatic. Another nice feature of the watch is that as long as you sign up for their “MyOris” program within the appropriate time period after purchasing the watch, Oris gives you a 10-year warranty. Many companies have increased their warranty period from a couple years to five years… but Oris seems to be wanting to outdo other brands in this area as well. Let’s hope other watchmakers follow Oris’ suit and start rolling out 10-year warranties as well.
Another distinguishing feature of the Hölstein line is that it’s the only line of watches made by Oris that feature their Oris Bear. Now, I’m not entirely sure where the bear came from, all I know for sure is that a number of years back it started to pop up in Oris’ marketing campaigns. The bear reminds me a lot of Reykjavik-based JS Watch Co.’s “Intergalactic Disco Dancer” astronaut that JS Watch Co. has been featuring in their social media in recent weeks… both the bear and space dancer are quirky, but the brands seem to be having fun with it, so I’ll let them do their thing. On the case back of this watch is a printed motif of the Oris Bear, wearing dive gear underwater no less, as well as a numbered engraving for this limited edition watch. The watch is available on a stainless steel bracelet with a security clasp and extension built into the clasp. The one issue I have sort of had with the watch is the price, but the power reserve, warranty period, and overall uniqueness help to offset those concerns a bit.
The Oris Aquis Hölstein Edition 2023 is limited to 250 pieces and is priced at 4,300 USD or 4,000 CHF.
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