Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400: New Caliber, New Standard

Independent watchmaker Oris has just announced the release of another manufacture movement, making it the sixth produced by the company in its recent history.

Truth be told, what sets the new movement apart from the watchmaker's earlier moves is that it has been equipped with a number of key features that boast a range of completely different advantages, primarily overtaking the anniversary hand-wound Calibre 110, which boasted a 10-day power reserve and a patented non-linear power reserve indication. The watch brand decided to make the bestselling Aquis Date models the first to house the new Caliber 400.

The latest variation is almost identical to its predecessors in terms of its appearance, and all the most interesting parts are hidden inside the case. Well, they're only partially hidden. The dive watch features a sapphire crystal case-back which hasn’t compromised the watch's 300-meter water resistance, and allows you to take a fairly detailed look at the workings of movement.

The Oris engineering department spent the last five years fine-tuning the automatic Caliber 400, and their hard work has paid off. Thanks to the movement's the two mainspring barrels, it has a power reserve of no less than five days. Instead of sitting the oscillating weight (or rotor) on traditional ball bearings, it has been placed on a low-friction slide bearing system.

This has allowed the caliber to be constructed with an anti-magnetic design comprised of some 30 specialized parts (non-ferrous or non-magnetic alloys have been used), which easily exceeds the requirements of latest version of the ISO 764 standard for anti-magnetic watches.

However, that's not all that this watch has to offer. Tested for precision in five positions, this movement could qualify for chronometer certification, as it has an accuracy of -3 and +5 seconds a day compared to the -4/+6 required for COSC certification.

A final point worth mentioning is that Oris is so confident in the new timepiece that the company's management has reassessed its warranty policy, extending the old 3-year policy to a 10-year warranty.

All you have to do is complete the online registration process on the official website and become a member of the MyOris online club. The warranty covers both the movement and indeed the watch. The recommended service interval also happens to be every ten years.