Orient Place Watch Review Contest – The Finals!

And so, we reach the final stage of our review contest… for your consideration below are two great reviews submitted by blog readers David and Stefan.

Now it's your turn! Vote for your favorite review - the one you've found most enjoyable, helpful, professional, or any other reason. To cast your vote, simply comment below on this post, write the reviewers name – either "David" or "Stefan" – and if you'd like to add some comments or compliments, feel free to do so!

The contest will be open for voting exactly one week, between now and Sunday December 8, noon CET. At that time, we will count the votes each contestant received, and announce the winning reviewer. In case of a draw, winner will be whoever got his total vote-count sooner.

Stefan's Review of his Orient Ray II

Some watches look unassuming on paper. In the Orient lineup, the Ray II is usually featured near the bottom, after the Neptune, Kamasu, Kanno, and Mako. Few reviewers mention the Ray. The spec sheet doesn't distinguish it from other offerings -- at 41.5mm, it doesn't fit the new trend of vintage-inspired smaller divers, and the movement is shared with many of its siblings. The water resistance is 200m, but the watch is not ISO certified.

I was drawn to the dial, which in my opinion looks cleaner than the Mako's, but my expectations were low. Maybe the Ray could serve as a beater watch. I spent the summer working on the rebuild of my house in Northern California, and maybe it would survive the constant dust, dirt, and abuse.

I don't like bracelets, so I bought the Ray on the rubber strap. It's not bad, but I changed immediately to a more comfortable NATO and wore the watch during days at the construction site. After a week, though, I noticed how reluctant I was to take it off. It was big and heavy enough to feel substantial, and yet it also felt perfectly comfortable. Depending on which strap I chose, the Ray turned from work watch to casual companion to dressy sports watch. It felt right in that certain inexplicable way only few watches do.

The case is 13mm thick and mostly polished, except for the brushed tops of the lugs. Dial and bezel insert are matte black. The design is clean, stripped-down. It has a hint of Submariner, but bezel, chapter ring, red-tipped seconds hand, and day/date window give it its own identity. The lume is spectacular and lasts all night; I don't ever have to look twice to read the correct time.

The crystal is mineral, which I prefer over sapphire's blue sheen. The Ray's only weak spot is the signed crown, which for my hands is too small. The F6922 movement, beating at 3hz and with a power reserve of 40 hours, allows for hand-winding and hacking, but the winding action feels rough. It's easy enough, though never pleasant. Good then that I rarely have the need to unscrew the crown. The Ray keeps great time, much better than the advertised -15/+25 accuracy, and I just never take it off. A tool has become a best friend.

David's Review of his Orient Star Titanium WZ0031AF

I've had this watch since 2016 and to this day I still find myself enamoured by the watch.

What I love about the watch:

·         Titanium case, case back, bracelet, crown and clasp. The bracelet comes with half-links and has some minor adjustments on the clasp. The titanium has also been treated with a scratch resistant coating.

·         The crystal is sapphire with Orient's Super Anti-Reflective (SAR) coating. At times it looks like the crystal is not there.

·         The overall polishing of the watch is superb. The "Zaratsu" polishing is well done. From the case to the applied indexes and hands, the various combination of brushed and polished surfaces  makes the watch "pop" in various lighting conditions.

·         The dial is flat with silver sunburst and with contrasting radial circles. Overall, the watch is quite easy to read in various light conditions.

·         The metallic blue hands for the second hand and the power meter are my favourite part of the watch. The blue is really beautiful when the right amount of light hits it.

·         Lume at each hourly mark and on the hands. While there isn't a whole lot of lume but, they are certainly legible at night.

·         In house movement: F6N42. This is a 22 jewel calibre that is nicely decorated. It has shock protection, hacks, hand winds and beats at 21,600bph.

·         10atm WR

·         Signed clasp and crown

Neutral Thoughts:

·         Exhibition crystal on the case back is probably mineral crystal.

·         21,600bph movement

·         The date change, like in typical Japanese fashion, takes almost an hour to complete.

·         The overall design is not unique, it has several design cues from other comparable Japanese watches.

·         Dimensions are a tad chunky sitting at 12mm height and 48mm lug to lug.

What I dislike:

·         The power reserve indicator design, wish it was more symmetrical.

Conclusion:

The Japanese are definitely the masters of light. The overall fit and finish of this Orient Star certainly punches above its price range. From the watches I've personally examined from Hamilton, Tissot to Oris as well as the Citizen Grand Signature none can match the overall presentation of this Orient Star.