Key Largo, Florida — On Saturday, April 1, 2017, the Coral Restoration Foundation held its fifth annual gala, Raise the Reef, at Ocean Reef Club in north Key Largo, Florida.

The organization’s signature fundraising event served as a celebration of the extraordinary efforts the Coral Restoration Foundation is leading throughout Florida and the Caribbean. CRF is committed to restoring and preserving the coral reefs that are so important to the world's coastal communities and to marine life.

Over 270 guests attended the gala and over $114,000 was raised through the evening’s silent and live auctions. The highlight of the live auction was the sale of two Oris Staghorn Limited Edition watches – the only two currently available in the world after the watch was debuted for the first time one week earlier at the Baselworld Fair. Each piece was auctioned at $12,000 for a total of $24,000 raised for the Coral Restoration Foundation. One watch was sold to Dr. Timothy Mullican, Sr. Vice President & Chief Zoological Officer at the Georgia Aquarium. He received the very special #2 piece. The other was purchased by gala attendee Neil Hirshfeld, who immediately gifted it to his friend and CRF Board Member, Jeff Turner.

The Coral Restoration Foundation is a Florida-based, nonprofit ocean conservation organization committed to restoring the world’s coral reefs. It believes that everyday individuals can make ecological change happen, and inspires others through education and volunteering programs to take large-scale action to secure the future of delicate coral ecosystems.

“We couldn’t be happier with the results of the silent auction and the funding that the two Staghorn Limited Editions helped bring to CRF,” said VJ Geronimo, CEO of North America, who presented the watches at the gala. “This is truly a grassroots organization made up of real people taking real action and I am proud that we could play a small part in their success.”

Founder and President of CRF, Ken Nedimyer, commented: “We are really pleased and excited to have Oris Watches involved in our efforts to restore endangered staghorn corals in the Caribbean. The excitement was evident at our recent Gala where we auctioned off two of the Oris Staghorn Limited Editions for over 500% above the retail price. We value Oris’ commitment to ocean conservation.”

This is truly a grassroots organization made up of real people taking real action and I am proud that we could play a small part in their success.

The Coral Restoration Foundation is making a tangible difference to the world’s oceans. In 2015, it outplanted 22,502 new corals through its volunteer replanting programs, and was preparing a further 40,000 to repopulate native reefs. It also hosted 72 dive programs to educate and inspire "voluntourists" to take action and save our oceans. Its important work continues.

For over 113 years, Oris has been making purely mechanical watches in Hölstein, Switzerland. The symbol of Oris mechanicals is the red rotor – it's a sign of the natural power that fuels the watches, and a registered trademark. Comprised of four worlds: Culture, Diving, Aviation and Motor Sport, Oris watches are made for everyday wear and offer the luxury of common sense. That means Oris provides their customers the best possible watch for the money, using useful complications and functional designs. Staying true to a rich heritage, Oris is one of the few Swiss watch companies to remain independently owned and operated.

Oris Staghorn Restoration Limited Edition Ref. No. 01 735 7734 4185 RS, Ø 43.50mm Limited to 2,000 pieces • Automatic movement Oris Cal. 735, based on Sellita SW 220-1, with date window at 6 o’clock • Weekdays displayed through seven apertures on an inner circle by an orange indicator. Instantaneous jump at midnight • Multi-piece stainless steel case and screw-in security crown with crown protection. Water-resistant to 30 bar/300 m • Diver’s uni-directional rotating bezel with polished black ceramic insert and orange/white minute scale • Screwed stainless steel case back with embossed Staghorn coral and engraved limited edition number • Sapphire crystal domed on both sides with anti-reflective coating • Dark blue dial with applied indices filled with Super-LumiNova®. Nickel hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova® inserts. Orange central seconds hand with Super-LumiNova® ‘lollipop’ insert • Black rubber strap with Oris-developed safety anchor and quick adjustment sliding-sledge folding clasp. Also available with a stainless steel bracelet • The presentation box with an insignia on the inside featuring the Staghorn coral is made using environmentally friendly regenerative algae • U.S. retail price $2,200 on a strap, $2,400 on metal bracelet • Available in September