01.774.7727.7784-SET
Oris Boutique / Mayfair, 9th March 2019
It's a good many years since I tried on an Oris Aquis on an orange rubber strap, and in the meantime I haven't really seen anything from the brand that excited me. If anything they seemed to moving in completely the 'wrong' direction as far as I was concerned, with small, olive drab military watches and other retro pieces. So I was a little surprised to see this 51mm Dive Control in the window of the South Molton Street boutique and was more than eager to try it on.
As I suspected, the rest of the shop was a non-starter for me, save the odd Aquis, but even those I struggle to really get excited about these days (although I did see an interesting metallic green model in Watches of Switzerland earlier in the day). But really, I only had eyes for this one, and while it is definitely a big watch, it really doesn't wear as big as you would think.
When I first tried it on I assumed it was 45-46mm, it was only when Serge told me that the watch was actually 51mm that I realised. I think it's because the lugs are so short and the rubber strap come straight down off the case and moulds straight to the wrist. True it's also very thick and that is a bit of a hindrance to daily wear, but it could be a lot worse.
This piece is limited to 500 and comes in a nice little case with a watch tool and different heads to fit a variety of screws, including the bespoke ones that hold the strap in place. Incidentally, you get both the black and yellow rubber straps with this one and I think that's a great move. Black helps to shrink the perceived size of the watch, but yellow is ideal for days when you perhaps want people to notice it or maybe you want to wear it in the sea or on the beach.
Serge's ultra-violet torch was running low but he assures me that the lume on this piece is crazy bright and I have to say I love the look of this watch... I just wish it was a bit smaller. I don't have a small wrist, but even with the shorter lugs 51mm is a big piece size. Obviously the high spec of the model (which includes a DLC coated titanium case) is what pushes the price up to £3900, but even at that price you have to say it's good value for money. It's beautifully made and the bezel features a very clever locking system, but I can't help but feel that if they made an Aquis that looked like this (albeit with a lower spec), even if it was say £2000, then I think they'd have a real winner on their hands. I'd certainly be in the queue for one!
No comments:
Post a Comment