Earlier this year, Oris announced the next generation Aquis and introduced a series of time and date models. With its potent combination of quality, performance and value, the new version of the independent Swiss company’s diver’s watch was an immediate success. Now, Oris is adding a small seconds version to the collection.

The advantage of placing the small, or running seconds at 9 o’clock on the dial is that it isolates the watch’s minutes hand, the most important hand to divers as they time their dives. During a dive, divers align the minutes hand with the minute scale on the watch’s uni-directional rotating bezel, enabling them to keep track of remaining dive time safely and securely. Oris works closely with the diving community and developed the movement with small second at 9 o’clock in-house in response to its feedback.

The Aquis Small Second, Date model benefits from the stylish redesign introduced to the Aquis line this year. Oris’s designers have made the horns and bracelet thinner, giving the case a more slender profile. The hands and indices are now bolder and sharper, and the screw-in security crown and crown protectors have been tapered and now sit more elegantly within the watch’s silhouette. The word ‘Aquis’ is now proudly printed on the dial.

The look is not the only dynamic to have evolved. Oris has engineered a small gap between the case and the bezel, making the bezel easier to grip and adjust. This functional design mirrors the watch’s performance. The Aquis Small Second, Date has a uni-directional rotating bezel with a scratch- and fade-resistant ceramic insert and water resistance to 50 bar (500 metres).

Initially, there are two versions of the Aquis Small Second, Date available. The blue dial version comes on a blue or black rubber strap or a stainless steel bracelet with the Oris-developed safety anchor and quick-adjust, sliding-sledge folding clasp, which can be extended or tightened without needing to take the watch off. The same features come on the black and orange version of the watch, which has a black rubber strap and orange Super- LumiNova® luminescent detailing on the hands and hour markers. Orange is one of the most visible colours underwater and a natural pairing with a diver’s watch.

The overall look is therefore much more versatile – the new Aquis Small Second, Date is a watch to wear under water, and with a suit.