Swiss precision watchmaker Oris Watches are set to cooperate on a watch to commemorate the USS Kittiwake. The US naval stalwart was sunk off the coast of the Cayman Islands creating an artificial reef.

The USS Kittiewake was a Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel used by the American Navy between 1946 and 1994. It was sold to the Cayman Islands government and sunk in January 2011. It is the second such enterprise by the government of the British Overseas Territory.

The resulting series of watches, limited to 500 pieces worldwide, reflects the functional purpose built nature of the Oris Watches line. The timepiece included a full rotation safety system to allow the wearer to gauge the amount of time spend underwater. This limited edition from Oris Watches also features an automatic helium valve for those deep dives and a built in extender within it titanium bracelet so that it is possible to use the watch over a wetsuit without adjusting the strap.

It is unlikely that this special edition will make it to the UK as initial stocks have been exclusively reserved for watch sellers in the offshore financial centre.