Oris is a long-established brand founded in Hölstein, Switzerland in 1904.
Since its founding, the company has consistently provided high-quality mechanical watches at reasonable prices, and its "serious" attitude is similar to that of domestic manufacturers.
This brand has been steadily gaining recognition in recent years for its in-house development of highly practical and reliable movements and for its sincere efforts towards the environment.
This time, we are unboxing and reviewing Oris's ``Aquis Date Caliber 400 41.5mm model'' released in June 2021!
Let's open it right away!
When you open the outer box, you will immediately find a manual for the "Caliber 400 (Cal.400)".
This Cal.400 is a high-performance in-house developed movement that Oris launched in the fall of 2020.
Is this price good for this performance? It's so fascinating that I'll introduce it to you later.
This new Aquis is of course a model equipped with this Cal.400.
Now let's open the inner box...
Yes! Meet us!
The green dial is the best...
The Cal.400 Aquis released last year was a very limited lineup, available only in blue and with a diameter of 43.5 mm.
This time, green and gray colors have been added, and the diameter has been reduced to 41.5mm!
There are also variations of steel bracelets and rubber straps, so the lineup has suddenly increased to 8 products! Yay!
First, I'd like to take a closer look at my favorite, the green dial.
Originally, the green dial of Aquis was a popular color due to the recent green color boom.
The gradation dial on the deep green ceramic bezel is very beautiful...
The finish gives a sense of luxury.
It combines visibility and beauty as a diver's watch.
When you look at the size of this 41.5mm diameter, you might be mistaken to think that it's a little big when you look at the number, but if you subtract the width of the rotating bezel, the dial is smaller, and I think it actually looks a little smaller because it's sunken into the bezel.
Even though the diameter is the same, the impression of the actual size is quite different between a diver model like this and a model with a thin bezel and a simple dial (especially white).
When choosing the size, please be careful not to get caught up only in the numbers.
The bracelet tapers tightly towards the buckle.
Among other brands, even the new Omega Spimas Pro has a fairly bold tapered shape.
I think it's a matter of personal preference, but I like the clean buckle because it feels very comfortable to wear.
Peeking through the skeletonized case back is Oris' proud Cal.400 movement.
It looks like the face of Oris Bear, the mascot character of Oris, and is unique!
This Cal.400 has 3 points!
- Long power reserve of approximately 5 days
- High magnetic resistance of 2,250 Gauss
- Manufacturer's 10 year long warranty
The specs are such that you can use it for a long time and with peace of mind.
In addition, a ``quick change system'' has been introduced that allows the belt to be attached and detached by hand.
You can easily change it to a rubber strap (sold separately) and use it immediately!
Check the size
When I put it on my arm, the short lugs made it fit around my slender arms.
The wearer's arm circumference is approximately 15cm, so it should be a good balance for the average Japanese man!
The previous model is a slightly larger model (43.5mm), so I would recommend it to those who have tried it on.
If you have an arm circumference of less than 16mm like me, you should wait for it to become a little smaller...lol
Color variations
As I wrote at the beginning, this time it is available in 3 colors!
The green color was beautiful, but the other two colors are also easy to use.
Blue is a color that also appeared on the 43.5mm model last fall.
This also has a beautiful deep gradation...
This diver's watch has a refreshing impression, with colors reminiscent of the sea.
Gray (anthracite) is a simple color that looks easy to match with a jacket.
The bezel is black and gives a tight impression.
The gray dial seems to give a serious image to your wrist.
Compare with 43.5mm model
Compared to the previous 43.5mm model, you can see that it is about one size smaller.
Also, the dial display has been slightly changed, but don't worry, the specs remain the same.
Personally, I think 41.5mm is cleaner and nicer!
As a side note, there used to be AUTOMATIC written under the "ORIS" logo, but since around 2018 that has been removed, giving a cleaner impression.
This is also a point where you can decide what you like, but I think it's better not to have it when you get used to it. lol
By the way...
If you wear this 43.5mm with an arm circumference of 15cm, it will be huge!
This unit also has a short lag, so although it seems to be able to fit it in somehow, it may look a little ungainly.
As expected, the size feels a little large even considering the current trends.
However, if you have thick arms, a diver's watch may need to be bulky! I think this 43.5mm is recommended for those who say so.
Summary
Well, I took a look at Oris's new product for 2021, "Aquis Date Cal.400 41.5mm", what do you think?
This "Cal.400" was announced last fall, but since the beginning of this year, the number of models equipped with it has been increasing one after another.
As with this 41.5mm model, the diameter has also been made smaller, which is good news for those who had to wait for the model released last year because of their thin arms.
It is important that a watch can be used safely and for a long time.
I'm really happy that a model with a timeless design and size like this one is equipped with a reliable machine that can be used for a long time!
Oris has been around for a long time, and is a brand that connoisseurs can enjoy mechanical watches at reasonable prices.
We highly recommend this manufacturer to anyone who wants to own a mechanical watch for the first time, or for their second or third time, so we hope you will take your time to consider it.
We have also posted review videos of the models introduced this time on YouTube.
Please take a look!