08/10/2020

River’s Edge: Oris’ New Hangang Limited Edition Is A Tribute To Tributaries

Through its Change for the Better campaign, Oris teams up with the Seoul KFEM, continuing its mission to clean up the world’s waterways.

By Rhonda Riche

Editor-At-Large

Since 2010, Oris, the Holstein-based watchmaker, has centered its philanthropy around reversing the environmental damage done to the world’s water. Through its Change for the Better campaign and through sales of a series of limited edition Oris Aquis diver’s watches (read more HERE and HERE), the company funds initiatives that protect and restore the world’s most precious resource.

Over the past decade, Oris has built a global network of non-profits, but the brand also works with existing non-profit organizations that work tirelessly to bring that change. And through these efforts, Oris has learned that change, by definition, means that they are always looking for new solutions and partnerships.

Later this year, hundreds of volunteers will gather to collect pollutants from the Hangang River ©Oris

This year, Oris continues its mission to bring Change for the Better by partnering with Seoul KFEM, part of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, by issuing the Oris Hangang Limited Edition. As gang in the Korean word for river, the new limited-edition watch is meant to highlight the plight of the Hangang in South Korea.

Yun Hwan Cho is campaigning to reduce pollution and clean up Korea’s Hangang River ©Oris

Eau De Vie

It should go without saying, but rivers have a profound impact on humanity. Not only do they serve as a water source, but they also provide transportation, food, and help drive the economic engines of irrigation and hydropower. The Han is South Korea’s most important river because it supplies water to the 10 million inhabitants of the country’s capital, Seoul.

But years of neglect have left it dirty, polluted and in desperate need of restoration.

Oris will be taking part in Seoul KFEM’s clean-up events and everyone’s welcome ©Oris

“With every passing year, we grow more passionate about our mission,” said Oris Co-CEO Rolf Studer. “Conserving the world’s water is critical; it’s also possible if we work together. That’s the underlying message behind the Oris Hangang Limited Edition and every piece we create with our partners.”

While funds from the sale of this 2,000-piece limited edition watch will help fund the Hangang clean-up project, Studer also emphasized that bringing awareness to the plight of this tributary is also an important goal of the Change for the Better campaign.

The New Oris Hangang Limited Edition

“On our own, no matter who we are or how big we are, cleaning up the world’s waters is too big a task. We have to work together to bring Change for the Better,” stressed the brand in a press release for the Hangang Limited Edition.

The New Oris Hangang Limited Edition

Time For Change

The Oris Hangang Limited Edition is based on the manufacture’s high-performance Aquis diver’s watch. This means that this dive watch is built for action. It has a 43.5mm stainless steel case with uni-directional rotating bezel for safely recording dive times and is water-resistant to 30 bar (300 meters). Powered by the Oris 743 automatic movement, the watch has a small, continuous second hand at 9 o’clock, Super-LumiNova coated indices, a circular date window, and a 38-hour power reserve.

The New Oris Hangang Limited Edition

A resilient watch, there’s a hardy domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, with the caseback and crowns screwed down. And the stainless steel metal bracelet features a security folding clasp and extension for extra security in and out of the water.

The New Oris Hangang Limited Edition

Inspired by creek waters found at the Hangang’s source, the deep green color of the ceramic bezel insert and the gradient dial is visually striking. Until the border between the North and South was closed, the Hangang was once a major navigation route. So, as a tribute to its history, the caseback is decorated with an engraving of the Hangang’s path across the Korean Peninsula as well as its limited edition number.

Go With The Flow

Most importantly, the Oris Hangang Limited Edition is about the future.

According to Yun Hwan Cho of Seoul KFEM, “Our vision is that Seoul will be transformed into a sustainable city. To that end, we have five core initiatives. The first is focused on the Hangang River. We’re demanding an end to irresponsible development along the river and that a vital waterway is reopened by demolishing a dam blocking it. The second is to save local forests and to encourage biodiversity. The third is to eliminate plastic waste. Fourth is to reverse climate change through the use of safe, clean energy. And the fifth is to clean up our air by reducing traffic pollution.”

The New Oris Hangang Limited Edition

On top of fundraising and awareness, the Oris and the KFEM teams will physically participate in the cleanup this fall. “We’re expecting hundreds of volunteers to join us as we gather the rubbish from the river,” said Cho. “The aim is also to raise awareness of the problem. Most Seoul citizens have no idea how bad rubbish pollution is. After the collection, recycling experts will talk about how to dispose of this waste responsibly. We’ll also be producing environmental-themed campaigns around the partnership. So it’s an important and very exciting moment for Seoul’s future!”