Orient's
fascination with "interesting" (or strange / complicated, as you
prefer) dials has previously
been discussed on the blog. One way Orient used to achieve this
level of interest, was the use of movements supporting multiple sub-dials. Today
we'll look at one such movement: Caliber 46B, famously powering Orient's
"multi-eye" dials (and its successor, F6B).
But
first, an apology! As I was researching for this story, I noticed the old
movements table I used in the "Caliber
46" post had an error… I saw it had Caliber 46C (as seen in this
model) listed with the exact same specs as the 46B, which made no sense.
Indeed,
that was a mistake. The difference, of course, is that 46C has the same
day-of-week hand, but does not feature the 24-hour hand that 46B has! Well,
error fixed. I know many of you take to the blog to obtain accurate, reliable Orient
information, so whenever I notice an inaccuracy (which can happen) I aim to fix
it immediately.
Take
a quick look at the 46B's documentation and you'll immediately notice a slight
problem: if you arrange the movement "properly" as shown in the
diagram, you need to place the watch crown at the awkward 2:30 position.
However,
never reluctant to play oddball, this was exactly how Orient first presented
this movement. In the image below are two early models, proudly boasting the
symmetrical dial position. The axis of the two sub-dials is placed at the same
"height", and the crown is unashamedly sticking out at 2:30 (or
closer to 2:36, it seems).
And
of course, Orient being Orient, moving from the first to the second series they
shrunk the 24 hour sub-dial, making sure even the dial symmetry is gone.
In
the next two models, nothing seems to be in its right place. The sub-dials are
at 11 and 3, and the crown is at half past 3. However, somehow this arrangement,
aligning along some imaginary diagonal axis, is more eye-pleasing than the
previous.
When
Orient introduced more complex layouts, with the addition of an internal rotating
bezel, two benefits were gained: first, the additional crown for rotating the
bezel balanced the main crown; secondly, with the dial now busier anyway, the
location of the sub-dials becomes less of an issue. In other words: when things
get confusing, just keep making them more complicated, until you reach a level
where it all makes sense.
Also,
the more sporty the design, and less “dressy”, the less of an issue is the dial
layout. This is true for the almost-classic “defender” field watch (which was
later replaced
with a new movement allowing the crown to move to 3 o’clock), and
for the hefty-looking beast on the left, in the next picture.
And
of course, you can always go for a non-round case shape, where all expectations
for familiar watch designs get ditched anyhow. Consider this chubby barrel-case
model – or the chunky rectangular one. Yes the dial looks odd. Okay, we accept
it for what it is.
Luckily,
it wasn't all strangeness for the sake of strangeness. Once in a while,
Orient's designers did the other thing they know quite, and harnessed their
creativity to produce something truly good-looking.
The
sun
and moon watch was probably the best application of caliber 46B. Here
Orient replaced the simple 24 hour hand with a rotating disc portraying the
movement of the sun and the moon. Still a busy dial, but now it's busy working
for the greater good.
Having
achieved greatness, caliber 46B was finally ready to retire. Orient replaced it
with caliber F6B, offering similar functions but now operating much better,
with modern features like hand-winding and hacking. And having learned its
lesson, Orient's manuals now show it with the crown at 3 o'clock.
New
models using the F6B movement are identified by the “AK” part of the reference
code, replacing the old “ET” indication. As one may expect, the new designs are
not too adventurous. For instance, pictured above are the current Defender and
multi-eye Bambino.
Below
you can see the updated Sun and Moon watch. Here you can see two formats of
this design – the Bambino style in 41.5mm, and a larger, sportier version in
42.5mm.
If
you’re looking for something more fancy, there is also the 41.5mm contemporary-style
sun and moon – or, for the ladies, 36mm decorated models like this
mother-of-pearl piece.
So,
that is the story of Orient multi-eye watches: plenty of goofy stuff, undeniable
creativity, and occasionally some nice-looking products.
Photos
were taken from Orient manuals, catalogs and sale ads.
