First-ever gold Oris diver’s watch is also a bid to save coral reef
by Alistair CharltonLimited to just 50 pieces worldwide, what you see here is the first-ever solid gold watch from Oris.
Called the Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition, the watch is being produced in support of Coral Restoration Foundation, which by the end of this year will have outplanted 30,000 corals on Florida’s Carysfort Reef.
The 43.5mm case is made from solid 18-carat gold and, this being a diving watch, features a bi-directional rotating bezel with black and blue ceramic insert and laser-engraved 24-hour scale.
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The case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal, and the case back, crown and numerous details across the dial are all finished in matching 18-carat gold, while the dial is a striking blue with Super-LumiNova-filed hour markers and 24-hour time zone indicator.
On the case back you will find a sapphire crystal inlay, under which is a Carysfort Reef motif and the watch’s unique edition number.
Water-resistance is 300 metres (30 bar), aided by a screw-in crown, and the dial features a second hand for reading 24-hour time, and a date complication at the three o’clock position.
Inside, the watch is powered by an Oris 798 self-winding mechanical movement with 28 jewels and a power reserve of 42 hours.
Oris has fitted the watch with a blue leather strap with rubber coating and 18-carat yellow gold pin buckle.
The Swiss watchmaker will donate three of the 50 watches, numbers two, three and four, to the Coral Restoration Foundation. These will then be auctioned at a series of events this spring, with proceeds going to the non-profit organisation.
In case you are wondering, the watch’s Carysfort name comes from the coral reef of the same name in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary near Key Largo. It is also part of the Florida Reef Tract, which is the third-largest barrier reef in the world, and the only barrier reef in the US.
The watch will be available from April and is priced at CHF 17,900 (£14,000 / $18,200).
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