Let Me Revisit That: A Better Idea For The Oris Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0
Dear Oris, please tell me you haven’t already started producing titanium cases for the Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0. I really need to revisit the matter of “Der Meistertaucher” because I’m having second thoughts. In my article about the regulator-dialed diver this past October, I wrote that I wanted you to bring that standout dive watch back because of its originality, functionality, and great looks. Nothing has changed in that regard. But when you launched the Big Crown ProPilot Coulson Limited Edition a month later, that watch got me thinking. Maybe titanium isn’t the optimal material for the Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0 after all. Maybe a 3D-printed case is the best way to go.
Good people at Oris, let’s assume you haven’t started producing 41.5mm titanium cases for the Oris Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0. I’m pretty sure you haven’t because my plea to bring back the watch was published just two months ago. Assuming you haven’t, that’s a very good thing because, although there’s nothing wrong with titanium for a modern dive watch, there is a better material available. And you already created a watch in that material. The Big Crown ProPilot Coulson Limited Edition that you launched in November has a case made of the high-tech stuff that would make a modernized, updated version of “Der Meistertaucher” even better and more desirable.
A better idea for the Oris Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0 — A license to print money
Titanium is a great material, but for high-tech, luxury dive watches, there’s something even better. Audemars Piguet proved that with the Royal Oak Offshore diver in forged carbon. And the Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech PAM01661 and Doxa SUB 300 Carbon are other divers that use this ultra-lightweight yet super-strong material. Oris won’t be the first to launch a carbon dive watch, that’s true. However, because of the work with the ETH Zürich university, Oris could be launching the first dive watch in a case that is milled from a 3D-printed block of carbon fiber layers.
The precise pattern of the 3D-printed carbon looks sharp and technical. And we don’t even have to completely throw titanium out the window. Just like the carbon Big Crown, the next-generation “Der Meistertaucher” should also have a bezel, screw-down crown, and case back in gunmetal-gray PVD-treated titanium. This recycled alloy could even be supplied by Panatere, a company based in Saignelégier.
An indestructible featherweight
Another advantage of carbon over titanium is the fact that the watch can be even lighter, thus even more comfortable on the wrist. That’s a good thing for an instrumental timepiece that’s designed to be functional. Since the carbon Pro Pilot comes in at 65g, the future Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0 could well be around that same weight. Maybe it would be a bit heavier than 65g but still a featherweight nonetheless. The other good thing about 3D-printed carbon is the texture of the hard, stiff, and strong material, which makes it very nice to the touch.
The dial and movement stay the same
My second thoughts only involve the case. The dial should still be in the style of the Aquis Upcycle with its reclaimed PET plastic dial. I’d love to see a mix of black, gray, and blue plastic waste that creates a naval camouflage-type dial. Regarding the strap, I’m thinking of a standard black one and a red or blue option made from recycled rubber. Ideally, they would have an easy-to-operate quick-change system and a clasp with an extension mechanism. The red strap will match the minute hand and indications on the bezel, while the blue will be in line with the camo pattern on the dial.
Inside the high-tech case, I’d love to see the Oris Calibre 400 with its high levels of anti-magnetism and healthy five-day power reserve. Of course, it should be outfitted with a module to allow it to display time in the regulator style. The world’s first dive watch with a 3D-printed case deserves the latest and greatest movement available.
Allow me one final, commercial argument. Launching an Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” 2.0 in a printed carbon case is a license to print money. That’s it. I rest my case. I promise, Oris. But please, take it into serious consideration.
01 749 7734 7154-Set – Oris Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’
Check out the Oris website here for more info about the Aquis collection and the Big Crown ProPilot Coulson Limited Edition. Also, please let me know what you think. Should the next Aquis Regulateur “Der Meistertaucher” be in 3D-printed carbon, or do you think more old-school titanium, as I suggested before, is the way to go?
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