Hands-On With The New Oris Aquis Pro 1000M — A More Wearable Pro Diver
Two years ago, Oris introduced the Aquis Pro 4000M. According to Gerard, it was “a pointless dive watch, hors catégorie, completely unnecessary for daily wear.” But boy, did he love it. Watches are kind of pointless anyway these days, so why not go all the way, right? But for all of you who thought a 23.4mm-thick dive watch was a bit much, Oris now introduces the Aquis Pro 1000M. This time, the watch has “only” a 16.6mm profile and is capable of surviving “just” 1,000 meters below sea level.
Gerard was right, of course: the Oris Aquis Pro 4000M was a completely over-the-top watch. The new Aquis Pro 1000M tones things down a little. At €3,400 / US$4,100 / £3,000, it’s also cheaper, mainly because of the Sellita-based movement inside. All right, let’s dive in a little deeper.
The Oris Aquis Pro 1000M
Interestingly, the new Oris Aquis Pro 1000M has the same 49.5mm diameter and 55mm lug-to-lug length as the 4000M. However, neither the double-domed sapphire crystal nor the case back protrudes anywhere near as much as on the 4000M, and the mid-case is slimmer. That’s why the Aquis Pro 1000M has a 16.6mm profile, equaling a 6.8mm reduction in thickness. Granted, that’s still chunkier than the regular 13.1mm-thick Aquis, but it’s quite acceptable for a 1,000m-water-resistant watch.
Another difference is that the titanium case received a dark gray, nearly black PVD coating. It matches the tool-watch character of the Aquis Pro 1000M and the locking mechanism on the bezel. That’s right; the Rotation Safety System (RSS) is still there, which means you have to lift the bezel’s outer rim to allow it to turn. When you push it down to lock, you can position the opening at 3 o’clock, just so it’s easier to operate the screw-down crown. And due to the helium escape valve, this watch is also suitable for saturation diving.
A Sellita-based movement instead of the Oris caliber 400
Another big difference with the Aquis Pro 4000M is that the 1000M houses Oris’s Sellita-based 733 movement. This automatic caliber runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, holds a power reserve of 42 hours, and features 26 jewels. It might not have a five-day power reserve, nor does it come with a 10-year service interval and warranty, like the caliber 400 does. However, it does keep the price down and makes the Aquis Pro a little more accessible. Besides, basically any watchmaker in the world can service the movement, which can be a big advantage too.
The Aquis Pro trademark
The new Aquis Pro 1000M has the same bezel and dial designs as the 4000M. That means the unidirectional bezel contains a dark blue ceramic insert with light blue markings for the first 15 minutes and white markings for the rest. It features both blue and green Super-LumiNova.
The blue part matches the blue lume on the minute hand, while the hour markers and the hour hand are filled with green lume. The dial has the same grainy, blue gradient design with a wave pattern on top.
To emphasize that this is an Aquis Pro, Oris decided to engrave that name into the rehaut and color it turquoise, matching the seconds hand. Another small difference with the 4000M version is that the background on the date disc is now white instead of black. The watch comes with two rubber straps — one in black, the other in blue — that you can swap out using the included tool.
On the wrist
Although the new Oris Aquis Pro 1000M is much thinner than the 4000M, it’s still a big watch, and it certainly looks like one on my 17cm wrist. However, it does wear a lot better than the 4000M since it doesn’t feel as top-heavy. The dark gray PVD coating also makes it appear a bit smaller on the wrist and gives the titanium case a ceramic-like look.
Available now
The Oris Aquis Pro 4000M from two years ago still costs almost €6,000. Yes, it’s an impressive watch, but most would agree that it’s quite expensive for an Oris. The new Aquis Pro 1000M is significantly more accessible, and it still has proper pro-diver looks. While it’s not as over the top as the 4000M, clearly, it’s still a very capable diver. I liked the titanium look of the 4000M a bit better than the new dark gray PVD coating, but that’s probably because I’m not a fan of blacked-out watches in general.
The new Oris Aquis Pro 1000M is available now for those who are looking for a super-capable dive watch but don’t need it to go 4,000 meters deep. The Sellita-based movement inside is perfectly reliable and makes it much more affordable than its bigger brother.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Oris Aquis Pro 1000M.
