The Oris Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition

When was the last time you thought about the Yangtze jiangtun porpoise? Probably never, but Oris wants to bring the name of this critically endangered finless porpoise into the conversation with its newest release, the Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition. It’s a continuation of the Hölstein-based brand’s ongoing limited-edition releases in support of various conservation efforts across many fields—on Hodinkee, we’ve covered past releases from Oris in association with the Billion Oyster Project, Coulson Aviation, Bracenet, Dat Watt, and many more. What I’ve always respected about Oris and its efforts in supporting its areas is the brand’s grounded approach and ambition, as the brand’s main goal in these editions is creating watches that start conversations around these topics rather than trying to just make material changes with, say, a limited run of upcycled plastic dials. It’s been a consistent part of Oris’ ethos for many, many years, and this new edition keeps that streak going.

This new Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition is a partnership with the Changjiang Conservation Foundation in China, an organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia and the third-longest river in the world. In addition to a “significant monetary contribution” to the Changjiang Conservation Foundation, Oris donated eight pieces to the organization, with proceeds from the watches at an upcoming benefit auction also going towards broader river conservation efforts. But from a storytelling perspective, the focus is all on the finless porpoise. I suppose it’s working, as I learned way more about the Yangtze jiangtun than I would have ever expected, and I suppose if you’re reading this, you will too. It is a (in my humble opinion) very cute toothed whale (in the porpoise family), endemic to the Yangtze River, and sadly, the last remaining freshwater marine mammal in the country. Thankfully, conservation efforts have led to a reversal in population decline (Oris cites a 2022 study for an estimate of around 1,249 remaining), and the hope is that further efforts will help to restore the population.

Now to the watch itself. For a design in tribute to a marine mammal, it’s only fitting that this edition comes in the form of an Aquis, Oris’ modern-leaning dive watch, refreshed in 2024 with improved proportions and ergonomics. To the chagrin of those looking for more compact divers, just like the New York Harbor II edition from last year, this one comes in at a diameter of 43.5mm and a thickness of 13.1mm. Thanks to the Aquis lug design, while a 51mm lug-to-lug is by no means short, it feels so relative to that diameter. I’ve previously asked some of the folks at Oris why these editions come in the larger size and not the seemingly more universally acceptable 41.5mm variant. While they’ve been coy about it, it seems like the 43.5mm version does very well for them, and sales data doesn’t lie.

The dial on the Yangtze Jiangtun edition is eye-catching, with a unique mother-of-pearl dial in a blue-green shade that recalls the river. Interestingly, though the entire base dial is mother-of-pearl, the shimmering material is used sparingly in the final execution, showing through wavy lines on the dial that Oris says is inspired by the sound waves of the porpoise’s ultrasonic clicks. The rest of the dial is covered with a printed blue-green layer. While some might want to see more mother-of-pearl on, well, a mother-of-pearl dial, I think the effect works charmingly here, with the iridescent streaks providing an unconventional visual impact while still keeping the dial extremely legible. Looking at the dial up close gives you the satisfaction of seeing the organic texture of those waves, and it’s really well done. If there was one thing to nitpick on, I’d have loved to see a proper color-matched date window or at least a metallic frame surrounding the opening.

The tungsten bezel insert, a quirky choice seen on some older Aquis models, is back. In its fully polished form, tungsten gives a similar high-gloss sheen to ceramic while offering a gray metallic look. It’s undeniably a fingerprint magnet, but it blends in with the rest of the case, highlighting the wave dial. Flip the watch over, and you’ll see a cute engraving of the Yangtze finless porpoise looking straight at you, with the edition name on an outer ring and the individual number out of 1,249 pieces. Priced at $2,900, the watch houses the automatic Sellita SW200-based Caliber 733, with a power reserve of 41 hours and frequency of 28,800 VpH. It’s right in line with the rest of the Sellita-powered Aquis collection, with a $100 premium thanks to the mother-of-pearl dial. I’m glad that Oris continues to release interesting novelties at this price point, making sure that those who aren’t ready to take the leap into the much more expensive in-house Caliber 400 offerings can still have a ton of fun.

On the wrist, this one’s a fun one. Yes, the watch is large, though it’s certainly the smallest-wearing 43.5mm watch I’ve ever tried on. The integrated bracelet design is a big reason why it’s still wearable on my 6.5″ wrist, as you can see, thanks to the screwed-in endlinks that drape immediately down from the end of the case. But short endlinks mean a more exaggerated dial presence, which won’t go away for a diameter this large. On the flip side, a larger diameter means that the dial can have a little more breathing room, giving those waves of mother-of-pearl the appropriate sizing to really get in all that natural texture. The more I think of it, a smaller dial might lose some of that impact. The rest of the watch is classic Aquis, with a blocky, robust silhouette and a everywhere-proofed 300-meter water resistance.

With an absolute smashing release earlier in the year with the Big Crown Pointer Date “Bullseye,” followed by this subsequent Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition, Oris shows that their sub-three-thousand-dollar segment isn’t going anywhere. The brand continues to go down its own unique path, and with the year just starting, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come.