I Did Not Expect To Love This: Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 Review

Long story short, I’m impressed. Well that’s because I did not expect to enjoy the Oris Aquis Relief when I got it in a trade. Two things right.

First, it well exceeds the 38mm comfort zone my skinny wrists. At 41.5mm, with the listed dimensions, I had practically bet my life savings it would wear large. Guess who was wrong? Not only does it wear nicely on my skinny wrists, it wears just like a 39mm dive watch. I thought it would be chunky and heavy, but it isn’t one bit. Second, it’s an industrious diver with a cherry red dial. It’s almost contradictory, but like an oxymoron, it kinda works. Half the time you don’t even notice the red dial if the sunlight isn’t directly on it.

I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything less from Oris. They’re one of the last remaining independently owned Swiss brands out there. And I showed my appreciation towards their watches in an earlier article. Read it here, I had like four Oris timepieces at one point.

Oris Aquis Relief: Why Relief?

Oris has a tradition of dedicating their watches to environmental clauses. You’ve got the Clipperton, which was a sponsored expedition by Oris to study the pelagic species near the Pacific. There’s also the recent Upcycle, which utilizes recycled ocean plastic to create their unique one-of-one dials. Or one of the originals, the Oris Staghorn, a joint effort by Oris to restore the endangered Staghorn coral back in 2013.

That’s another reason why I love Oris – originality. They’re not trying to be like other brands – rarely jumping on hype trains. Oris has always been focused on their own journey, and it shows. The Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 is another great example of their commitment to their vision. Does the name Ernst Bromeis ring a bell? No? Well I’ve never heard of him either. Bromeis is a freshwater awareness advocate. The Relief line from Oris is a collaboration that started in 2019, with the original Aquis Relief in grey.

Now the Relief line has expanded to other color variations, with a Cherry Red that we’ll explore today.

Oris Aquis Relief Dimensions

Case & Bezel

What’s there not to love about the Aquis case? In a time where most divers resemble the classic Oyster-style case, the Aquis takes originality to the next level. Unlike the Diver 65, the Aquis sports an extremely unique “blended” case. With a traditional diver, it’s easy to differentiate between the caseback, mid-case, lugs, bezel and dial. On the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5, it’s all integrated into an entire chunk of metal – in a good way!

It begins with the integrated bracelet, that tapers dramatically from 24mm to 16mm giving it the sleekness. The case itself is anything but sleek, with loud engineering that is almost over-dramatic but screams TOOL WATCH. The lugs themselves are beefy and held together with large triangular screws. Same ones are found on the thick and chunky crown guards, protecting the extra large signed-crown.

The case is cylinder-like with a lot of 3D-depth. From the bottom of the case, it starts off wide and gradually becomes narrower as it reaches the bezel. A relief bezel is where the numerals appear in 3D as all the metal around it has been removed. You might know it from the Rolex Yacht Master; for Oris, it’s the first.

Dial & Hands

When talking about a dynamic dial, it’s difficult not to include the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 in cherry red. Under the bright sun, the glossy sunburst red stands out in all it’s understated glory. It doesn’t directly scream red in your face, but rather allows you to investigate it on your own terms. Perhaps what I love the most is in the dark-ish, it appears like any other black dial watch. It really isn’t until the dial hits some form of light that the cherry read shines through.

Again, I wasn’t expecting to like the Relief in cherry red. Think about it, an extremely tool-ish utilitarian dive watch meets a cherry red sunburst dial. In theory (and based on photos), it’s a rather weird mix. But in person, it balances each out nicely. It’s definitely NOT your everyday diver, but no doubt a contender for a summer diver.

The rest of the dial follows the same layout as your standard Aquis. At each 5-min interval, sits an applied rectangular-shaped marker, with painted stripes in-between denoting every minute. The Aquis has the date cut-out at the 6 o’clock, and the classic rounded sword-style handset with a lollipop seconds hand.

Integrated Bracelet

I’m not a big fan of integrated bracelets – what can I say I like my nato and rubber straps. However, the integrated bracelet on the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 is fitting, and I don’t see it on any other strap. Due to the nature of the case, and the design, it just makes sense for the Aquis to have its own integrated bracelet. Imagine it on a nato – ugh. Just an FYI, Oris does sell their own OEM integrated rubber straps for the Aquis, in case you prefer it on rubber.

The bracelet itself is extremely comfortable, and I love the dramatic taper from 24mm to 16mm. I have a general rule, never buy watches with lug-widths over 20mm. It’s a skinny wrist thing, it just makes the watch look wide. That’s why I have to give props to the Aquis, even at 24mm the bracelet feels normal on my 6 inch wrists. And that’s because the dramatic taper begins immediately on the first link. The clasp itself is simple and well-made, with 3 micro-adjustment holes.

I managed to get a really good fit with the bracelet, which is an automatic win in my book.

Comfort & Wearability

At 41.5mm in case diameter, 13mm thick, and almost 48mm lug-to-lug, I did not expect the Aquis Relief to fit my skinny wrists. On paper, I thought it would be too large, thick, and way too heavy for me. On the wrist, it’s a whole different story. First of all the case sits dead flat on my wrist, absolutely no protrusions whatsoever. Then, the integrated bracelet hugs my wrist perfectly all the way through – almost like those slap-on ruler bracelets. Also, the 13mm height feels more like 12mm, it does not feel thick at all.

And I think I know why the Aquis tends to wear smaller.

The Aquis basically has no lugs, that’s because of the integrated bracelet. Look at it this way, the bracelet includes in integrated lugs. Effectively, it means the lug-to-lug distance is only 41.5mm. Visually, it gives off that feeling as you really don’t feel the stated 48mm lug-to-lug. I see the lugs as part of the integration, and all of a sudden the Aquis goes from 41.5mm to 39mm.

Who is the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 for?

Look, the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5 in cherry red isn’t going to be your everyday watch. Unless your day-to-day involves being able to dress up in a myriad of colors, the Aquis is going to stand out. If that’s your goal, then absolutely go for the Aquis in cherry red. But for most people, myself included, this is more of a weekend beach watch. Or when summer rolls it, and t-shirt and shorts become a daily fashion choice. Then that’s where the Aquis in cherry red will shine the most.

In saying all that, if you’ve grown tired of black/white dial monochromatic watches, and are looking to introduce a pop of color in your collection? I don’t see why the cherry red Aquis wouldn’t work for you!

Oris Aquis Relief: Closing Thoughts

Aesthetics: The combination of the futuristic/utilitarian Aquis case and the subtle sunburst cherry red makes this watch a rather special one-of-a-kind in the saturated market. Could come across as an acquired taste, but tastefully done nevertheless.

Comfort: Even at the listed dimensions, the Aquis wears comfortably on my 6 inch wrists. It’s definitely on the upper limit of what my wrists can handle, but nothing that’s going to stop me from buying it.

Price: At just under USD$2000 ($1975 to be exact), the Oris Aquis Relief 41.5mm isn’t a bad purchase at all. You’re getting an independently-owned Swiss brand with proper history, and a classic that is the Aquis line.

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