Oris Gives the Aquis Date a Kelp Forest Dial With a Conservation Message

Oris has built much of the modern Aquis story around competent dive watches with a purpose beyond the spec sheet.

The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition continues that approach, using a vivid 3D-printed dial to draw attention to the decline of kelp forests in oceans and seas around the world.

It’s a conservation-led release, but the appeal starts with the watch itself, which takes the updated 41.5mm Aquis Date platform and gives it one of the more distinctive dials in the collection.

At a glance

• Oris has introduced the Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition as a 1,000-piece conservation-awareness dive watch.
• The watch features a 3D-printed green dial designed to reference the green and gold tones of kelp forests.
• It uses the Oris Calibre 733, offers 300 metres of water resistance and is priced at £2,250.

A kelp-inspired dial with real texture

The defining feature is the dial, which combines an ocean-green base with a lighter green pattern intended to evoke the colour range found in kelp forests.

Rather than relying on a conventional printed surface, Oris uses 3D printing so the colour transition and pattern come from pigment within the dial material itself.

That process gives the surface a visible texture, adding depth beyond the usual sunburst or matte finish seen on many dive watches.

The effect sits somewhere between organic patterning and a finely worked decorative surface, which suits the subject without making the watch feel like a novelty piece.

Gold-outlined hands and applied indexes bring in the warmer side of the palette, with Super-LumiNova used for legibility.

A light-green minute track and green ceramic bezel complete the colour story, keeping the watch firmly within the aquatic world that inspired it.

The updated Aquis case underneath

The Kelp Forest Limited Edition is based on the 2024 Aquis Date update, with revised proportions and more ergonomic lugs.

The stainless steel case measures 41.5mm across and 12.9mm thick, with a 49mm lug-to-lug measurement.

It remains a serious dive-watch package, with 300 metres of water resistance and a screw-down crown.

Oris has also fitted an engraved caseback with a Kelp Forest relief, giving the limited edition a detail that connects directly to its theme.

The multi-piece case construction and mixed brushing and polishing on the bracelet keep the watch in familiar Aquis territory, which is part of the point.

This isn’t a concept watch wearing a dive-watch costume, but a functional Aquis Date with a more expressive dial and conservation message.

Bracelet practicality and the strap trade-off

The three-link stainless steel bracelet tapers neatly and uses both brushed and polished surfaces.

It closes with a folding clasp that includes quick adjustment, a useful feature for small fit changes and for expanding the bracelet over a wetsuit.

Oris also equips the watch with its quick-change system, using a clasp arrangement around the screwed-in spring bar to make swaps easier.

The limitation is compatibility, as the system points owners toward Oris straps and specialist third-party options rather than the broad universe of standard aftermarket straps.

For many buyers, that won’t matter, especially if the bracelet is the preferred setup.

For collectors who like rotating through NATO, Bund or other conventional straps, it’s a practical constraint worth knowing before purchase.

Calibre 733 keeps the proposition accessible

Inside is the Oris Calibre 733, which is based on the Sellita SW200-1 and offers a 41-hour power reserve.

Oris has used this movement rather than its in-house Calibre 400, a choice that helps keep the watch positioned at a more accessible price point within the Aquis universe.

That fits with the brand’s pattern for conservation-focused Aquis editions, where the watch needs to reach a broader audience as well as carry a message.

The idea behind this edition came from Francis Pérez, the award-winning underwater photographer and long-time Oris ambassador, through conversations around the decline of kelp forests.

For Oris, the dial is the storytelling device, while the Aquis Date platform supplies the practical credibility.

Details & Specifications

The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition works because the environmental theme doesn’t overwhelm the watchmaking brief.

It’s still a capable steel Aquis with strong water resistance, a practical bracelet and a known automatic movement, but the 3D-printed dial gives it a reason to stand apart from the rest of the line.

For buyers drawn to Oris’ conservation pieces, or anyone wanting an Aquis with a more unusual visual character, this limited edition makes its point clearly without losing its everyday dive-watch usefulness.