Oris recently held a press event on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to announce their newest limited edition watch, the Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II.

The reason for having the event on the Great Barrier Reef? Proceeds from the sale of the diver will go towards funding the Australian Marine Conservation Society, an organization dedicated exclusively to protecting ocean wildlife and their homes.

The slight amount of bright yellow – present in the bezel zero marker, the chapter ring, the seconds hand, and the day / date windows – accents quite remarkably with the blue / black of the dial and the black ceramic of the bezel. What makes the Great Barrier Reef II really stand out to my eye is the color contrast of the various elements.

The Great Barrier Reef II features an interesting method for displaying the day and date – the days are arranged in a circle around the dial, at the same radius that the hour hand sweeps. A small yellow marker underlines the current day, and the date is in a small window at the 6 o’clock position. This keeps the dial as a whole very symmetrical, something most watches with day and date windows lose.

Features include a double-domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, engraved case-back (I couldn’t find any pictures, sorry) and water resistance to an impressive 50bar (500m). The automatic movement uses the Oris caliber 735, with 26 jewels and a 38hr power reserve. This movement instantly switches the day and date (instead of that slow crawl seen on most watches in the early hours of the morning) and has hacking seconds (seconds hand stops when crown is pulled out, allowing more precise setting).

With a 46mm case diameter and 26mm strap width, the Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II is a hefty wrist-watch. The size is perfect for using as an actual diving tool, as the large dial makes it easy to read the time, but it might be difficult to fit under the sleeve of a jacket.

With an edition limited only to 2000 pieces, it’d be wise to jump on it quick if you want one. You can find a dealer on the Oris product page.