We’re excited to share with you our newly-launched watch collab with one of our favorite Swiss watchmakers - Oris.
The Ben Bridge x Oris is an exceptional Aquis diver with a gorgeous mother of pearl dial, crafted in our very own shade of purple. Oris used a special technique to create a dial that showcases each piece’s unique texture, natural gradient, and interplay with the light.
Ben Bridge Watch Buyer Joe Perez worked closely with our friends at Oris to bring to life a diver that combines iconic Swiss watchmaking with our Northwest roots. To celebrate the launch of this versatile and adventure-ready timepiece, we wanted to take you behind the scenes with an inside look at how this collaboration came to be.
The Ben Bridge Aquis is available in two sizes, a 43mm and a 36mm. The 43mm model is limited to only 150 pieces and the 36mm Aquis is limited to just 40. Each watch will be engraved and numbered with the Ben Bridge logo featured on the sapphire display caseback and you can even choose which number you want, as long as it’s still in stock!
The Oris Aquis is a timepiece that embodies our philosophy that great things are made in time and that our favorite pieces are made to be worn every day, growing in meaning with each wear.
“I own an Aquis myself because it really is the perfect go-to watch,” Joe says. “You can dress it up or dress it down. It fits great because the lug shape goes straight down and doesn’t cantilever, so you can have a larger case diameter that still fits perfectly on the contours of your wrist.”
Another aspect of the Aquis Joe loves is the sandblasted rotating bezel, which provides an alluring contrast with the polished stainless steel case and is one of the many little touches that show how meticulous Oris is when it comes to ensuring every detail serves the harmony of form and function.
“Dive watch bezels are designed to measure how much time a diver can spend underwater before they run out of air,” Joe says. “What’s interesting is that less than five percent of people who own dive watches use them for professional diving, but the bezel is a great feature to have for doing everyday stuff.”
Joe uses his bezel to time his steaks on the grill so he knows when to flip them, or to track how much time he has left on his parking meter.
Of course, the beating heart of the Oris Aquis is an automatic mechanical Swiss movement. It’s reliable, accurate and looks awesome through the display caseback, where you can see the steady movement of the balance and turning of Oris’ trademark red rotor.
As a Seattle-based company, we’ve been close to the breathtaking coastal waters of the Puget Sound for more than 112 years. The mother of pearl dial is a beautiful symbol of our reverence for these pristine waters and the one-of-a-kind beauty you’ll find in the Pacific Northwest.
Oris is a perfect partner to work with on this project, not only due to their dive watch expertise, but because Oris is an industry leader with its ocean conservation initiatives and dedication to carbon neutrality.
Oris has done some noteworthy collaborations in the past, working with organizations like sports teams to create something unique. In 2024, when Joe was in Geneva for Watches and Wonders, he chatted with some of his friends at Oris about how excited we would be to collaborate on something special just for our Ben Bridge customers and associates.
From the jump, Joe felt like the Aquis would be the perfect watch for this collab. Diving, sailing and watersport is engrained in Pacific Northwest Culture - along with the shared sensibility that a daily go-to watch should stand up to the elements.
Joe, along with our VP or Merchandise Angela Hope and CEO Lisa Bridge, went to work with Oris to create this special timepiece. They looked at dial variations in countless shades of purple landed on the mother of pearl dial, with the perfect hue of deep and richly layered purple.
This extraordinary timepiece is limited to 125 pieces in the 43mm case size and 40 pieces in the 36mm version.
We hope to see you soon in-store where you can get a firsthand look at this stunning timepiece and see for yourself the beautiful purple mother-of-pearl dial. The natural grain and texture truly makes each piece something special.
Learn more about how you can secure your limited-edition Oris x Ben Bridge dive watch!