Once in a while, I like to dive into some of Orient's quirkier attempts at model naming – whether unexplained ones, like "Bronco," or models that actually did get an explanation, only a strange one – such as the "M collection" in which watch names go after entries in the Messier Catalog of celestial bodies. Well, they don't come much stranger than "ModeID"...
Introduced in 2008, Orient's explanation to the name was that "ModeID"
is a coined word that combines "Mode" (meaning fashion) and "ID"
(identity), and means the fusion of "fashion" and "being
yourself." Yep, that sure clears things up!
The ModeID line itself (MD for short) was actually rather interesting.
It included two versions – a square case and a round case, each featuring
numerous references. They provided almost every conceivable combination of case
color, strap, and dial color – mostly black or white (but also a few blue, red and
brown).
Below are all eighteen watches included in this first iteration of
ModeID. Note how references start with WD (like WD0011DB, WD0021DB…), unlike
most Orients that would start with WV (like the MD contemporaries WV0011DB,
WV0021DB, and so on, which were completely different designs).
The round case was around 39mm in diameter without the crown, 45mm lug
to lug with a 20mm lug width, and 11.9mm thick. The square version was around
35mm wide and 46mm lug to lug, and a little bit thicker at 12.4mm.
Both types of MD watches used caliber 46A40, a very simple variant of the 46 family of movements. It was a time-only automatic movement, with no hacking or hand winding. Caliber 46A was mainly used for semi-skeleton watches, where the lack of day or date disks prevented the view of the internal moving parts from being obstructed.
The second wave of ModeID came in 2009, and this time, the watches had a very
different styling. Orient referred to the new release as "Orient ModeID
Dark Romantic," claiming its design conveyed "the duality of glamour
and mystery" and "the establishment of a world view that can be
described as dark romantic."
Orient continued to describe how "the lustrously curved dial features deep
colors reminiscent of the colors of Victorian furniture, creating a dark
romantic atmosphere. Furthermore, the frame surrounding the date and day of the
week further enhances the glamorous and mysterious image."
Well, that might sound like a lot of fluff, but the new range of MD watches was actually quite nice. The collection was much more focused, with just
four references.
The new model made use of a different movement – caliber 46B46. Caliber
46B provided the date, day and a 24 hour sub-dial, allowing for a much more
interesting – and less minimalistic – design. The new elaborate dial was, in my
opinion, more true to Orient DNA, despite ditching the open heart window.
The case was 40.5mm wide, and 13mm thick – considerably larger than the
2008 release. And while the 2008 MD models were sold as Unisex watches, the new version was decidedly presented as a men's watch.
This, then, is the story of Orient's ModeID. A short-lived name and a
bunch of colorful watches, some of which were actually pretty nice (which ones
are those, I guess, is just a matter of personal taste!)
All photos in this story were taken from Orient catalogs.
