Swiss watch manufacturer Oris recently invited journalists from around the world to a special event in Key Largo, Florida in conjunction with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) to show how our partnership is helping to restore the world’s coral reefs. The event also marked the official international launch of the Oris Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition – a watch that will help to support the vital work of the CRF in restoring Staghorn coral.

Over the last 40 years, 90% of the world’s coral has been lost. What remains is under continued threat from bleaching, overfishing and careless tourism. The damage to the world’s coral reefs is serious but not irreversible and it is partners like Oris who can assist in bringing positive changes. Oris has been supporting coral reef conservation since 2010 when it first teamed up with the Australian Marine Conservation Society to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.

CRF is a Florida-based, non-profit conservation organisation that believes we can all make ecological change happen. The Foundation specialises in ‘voluntourism’ and inspires individuals to participate in its dive programmes and volunteer coral replanting schemes. In 2015, the foundation planted over 22,500 new corals in the Florida Keys through its volunteer programs. CRF will plant an additional 50,000 corals across eight reefs throughout South Florida in the next three years in what is an unprecedented restoration effort.

The Oris event offered guests the opportunity to see first-hand how the Foundation operates with a workshop including an inspiring practical session during which they learned how to plant specially cultivated corals on a reef. Those with a diver’s certification then joined CRF founder Ken Nedimyer for a dive to plant freshly grown coral from the CRF nursery onto the stony reef about 10 metres underwater off Key Largo. Other guests were able to observe the work by snorkelling on the surface of the water.

During the event, Ken Nedimeyr said: “I’m very happy that we have been able to partner with Oris. Their experience of supporting ocean conservation projects means they understood immediately what we want to achieve and how important our mission is. I am convinced that having Oris as a partner will help us reach our goals and inspire more volunteers.”

Speaking at the event, Oris Chairman Ulrich W. Herzog said: “We at Oris are passionate about this unique project which proves that there is hope for the world’s coral and that we can all bring about change for the better. We are delighted to be able to use our watchmaking expertise to provide a practical and reliable tool for divers, and that it will make a contribution to the CRF in their work conserving the world’s precious coral.”

The Oris Staghorn Limited Edition is part of the 2017 Oris Aquis collection and is limited to 2,000 individually numbered pieces.

To learn more about the Coral Restoration Foundation visit coralrestoration.org.

Product Features
Oris Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition
Ref. No. 01 735 7734 4185 RS, Ø 43.50mm
Limited to 2,000 pieces

• Automatic movement Oris Cal. 735, based on Sellita SW 220-1, with date window at 6 o’clock

• Weekdays displayed through seven apertures on an inner circle by an orange indicator. Instantaneous jump at midnight

• Multi-piece stainless steel case and screw-in security crown with crown protection. Water-resistant to 30 bar/300 m

• Diver’s uni-directional rotating bezel with polished black ceramic insert and orange/white minute scale

• Screwed stainless steel case back with embossed Staghorn coral and engraved limited edition number

• Sapphire crystal domed on both sides with anti-reflective coating

• Dark blue dial with applied indices filled with Super-LumiNova®. Nickel hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova® inserts. Orange central seconds hand with Super-LumiNova® ‘lollipop’ insert
• Black rubber strap with Oris-developed safety anchor and quick adjustment sliding-sledge folding clasp. Also available with a stainless steel bracelet

• The presentation box with an insignia on the inside featuring the Staghorn coral is made using environmentally friendly regenerative algae