Earlier this month, Oris announced the launch of its new El Heirro Limited Edition model at a high-profile press event. The proceeds from the watch, named after one of the Spanish-owned Canary Islands, will support a research scholarship scheme run by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) at the Faculty of Marine Sciences at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
During the two-day launch event, the Swiss watchmaker—who recently sponsored the Williams racing team at Formula 1—hosted international and local journalists from watch and lifestyle publications, as well as special guests from the university. Guests were treated to a dive and underwater sightseeing tour off the south coast of the island, which has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2000.
At this time, researcher and scientist Eugenio Fraile presented Project Vulcano at the Centro de Interpretación Vulcanológica de El Hierro. This project will involve students benefitting from the aforementioned IEO scholarships and will focus on protecting the area’s unique marine ecosystem. “We greatly value our partnership with Oris,” adds Fraile. “This new watch underlines the difference Oris is making with its contribution to preserve the underwater world.”
“El Hierro is a magical place, and we have seen that the IEO is doing vital conservation work here,” adds Claudine Gertiser, CEO of Oris. “Oris is delighted to dedicate its latest limited edition diving watch to El Hierro and the work of the IEO.”
