Every year, as many as 13 million tonnes of plastic leak into our oceans, according to UN Environment. That’s a truckload every minute. For several years, the Swiss watch company Oris has wanted to change things, thanks to its Change for the Better mission, by raising funds and raising awareness, with the support of the most innovative ocean conservation agencies in the world. Today, this independent watch brand is achieving climate neutrality: a certification awarded by independent experts at ClimatePartner who help companies take action for the climate.
To mark the start of this new chapter, Oris is introducing the Aquis Date Upcycle, a version of our high-performance diver’s watch with a colourful dial made of recycled PET plastic. The Aquis Date Upcycle is available with either a 41.5 mm or 36.5 mm case, both with recycled ocean-plastic dials. Each watch will be unique because the plastic recycling process produces random patterns, meaning no two dials will be the same. Both have a stainless steel case and a uni-directional rotating diver’s bezel with a scratch-resistant grey ceramic insert. They also have a stainless steel bracelet with a clasp extension system, crown protectors, a screw-down crown and a Swiss Made automatic mechanical movement. Every watch comes in our grey presentation box made from sustainable and recyclable paper – one of our many recent developments that fed into our climate neutral status. These are not limited edition watches, as Oris will continue to produce them as long as there is demand.
As well as to show how plastic can be recycled and then upcycled to become a piece of luxury watchmaking art, the vision behind the watch is to encourage people all over the world to take part in clean-up days. Oris, together with its global network of partners and suppliers, has been taking part in World Cleanup Day for a number of years. This year,new partner of Oris #tide has produced special Oris ’Cleanup Bags’ made from recycled oceanplastic to collect trash in. Collecting trash, like education, is a collective responsibility and essential if we are to conserve our oceans for future generations. The Cleanup Bag represents the start of an exciting new partnership with #tide, a specialist plastic recycling company based in Switzerland that uses an innovative production method to turn 100 per cent ocean-bound plastic into a new premium raw material. #tide is committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and has saved 15 million PET plastic bottles from entering the ocean.
