Oris’ latest limited edition timepiece comes in the form of the Sun Wukong Limited Edition, a 2,000-piece limited-edition version of their iconic Aquis Date diver’s watch. It is being designed and manufactured in collaboration with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio Co. (SAFS).
The Oris Sun Wukong Limited Edition commemorates the 60th anniversary of the titular Chinese animated feature film, The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven. This classic animated work was produced by the Wan brothers and theatrically released by SAFS in 1961, at the height of the Second Golden Era of the Chinese film industry.
Watch company collaborations with classic franchises are not new to the industry, but the Monkey King presented a unique challenge. Oris’s designers thus took inspiration from the Monkey King’s staff, a magical golden and red pillar he uses to vanquish his foes. The seconds hand of the watch ended up taking the form of the staff, complete with its signature red with golden tips. To illustrate the Monkey King’s battle movements, Oris designers described the process as “abstracting the form, adding repeating flashes of blue that diminish and return in size and colour to suggest constant motion.” This very same dial abstraction is again found on the special presentation case that comes with the timepiece.
This creative design choice extends to the more technical aspects of the watch as well. The Oris Sun Wukong Limited Edition contains a 41.5mm stainless steel case with a uni-directional rotating ocean blue ceramic bezel. A screw-down crown, crown protectors, and a stainless steel bracelet (with an extendable folding clasp) help to maintain the nautical and underwater spirit of the Aquis Date. If this wasn’t any clearer, the blazing blue dial proudly indicates that the watch is water-resistant up to 30 bar (300 metres). Inside the watch itself you’ll find the Oris 733, an in-house automatic winding date movement. Last but certainly not least, on the watch’s case back you’ll find a special engraving of Sun Wukong’s head and his staff. The Oris Sun Wukong Limited Edition is available now at select dealers, so act quickly as only 2,000 pieces will be made.
