Oris Aquis Yangtze Jiangtun

Switzerland’s Hölstein valley has long served as the quiet, industrial backdrop for a brand that persistently marches to the beat of its own drum. While much of the Swiss watchmaking industry chases the ephemeral trends of high fashion or the breathless hype of investment-grade commodities, Oris has carved out a distinct niche defined by mechanical purity and a surprisingly earnest dedication to environmental stewardship. This commitment is not merely a marketing veneer applied to shift units; it appears woven into the company's operational philosophy. The latest manifestation of this ethos arrives in the form of a purpose-built diver that directs attention toward the murky, turbulent waters of China’s longest river. The Aquis Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition is a timepiece that carries a heavy narrative burden, tasked with representing the fragile existence of the Yangtze finless porpoise, a creature hovering precariously on the brink of extinction.



The premise of this release is rooted in a stark ecological reality rather than romanticized notions of oceanic exploration. The Yangtze River, a vital artery for Chinese commerce and agriculture, has suffered decades of degradation, leading to the functional extinction of the Baiji dolphin. Now, the finless porpoise—known locally as the "Jiangtun"—stands as the river's sole surviving aquatic mammal. With a population that had dwindled terrifyingly low before a recent, tentative rebound to approximately 1,249 individuals, the species is a biological indicator of the river’s health. Oris has partnered with the Changjiang Conservation Foundation to amplify awareness and generate funds for the protection of this critically endangered cetacean. The resulting watch is a limited release of exactly 1,249 pieces, a number that serves as a grim census as much as a production cap.



Visually, the watch commands attention through a dial that is arguably one of the most complex and evocative faces currently available in the brand's catalog. The choice of material here is paramount to the aesthetic success of the piece. Oris has employed a gradient blue-green mother-of-pearl, a substrate derived from the inner shell layer of mollusks. Mother-of-pearl is notorious in manufacturing for its brittleness and the difficulty involved in machining it to the thin tolerances required for a watch dial. However, its natural iridescence provides a depth that lacquer or brass simply cannot mimic. As light strikes the surface, the material refracts it, creating shifting pools of emerald, teal, and charcoal that mimic the silt-heavy, undulating surface of a river. It does not look like the crystal-clear water of a tropical reef; rather, it captures the mysterious, opaque quality of a massive freshwater system.



Overlaid on this shimmering organic base is a printed pattern that elevates the dial from a simple material showcase to a narrative device. Radiating waves ripple across the surface, but they are not merely decorative fluid dynamics. These lines are stylized representations of the echo-sound waves generated by the porpoise. In the turbidity of the Yangtze, vision is of little use, and these creatures rely on high-frequency, narrow-band ultrasonic clicks to navigate, hunt, and communicate. The dial artwork captures this invisible sensory world, visualizing the sonar pulses in a way that creates texture and movement. When viewing the watch, these lines appear to float slightly above the nacreous background, adding a three-dimensional quality that shifts as the wrist rotates. The effect is mesmerizing, drawing the eye inward and demanding a closer inspection of the interplay between the organic substrate and the applied geometric pattern.



Encasing this artwork is the familiar architecture of the Aquis, a modern classic in the dive watch genre that balances robust utility with a degree of refinement suitable for daily wear. The stainless steel case measures 43.50mm in diameter, a size that asserts a significant presence on the wrist without becoming unwieldy, thanks largely to the Aquis’s signature lug design. The lugs are stout and curve sharply downward, integrating seamlessly with the bracelet to wrap around the wrist rather than sitting flatly atop it. This ergonomic nuance allows a relatively large watch to wear comfortably on a wide variety of wrist sizes. The finishing on the case is a mixture of brushed and polished surfaces, a standard technique that breaks up the visual mass of the steel and adds a touch of sophistication. The crown guards are screwed on, offering substantial protection to the screw-down security crown, ensuring the assembly remains watertight to 30 bar, or 300 meters.



Surrounding the dial is a uni-directional rotating bezel, a mandatory feature for any ISO-compliant diving instrument. However, Oris has opted for a bezel insert material that deviates from the industry-standard ceramic or aluminum. This model features a tungsten insert with a relief minutes scale. Tungsten is an incredibly dense, hard metal, prized in industrial applications for its resistance to abrasion and high melting point. In the context of a watch bezel, it offers a distinct aesthetic advantage. While ceramic is often glossy and deep black, tungsten presents a metallic, gunmetal grey hue that interacts with light differently. It has a subtle, industrial sheen that complements the steel case while providing a contrast to the vibrant dial. The raised numerals and indices on the bezel are polished against a matte background, ensuring legibility remains high even in poor lighting conditions, a critical requirement for a tool designed to track immersion times.



The legibility of the dial itself is ensured by the application of Super-LumiNova to the hands and indices. The indices are applied markers, faceted to catch the light, and filled with the luminescent material to glow brightly in the dark. The handset is the characteristic Aquis obelisk shape, providing a bold, clear reading of the time. A "lollipop" seconds hand sweeps continuously, its luminous dot allowing the wearer to verify that the watch is running at a glance—another essential safety feature for a diver. At the six o'clock position, a date window is discreetly integrated. The decision to place the date at six rather than three helps to maintain the vertical symmetry of the dial, a design choice that enthusiasts often appreciate for the balance it brings to the overall composition.



Turning the watch over reveals a solid stainless steel caseback that continues the story of the Yangtze finless porpoise. Unlike the exhibition casebacks common on many modern mechanical watches, which display the movement within, this model utilizes the real estate for a special engraving. A relief depiction of the porpoise dominates the center, capturing the animal in mid-swim. The "smiling" expression often attributed to the porpoise is hinted at, but the engraving focuses on the streamlined form of the creature. Surrounding this central motif are the engravings detailing the watch's specifications and the limited edition number. The choice of a closed caseback is appropriate here; it reinforces the tool-watch nature of the Aquis and provides a canvas for the specific commemorative art that defines this limited edition. It serves as a private reminder to the owner of the cause their purchase has supported.



Inside the case beats the Oris Caliber 733. This automatic mechanical movement is based on the dependable Sellita SW 200-1 architecture, a workhorse engine that powers a vast number of Swiss watches. It operates at a frequency of 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, which gives the seconds hand a smooth, sweeping motion (eight ticks per second). The movement offers a power reserve of approximately 38 to 41 hours. While it may not boast the extended power reserves of some in-house calibers, the Caliber 733 is celebrated for its serviceability, reliability, and precision. It features a hacking seconds function, allowing the wearer to stop the seconds hand for precise time setting, and an instantaneous date change mechanism. For a watch designed to be worn and used in demanding environments, the choice of a proven, easily serviceable movement is a logical and practical decision.



The bracelet attached to the Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition is a testament to Oris’s ability to punch above its weight class in terms of hardware quality. The three-link stainless steel design is robust and articulate, with brushed outer links and polished center links. This interplay of finishes mirrors the case and adds a level of dressiness to the watch, allowing it to transition from a wetsuit to a boardroom setting without looking out of place. The bracelet attaches to the case with the brand's proprietary screw system, which feels incredibly secure. The folding clasp is substantial, featuring a safety latch to prevent accidental opening. It also includes an extension system, allowing the bracelet to be expanded quickly to fit over a diving suit—or perhaps more realistically for many owners, to relieve wrist pressure on a hot, humid day.



The environmental context of this watch cannot be overstated. The interview with Dr. Qian Zhengyi of the Changjiang Conservation Foundation illuminates the dire straits of the Yangtze ecosystem. The threats to the porpoise are multifaceted: illegal fishing deprives them of food, heavy shipping traffic creates noise pollution that interferes with their biosonar, and water pollution degrades their habitat. The "Small Porpoise, Big Love" initiative mentioned by Dr. Qian highlights the shift toward community-based conservation, transforming local fishermen—who once competed with the porpoise for resources—into protectors of the river. Oris’s involvement is not just about writing a check; it is about leveraging their global platform to broadcast this story. The funds raised from the sales of these watches go directly to public education campaigns and the support of conservation workers on the ground, or "frontline" defenders as Dr. Qian describes them.



This partnership fits seamlessly into Oris’s broader "Change for the Better" campaign. Over the last decade, the independent Swiss brand has produced a series of limited editions focusing on water conservation, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef to Lake Baikal in Siberia, and the restoration of coral via the Staghorn Restoration project. The Yangtze Jiangtun edition is a natural continuation of this lineage. It reinforces the idea that luxury goods can serve as vehicles for social and environmental impact. By tying the product to a specific, tangible outcome—the protection of a specific number of animals—Oris creates a sense of shared responsibility between the brand and the collector. The watch becomes a symbol of membership in a community that values preservation as much as precision.



On the wrist, the watch offers a reassuring heft. The stainless steel construction feels dense and durable, a reminder of the 30 bar water resistance capability. The 43.5mm diameter might sound intimidating on paper to those accustomed to vintage sizing, but the Aquis is renowned for wearing smaller than its dimensions suggest. The short, thick lugs minimize the lug-to-lug distance, keeping the watch centered on the wrist. The visual dominance of the dial, with its hypnotic waves and shifting colors, tends to draw the eye away from the sheer size of the case. In natural light, the tungsten bezel catches the sun with a muted glow, distinct from the sharp reflections of the sapphire crystal. It is a watch that invites conversation, its unique color palette standing out in a sea of black and blue divers.



The technical prowess of the Aquis platform ensures that this is not merely a piece of jewelry. The sapphire crystal is domed on both sides and treated with an anti-reflective coating on the inside. This double-doming reduces optical distortion when viewing the dial from oblique angles, a critical feature for reading the time underwater where refraction can obscure flat crystals. The anti-reflective coating ensures that the intricate details of the mother-of-pearl and the printed wave pattern remain visible even under harsh overhead lighting. The screw-in crown is easy to manipulate, with deep knurling that provides a solid grip even with wet fingers or gloves. Every interaction with the watch, from winding the movement to rotating the bezel, conveys a sense of mechanical solidity.



Collectors often scrutinize the value proposition of modern luxury watches, looking for differentiation in a crowded market. The Oris Aquis Yangtze Jiangtun offers a compelling argument through its unique material composition. The combination of a mother-of-pearl dial—traditionally associated with dress watches or women's jewelry pieces—with a rugged, professional-grade dive case is an unexpected juxtaposition. It challenges the gendered norms of watch materials, proving that nacre can look aggressively masculine and technical when paired with gunmetal tungsten and brushed steel. The execution of the wave motif is particularly clever; rather than overwhelming the dial, it provides structure to the organic chaos of the shell underneath. It is a design that rewards prolonged staring, revealing new details in different lighting conditions.



The specificity of the limited edition number, 1,249, adds a layer of poignancy to the ownership experience. Knowing that the number on the caseback corresponds to the population count of the species at a specific moment in time grounds the object in reality. It transforms the "limited edition" concept from a marketing gimmick into a historical record. If the conservation efforts are successful, that number will rise, and the watch will serve as a marker of the turning point. If they fail, it becomes a memorial. This emotional weight is what separates the Yangtze Jiangtun edition from a standard colorway update. It suggests that the wearer is cognizant of the world beyond their immediate surroundings, engaged with global issues of biodiversity and ecological health.



For the enthusiast who prioritizes reliability, the use of the industrial-grade Caliber 733 means that the watch can be serviced by any competent watchmaker worldwide. There is no need to send it back to a specific factory in Switzerland for routine maintenance, a factor that significantly lowers the long-term cost of ownership. The movement’s shock resistance and magnetic resistance are sufficient for the rigors of daily life, whether that involves desk diving or actual recreational diving. The instant date change is a crisp, satisfying mechanical event that occurs at midnight, and the stop-second feature allows for the precise synchronization of time, perhaps to coordinate with a dive buddy or simply to satisfy the wearer's obsession with accuracy.



The packaging of the watch likely follows Oris’s trend toward sustainable materials, often utilizing algae-based or recycled paper boxes, further reducing the environmental footprint of the product. This holistic approach to sustainability—from the corporate partnership to the product materials and packaging—demonstrates a consistency that is rare in the luxury sector. It is not just about the watch; it is about the entire lifecycle and the message it conveys. The owner of this watch is buying into a philosophy of conscious consumption, where the acquisition of a luxury item is coupled with a contribution to a necessary cause.



In terms of acquisition, the Oris Aquis Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition is priced at USD 2,900. Given the strict limitation of 1,249 pieces worldwide, availability is expected to be fleeting. The watch is presented as a set, reinforcing its collectability. For those interested in securing this piece of horological and environmental history, it is available through authorized Oris dealers and select retail partners. The combination of the unique tungsten bezel, the intricate mother-of-pearl dial, and the emotional resonance of the conservation mission makes this a standout release in the Aquis lineage, offering value that extends well beyond the sum of its steel and sapphire parts.



Case: Multi-piece stainless steel case measuring 43.50 mm in diameter with a tungsten minutes scale top ring. Features a sapphire crystal that is domed on both sides with an anti-reflective coating on the inside, and a screwed stainless steel case back with special engravings. Water resistant to 30 bar (300 meters) with an interhorn width of 23 mm.

Movement: Oris Calibre 733 automatic winding movement with dimensions of Ø 25.60 mm (11 1/2’’’). Functions include centre hands for hours, minutes, and seconds, a date window, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device, and stop-second. Operates at 28,800 A/h (4 Hz) with a power reserve of 41 hours.

Dial: Blue-green mother-of-pearl dial featuring a printed echo-sound-wave motif. Hands and indices are filled with Super-LumiNova for low-light visibility.

Strap: Multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet equipped with a folding clasp.

Price: USD 2,900.00

Reference Number: 01 733 7789 4197-Set

Notes: Limited edition of 1,249 pieces released in partnership with the Changjiang Conservation Foundation. The case back features a relief engraving of the Yangtze finless porpoise.