07/03/2020

Time For Change: Oris Introduces A New Steel Version Of The Carysfort Reef Limited Edition

The latest limited edition diver’s watch by Oris supports the Coral Restoration Foundation and furthers the eco-conscious brand’s efforts to bring Change for the Better.

By Rhonda Riche

Editor-At-Large

Oris has a long history of working to clean up and restore our oceans. Their work with organizations, like the Coral Restoration Fund, is almost surgical, taking on targeted actions to promote overall change and (ecological) health. Last winter, for example, the brand released the Carysfort Reef Limited Edition. A super-deluxe, gold-cased version of the Aquis GMT diver's watch, the piece was limited to just 50 pieces, and with the help of its $19,000 price tag, it raised money and awareness for the threatened Carysfort Reef, a coral reef in the Florida Keys.

Changing the climate by restoring Florida’s Carysfort Reef

Now, Oris is adding a new timepiece to its Change for the Better campaign, the stainless steel Carysfort Reef Limited Edition.

Reef Relief

Over the last 30 years, scientists calculate we have lost 50 percent of the world’s coral reefs to coral bleaching and other anthropogenic causes. Worse, without direct action, coral reefs could become extinct within 80 years.

And while these ecosystems cover just 1 percent of the Earth’s surface, coral reefs support at least 25 percent of all marine life. They also contribute significantly to the overall health of our oceans, which produce 70 percent of our planet’s oxygen.

Florida’s Carysfort Reef

“Coral reefs are a critical part of a healthy ocean and provide essential ecosystem services,” said Martha Roesler, Coral Restoration Foundation’s Chief Development Officer, in a press release. In a nutshell, we need coral reefs for humanity to survive.

Coral reefs are vitally important, even if you only assign an object's worth using the most craven of capitalistic standards. Coral reefs are estimated to have a value of close to $10 trillion and play a big part in the global economy.

Martha Roesler, Coral Restoration Foundation’s Chief Development Officer

"Coral reefs are important for human subsistence, supporting fisheries that provide protein for billions of people," said Roesler. "They form natural barriers that protect shorelines and infrastructure from wave energy and storm surges."

Watches And Water

Oris is a name much respected by recreational and professional divers – two groups that are also quite keen to protect the coral reefs. Because of its connection with the diving community, Oris established its mission to bring Change for the Better, which supports several non-profits working to ensure the health of our oceans. The new stainless steel Carysfort Reef Limited Edition is the manufacture’s third watch produced in support of the Coral Restoration Foundation, an organization that has become the world’s leading expert on reviving the reefs.

The Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition with Orange Rubber Strap

The Carysfort Reef Limited Edition takes its name from the iconic Carysfort Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary near Key Largo, Florida. Undersea adventurers love to explore this section of the Florida Reef Tract, which is the third-largest barrier reef in the world and the only barrier reef in the USA. In fact, in the 1950s and 1960s, it was the epicenter of the early recreational dive industry and a premier fishing destination for U.S. presidents.

The numbered caseback of the Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition draws awareness to the marine life the reef supports

“By the end of 2020, the foundation will have returned 30,000 corals to Carysfort Reef,” said Roesler. "Over the next three years, we’re looking to restore an area about the size of 17 American football field."

Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition Video

Deep Dive

Purchasing the stainless steel Carysfort Reef Limited Edition gives one a sense of purpose. Not to mention, you will receive a mighty fine dive watch as well.

Cased in sturdy stainless steel, it displays the time in three time zones simultaneously using the 24-hour scale laser-engraved into the bi-directional ceramic bezel. It’s a generous size (43.5mm) with gradient blue dial, luminous blue hands and indices, and a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, making it easy-to-read on land and in the water.

The Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition with Stainless Steel Bracelet

The numbered caseback of the Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition draws awareness to the marine life the reef supports

The caseback is numbered and engraved with a special emblem celebrating the biodiversity of the Carysfort Reef. It also comes with a stainless steel metal bracelet or orange rubber strap, both with stainless steel security folding clasp with extension. And it’s water-resistant to 30 bar (300 m).

The Carysfort Reef Limited Edition gets its seahorse power from the in-house, automatic Oris 798 caliber with its instantaneous date and 24-hour corrector, its fine timing device, and its stop-second functions. It also has a 42-hour power reserve.

The Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition with Stainless Steel Bracelet

The Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition with Orange Rubber Strap.

Limited to 2,000 pieces and available now, the Carysfort Reef Limited Edition is presented in a sustainable box made of compressed algae. It’s a handsome watch. It’s a practical watch. It’s a feel-good watch. And priced at $3,000 for the stainless steel bracelet or $2,800 for the orange rubber strap, it’s an affordable way to make a difference.