HANDS-ON: Oris continues its mission of change with the New York Harbor Limited Edition

Ricardo Sime

There’s this thing about being a New Yorker. Though surrounded by water, many of us travel miles away from the city’s centre to enjoy a day in the sand. Why? Well, simply put, the waters around New York Harbor don’t look that clean. It’s something that we as New Yorkers have gotten used to, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Oris is looking to change things with their latest release, the New York Harbor Limited Edition.

Through proceeds from the watch, Oris will aid the Billion Oyster Project organisation, which aims to replenish New York Harbor’s once-thriving oyster reefs, as these crustaceans provide multiple benefits to the surrounding ecosystem — from filtering the water of pollutants to creating a natural storm barrier, protecting the shore from incoming waves. It’s these things and more that have gained oysters their reputation as “ecosystem engineers”.

Let’s take a close look at the watch Oris has created to help.

The case

The Oris New York Harbor Limited Edition is based on the 41.5mm Aquis Date Relief cherry case. This means lugs that are polished on the topside, while the case is brushed on its sides. Lug to lug will be the same 48mm and the screw-down crown still helps the watch achieve 300 metres of water resistance. And the thickness remains a diver-svelte 12.7mm.

Though we’ve seen this case before, it continues to be one of my favourites. The main reason for that is the relief bezel, because unlike the ceramic glossy bezels that seem to merge with the dial, the Relief has the opposite effect. It frames the dial perfectly with its mostly brushed surface, drawing your attention to the colours and tones of the dial.

I also love the sizing of the 41.5mm Aquis. The proportions work well on my 7.5-inch wrist. Not too big and not too small. My Goldilocks pick of the collection.

The dial

And what a dial we have here.

Oris decided to grace the New York Harbor Limited Edition with a green mother-of-pearl dial. The green is inspired by the colour of the Harbor’s water. The ability of mother-of-pearl to play with light is also reminiscent of light hitting the surface of moving water. All these things come together to create a lively show on the wrist.

The other aspects of Aquis design remain the same here. That includes the hands, indices and the all too familiar date at six. This absence of change just reinforces the fact that the mother-of-pearl is the star of the show here.

The movement

Sealed behind the oyster-engraved caseback and powering this ode to New York Harbor is the Oris 773 movement. It’s a Sellita SW200-1 movement that has been the workhorse of many Oris watches, providing 38 hours of power reserve and beating at an industry standard 28,800 bph.

I know some may look at this watch and wish Oris had used a 400 calibre movement instead. Yet as a New Yorker who may be adding this to the collection, I appreciate the fact that this decision keeps the price at a more attainable level.

The strap(s)

To complete the look, Oris has packaged the watch with two straps. The first is the integrated bracelet, which tapers down from 24mm to 16mm, with a deployant clasp. That is accompanied by a green integrated rubber strap which features the same taper and a deployant clasp as well.

With integrated aftermarket straps sometimes hard to come by, it’s nice to see Oris including two here.

The verdict

As a watch fan and a fan of what Oris is trying to accomplish with their Change for the Better program, I’m all here for the New York Harbor Limited Edition. In a world where limited editions are being made for everything under the sun, it’s nice to see a focus on something that will have positive, long-lasting effects. And in my backyard, no less.

When you couple that with the uniqueness of mother-of-pearl, with no two dials looking exactly alike, it’s hard to argue against the appeal of this watch. It’s beautiful, meaningful and perfectly proportioned. A take-my-money trifecta.

The Oris New York Harbor Limited Edition pricing and availability:

The Oris New York Harbor Limited Edition is available on their website. 2000 numbered pieces will be made. Price: $2700 USD