When I first laid hands on this Sun WuKong Limited Edition watch, I had to take a moment of mental calculation to determine if it was going to be the Year of the Monkey for next Chinese New Year. If it was then Oris was being very early.
Well, I realised quite quickly that it’ll be the Year of the Tiger next year, and so this Sun Wukong Limited Edition is not a Chinese New Year themed watch. Instead, this 2,000-piece limited-edition version of the Aquis Date diver’s watch is meant to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Chinese animated feature film, “The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven”, which was released in 1961 by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio Co. (SAFS).
How does this watch go about referencing the Monkey King, also known as Sun WuKong? Well, if you’re Chinese, you’ll probably be familiar with the legendary mythical figure from the 16th century Chinese classic novel, Journey to the West and you’ll know his famous weapon – a red staff with golden tips, that he twirls around at great speed to defeat his enemies.
Well, there it is, right there on the dial as the seconds hand, radiating the power of the supernatural monkey, with the corresponding waves of energy emanating as it goes around the blue dial.
It’s a smart and subtle way to reference a beloved character, because if you have no knowledge or connection to the Monkey King, you might like the blue dial and the yellow tipped red seconds hand purely for its aesthetic. It is extremely punchy and captivating after-all.
And if you were one of the generations of Chinese kids that grew up with the Monkey King via the many retelling of the Journey to the West story, you’ll be able to imagine the Monkey King twirling his staff anyway when looking at the dial.
Furthermore, in case you forget, there is an engraving of the head of Sun Wukong and his staff on the case-back that will remind you of what this watch is about.
The choice of utilising the Aquis Date for this limited edition is also a smart one since it is a popular and extremely functional tool watch. Sized at 41.5 mm in stainless steel and with a unidirectional ocean blue rotating bezel, it is the quintessential diving watch that goes well with this blue dial.
As befits its limited edition status, the watch comes in a special presentation box with the same dial abstraction, as well as a reproduction of the Sun Wu Kong engraving.
Technical Specifications:
Case: Multi-piece stainless steel case, 41.50 mm (1.634 inches)
Dial Blue: Luminous material Indices and hands filled with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire: domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back: Stainless steel, screwed, special engravings
Operating devices: Stainless steel screw-in security crown
Strap: Multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet, security folding clasp with extension
Water resistance: 30 bar (300 metres)
Movement: Number Oris 733
Functions: Hours, minutes and central sweep seconds hands, date with quick setting, stop second device, date window at 6 o’clock
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 38 hours
Limited edition: 2,000 pieces, special presentation box
Swiss retail price CHF 2,350
Available November 2021