Supporting the Return of the “Ecosystem Engineers,” Oris Introduces the Aquis NY Harbor LE


In support of the Billion Oyster Project, Oris, today, is introducing its latest in a 2,000-piece limited edition based on the 41.5-mm Aquis diver’s watch dubbed the Aquis NY Harbor LE. The dive watch comes with a green mother-of-pearl dial, a matching rubber strap, steel bracelet and strap change tool.

Oysters Filter Water

New York Harbor once was home to 220,000 acres of oyster reefs. As New York City grew in stature as a global hub for trade and shipping, its population developed a taste for oysters. Simultaneously, the harbor also became a dumping ground for sewage, industrial waste and other pollutants, with devastating results on marine wildlife. According to the Billion Oyster Project, “it took less than 100 years for New Yorkers to wipe out the oyster population in NY Harbor.” It wasn’t until 1972 that New York’s Clean Water Act was passed, prohibiting the dumping of waste and raw sewage into the harbor.

Over time, the water quality began to improve, and today working to bolster this conversation effort, the Billion Oyster Project aims to restore one billion oysters to the city’s iconic waterways by the year 2035. An adult oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day, while oyster colonies create ecosystems for other marine life (giving them a reputation as an “ecosystem engineer”):

Billion Oyster Project is restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor in collaboration with New York City communities. Oyster reefs provide habitat for hundreds of species, and can protect our city from storm damage — softening the blow of large waves, reducing flooding, and preventing erosion along the shorelines. We also run four oyster nurseries where we grow oysters for future reef installations and conduct scientific experiments.”

Billionoysterproject.org

Billion Oyster Project started in 2014 with Murray Fisher and Pete Malinowski. In the years since, the project has brought 11,000 volunteers, 8,000 students, 100 New York City schools and more than 50 restaurant partners together to place oysters, and build reefs. More importantly, Billion Oyster Project has introduced 75 million juvenile oysters to 18 restoration sites covering 14.5 acres of New York Harbor, and the oyster population is now self-sustaining.

The Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition

To support the project, Oris is introducing a 2,000-piece limited edition (Ref. 733 7766 4187-Set) Aquis with green mother of-pearl dial (nacre), inspired by the color of the famous harbor’s water, and by oyster shell. The stainless steel case is water resistant to 300m and equipped with a a relief bezel. The dive watch comes with a matching green rubber strap, an additional multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet with folding clasp with extension, and strap changing tool. Movement is the Sellita SW 200 with 38 hours of power reserve when fully wound.

The new Oris Aquis NY Harbor LE retails for CHF 2,400, approximately $2,400 USD, and will be available directly through the brand, as of today.

To learn more about the new watch, visit Oris, here.

And to learn more about the Billion Oyster Project, visit their website, here.


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