Message From Orient to the Blog Readers

As we reported yesterday, the blog had been approached by Orient, who kindly offered us access to information and resources. For our anniversary, we asked whether an Orient executive would agree to share with us some of their thoughts about the past, present and future of the brand. We received a very positive response from Wiebke Bird, Senior Business Manager at Orient, which we can now share with our readers.

About Orient's independence as a brand

“ORIENT became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epson two years ago and the brand has been supported, both in terms of distribution and marketing, ever since. ORIENT continues to produce all its automatic movement in its own, dedicated factory in Japan, with some assembly in its China-based factory. It is very important for us to maintain ORIENT’s independence in this regard. In fact, the last two years have seen ORIENT’s watch lines consolidate and focus on the models we do better than anyone else with great value for money, quality movements and distinctive designs. ”

About Orient's current models

“This is especially apparent in further additions and developments in the ORIENT Classic collection, which our fans have dubbed the ‘Bambino’. The ORIENT Classic with Small Seconds (RA-AP0003S) is available in five variations and is a great addition to the iconic ORIENT ‘Bambino’ offer. More recently the ORIENT Classic Date (RA AC0009S and RA-AC0008S) has expanded the appeal of the ‘Bambino’ with a smaller, 36.4mm case and a bracelet strap that attracts both male and female ORIENT customers.

“We are also highly regarded globally for the ORIENT Sports Diver Style collection, which has seen new colour variations for 2019 such as forest green (RA-AA0004E) and a popular black and gold variation (RA-AA0005B). The ORIENT Sports Diver Style ‘Big Mako’ (RA-AA0009L) with a 43.6mm case has also been a statement addition to the collection.

“At a higher price point, the ORIENT Sports JIS 200m Diver – launched in 2018 – continues to wow thanks to its automatic in-house Calibre 40N5A with a 40-hour power reserve and indicator. The black and gold-plated stainless steel variant (RA-EL0003B) is perhaps the most coveted.

“Our distinctive Sun and Moon models, which were introduced seven years ago, have developed year-on-year with the latest variation featuring an ‘open heart’. This model from 2018 represents the first time an ‘open heart’ and Sun and Moon complication were put together on the same ORIENT dial. There is also a new model to look out for this summer – the RA-AK03 – with design references that refer back to the original ET0P design, but with a more contemporary feel.”

About Orient Star

“Last year saw the evolution of ORIENT STAR in a number of ways. The ORIENT STAR Heritage Gothic (RE-AW0006S) has captured the imagination of long-term and new collections thanks to its revival of the gothic font used on an original ORIENT STAR model from 1957. This year, we are pleased to introduce a new ORIENT STAR Heritage Gothic (RE-AW0006L) with a rose gold-plated stainless steel case, deep navy dial, finely detailed white accents in the chapter ring, and a calfskin strap. This piece is limited to 1,000 worldwide.

“There’s also the ORIENT STAR Modern Skeleton (RE-AV0003L) – the hero timepiece of this year’s ORIENT WATCH Showcase in Basel. It contains the automatic in-house Calibre F6F44, with a 50 hour power reserve and indicator.

“We are pleased to launch the first ladies’ timepiece in the ORIENT STAR collection too – the 30.5mm ORIENT STAR Cygnus (RE-ND0006S and RE-ND0007S). It took our watchmaking specialists many months to refine a new movement for semi-skeleton, based on the Calibre 55C40. Polishing and finishing such a petite design is a challenge, however our highly-skilled craftsmen made it possible at an affordable price. The timepiece has a classic design with a bombe dial and box glass, resulting in a soft and feminine silhouette.

               

“Looking ahead, ORIENT STAR will be expanded with the ORIENT STAR Sports Outdoor (RE-AU0201E) – a take on the classic field watch design. It offers a 50 hour power reserve, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, water resistance of 100 metres and second hand hacking. Those who appreciate the field watch will also enjoy the new successor models to ET0N, the ORIENT Sports Field (RA-AK0401L), which will be available this year with NATO-style and leather straps. ”

Message to Orient Place Blog readers

“We are pleased that orientplace.blogspot.com is offering a destination for ORIENT fans around the world and we look forward to seeing more reviews of our timepieces in the coming months.”

And yes, we definitely intend to post more reviews of new and old Orient watches, here on the blog! We thank Orient for sharing this information with us (and the photos presented above), including those interesting hints concerning upcoming models.

Orient Place Blog's First Anniversary

Everyone likes to celebrate anniversaries! Orient do… and so do blogs :)

I started this blog exactly one year ago, on April 17, 2018, with the purpose of sharing as much Orient-related information with the community of Orient watch owners and fans of the brand: reviews, news, tales of the brand's history, and various other topics.

It turned out that the brand does indeed carry such a community of people wanting to learn more, and that such a source of information providing an insight into the brand's past and present (and as much as possible, future) was badly sought after.

During the blog's first 12 months, we've had more than 25,000 visits, an average of more than 2,000 per month. Thirty five stories were posted on the blog, accompanied by around 80 original photos (and plenty of catalog ones…)

The most popular stories posted (based on direct entries, so not counting people who viewed the story while it showed on the blog's main page) were –

·         In third place, New Orient Star Models for 2019 – apparently many of you (866 direct entries) were intrigued by Orient's new models!

·         Runner up with 884 direct entries, Dress Watches and Orient – not surprising, considering Orient's dress watches (such as the Bambino) are among the brand's most iconic and popular models…

·         And in the first place, the most popular story with 914 direct entries - The "Map Dial" Orient World Diver ! and no wonder that it is, as who can resist the charm of this amazing vintage work of art?

We also had plenty of activity on our Facebook page, and in case you haven't already, please follow the page! Besides being a very convenient way of getting notified of new blog posts, we also occasionally post additional content there, like photos, and links to interesting watches showing up for sale.

Interestingly, the Facebook post that got the most engagement on our page was the one referring to the list of modern RoyalOrient movements, compiled and published by the blog. So yes, Orient fans also seem to have saved a place in their heart for the now hibernating royal sub-brand…

And this here is our top liked Instagram photo! :)

What's also quite exciting is that recently, Orient have learned about the blog and have reached out to us. This is great news for the blog, as we now have a direct link to information right from the source. While the blog promises to retain its neutrality, so for instance all product reviews we would post here will always be 100% objective, there is no doubt that being acknowledged by the brand is really cool – as well as likely to be very helpful in the future.

As part of this relationship, we have asked an Orient executive to share with us some of their thoughts about the past, present and future of the brand. Our request was kindly accepted, and tomorrow we will be sharing this with you – rest assured this will be interesting, as we got a scoop, in the form of first details of new and upcoming models!

Okay, then. We paused to celebrate our anniversary, but now we must move on. In coming weeks, you can expect some very interesting articles here on the blog… we'd be talking about Orient's homage watches; we'll take a look at the brand's mechanical chronographs; we'd be reviewing more watches, new and old, and – stay tuned as we've got a very, very, rare Orient heading our way!

As always – we're also listening to our readers and followers. Tell us (here in comments, or on our Facebook page) what more topics would you like the blog to cover and discuss?

Orient Star Moon-Phase Watch Review

Orient introduced caliber F7X62, featuring a brand new mechanical moon-phase complication, in the summer of 2017. This came as a very welcome step-up from its fairly popular "sun and moon" complication (which was in fact a visualization of a 24 hour indicator).

The Orient Star moon-phase line up has been gradually expanding since then, and now finally the blog got its hands on one of these interesting models: the blue dialed reference RE-AM0002L (or, on the Japanese website, RK-AM0002L).

Personally, I've had two concerns upon seeing the watch in photos: that the dial was overly cluttered, and that the "semi-skeleton" feature, which Orient is very much fond of, would really detract from an otherwise very classic style of watch.

Regarding the latter concern I must say I'm still not fully convinced of the necessity of this feature that punches a hole through the beautiful dial of this watch. I'll need to let this sink in for a while. I would have loved to see a non-skeletonized version done by Orient.

Regarding the first concern however, I was very much relieved to see the watch in the flesh. There is a lot of visual (and actual) depth to the dial, at least in this blue colored version, which helps distinguish its different elements. The excellent anti-reflective coating of the sapphire crystal further improves legibility. The case is just the right size at 41mm, not wearing too large yet allowing ample breadth for the dial to present itself and allow one to appreciate the view.

And yes, the dial looks great. The decorations are subtle, and add a sense of quality and finesse without overshadowing the main purpose of the watch, which is to show the time – and indeed, the phase of the moon.

The moon phase disc is sweet – not anything we've not seen before in moon phase complications, but still good looking. The date and moon section of the dial is very well made.

Overall the watch feels solid like Orient Star watches typically do. The movement is nice enough to observe, both through the sapphire case back and through the front window.

One other thing to mention – which some publications and sale ads for the watch have not emphasized – is the improved accuracy of the F7X62 movement: boasting a respectable (for the price range) +15/-5 seconds per day, as opposed to +25/-15 on most Orients.

The model we're looking at sells nowadays for around 1,200 USD. Some of the more limited versions of the moon-phase, or ones that come on a bracelet, sell closer to 1,800 USD. These are still fair asking prices for a mechanical moon-phase from a respectable brand. Some close competitors I can think of include the Frederique Constant Moonphase Manufacture, which generally sell well above 2,000 USD, and the Christopher Ward Grand Malvern Moonphase, selling for roughly 1,800 USD. At 1,200 USD the Orient does seem a very fair proposition.

So, there you have it. A fine offering by Orient, combining good looks, Orient Star quality, and the mechanical moon-phase complication. While not very useful, I see moon phase displays as a good answer to the question "how do we make a dial more interesting, while keeping it functional and not decorated just for the sake of decoration". Whether that is at all a question that you find relevant and worthy of the 1,200+ USD price tag – that's entirely up to you.

The blog would like to thank our avid reader Mr. Boaz Barnea, who allowed us some time to play with, and take photos of, his personal Orient Moon Phase.

DAKS Fashion House and Orient Watches

As promised, the blog will occasionally take a look at co-branding initiatives where Orient have produced watches for other brands. The transition from the previous co-branding project we covered couldn't be sharper though, as we depart from the realm of Japanese action figures and arrive at the highly regarded and utterly British fashion house of DAKS.

"Established in 1894, DAKS produces luxury clothing and accessories for both men and women. DAKS is a holder of 3 Royal Warrants; representing our long standing relationship with the Royal Family and the outstanding quality of our products." (description taken from the DAKS website).

The cooperation between Orient and DAKS began in 2006, with a fairly modest release, of what Orient refers to as "pair models" – i.e. a couple of similar watches produced at "his" and "her" sizes. Those were fairly inexpensive quartz watches costing around $400 USD – not a lot considering the DAKS upmarket positioning.

A few years later, however, the cooperation picked up and DAKS moved into a higher segment of the watch market. Between 2009 and 2010 the two brands introduced a number of cool watches, all based on existing Orient designs but given the "DAKS touch" – mainly focused on the DAKS House Check, a unique checkered pattern identified with this fashion house.

At the top of co-branded offering were three watches based on the Royal Orient Cal. 48A40 (EG). These included a couple of pieces very similar to the Royal Orient ref. WZ0021EG, and a pocket-watch. Like the Royal Orient model, these watches were priced at around $1,800 USD.

The three pieces were encased in Sterling Silver and their dials were adorned with a texture reminiscent of the DAKS check; the straps provided for the wrist watches were also decorated with the familiar check pattern on the inside.

The following photo is taken from an old sales ad by an Orient AD. All other photos were taken from official Orient releases.

Another interesting DAKS model was the retrograde, based on Orient's familiar cal. 40A52 (note that this DAKS is not using the more finely regulated and decorated Royal Orient variant, cal. 40B50).

Orient launched two retrograde models, also featuring the checkered straps, and finely check-textured dials. They were priced at around 1,200 USD – similar to the equivalent Orient Star retrograde models.

Finally, Orient also produced a line of high-end ladies' watches, under the tagline "Elegant and Traditional". These were quartz watches, encased in stainless steel with rose- and yellow-gold toned versions, embedded with 24 diamonds and having a crown set with gemstones. The models were priced at just under 1,000 USD.

Nowadays, it's not too difficult to come across the simpler quartz DAKS models, many of which are solar-powered, on auction sites. However the mechanical DAKS pieces are very rare findings – and presumably were not being produced in very large numbers to begin with.

Are Orient's DAKS watches of any particular importance to collectors? Most likely not. While rare, not many people are looking for these items, and it does not seem that they have been at any time a central piece for the DAKS house – and currently, there are no watches featured on their website.

However, for avid Orient collectors, there's still a point of interest here. For instance, if one is looking for a pre-owned Orient Star retrograde and has the opportunity to buy a DAKS variant, this might be an interesting proposition – a chance to get the same Orient Star quality watch in an unusual guise.

Would you choose a DAKS-branded watch over the standard Orient, given the chance, or not? Let us know what you think!