Following on from the limited edition Aquis Sun Wukong watch launched last year, Oris now introduce their very first watch with a cloisonné enamel dial. Continuing to capture the story of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, say hello to the new Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition watch.
An Oris Aquis watch with a haute-horologerie dial… that’s something we weren’t expecting. The Oris Aquis has always been the brand’s flagship diver’s watch boasting unidirectional rotating bezels, 300 metre water resistant cases and more recently, the brand’s in-house Calibre 400 movement. Over the years, the Swiss watch manufacturer has launched several iterations of the design including a mass of limited editions for their Change for the Better campaign and more recently, a rare piece in honour of Sun Wukong, a famous figure from Chinese mythology. We already reviewed the latter here, and like the new Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition watch it has been co-created with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio Coto bring to commemorate the seminal 1961 Chinese animated feature-length film The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven.
The difference between last year’s 2,000 piece Sun Wukong Limited Edition and the new Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition is more than just its price point; most significantly its dial. Hand-painted, the white gold cloisonné enamel dial is inspired by the Dragon King’s underwater palace, where Sun Wukong finds a weapon in the animated film. This is the first time Oris have ever engineered a watch with a dial like this, and in fact its one of the first times we have ever seen Oris use a métier d’art technique at all. According to Oris, the dial is produced by the same highly skilled Swiss artist and it takes a whole three days for just a single dial to be finished. This also means every Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition watch is completely unique.
As for the rest of the Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition, the specification is more or less the same as any other Aquis model. The 41.5mm stainless steel case comes with both brushed and polished finishing and a unidirectional rotating bezel with a matte metallic insert and 60 minute scale. There’s domed sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment, a screw in crown and a screw down case back all assisting in the water resistant rating of 300 metres. The case back differs however for its special engraving of Sun Wukong paired next to its limited edition status.
Powering the Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition is the brand’s in-house Calibre 400 automatic winding movement. This is a calibre we’ve discussed many times on Horologii, for good reason. It boasts a 5 day power reserve and despite Oris having yet to submit it for official chronometer certification, the movement claims an accuracy well within COSC requirements at -3/+5 seconds per day. The Oris Calibre 400 also promises a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, 21 jewels, central hands for hours, minutes and seconds and a full 10 year warranty.
Retailing at £21,000, the Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition isn’t a timepiece for everybody, but with its breathtaking white gold cloisonné enamel dial and rare limited edition run of only 72 pieces – the number of shapes the divine Sun Wukong can appear in – it’s certainly going to tempt some luxury watch collectors. If you’re one of them or you’d simply like to learn more, you can view the Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition watch on the Jura Watches website here.
Specifications: Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition (01 400 7769 4185-SET)
- Case Size: 41.5mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Unidirectional with matte metallic insert
- Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Screwed with special engraving
- Water Resistance: 300 metres
- Movement: Oris Calibre 400, automatic
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
- Power Reserve: 120 hours
- Jewels: 21
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: White gold-plate with hand-painted cloisonné enamel decoration
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
- Buckle: Folding with diving extension
- RRP: £21,000
- Limited Edition: 72 pieces
