The Orient Star Dynamic and the T-Type Movement

A couple of months ago I wrote about the birth of Orient's T-S Type movement, and the "Hinomatic" watch built on it. Not long had passed since the 1955 launch of the Hinomatic, and in 1956 Orient introduced a new caliber, the T-Type, which would soon replace the T-S.

The T-Type, too, did not last a long time in production before it was replaced by the N-Type movement, in 1958. However, during its short life it provided the basis for numerous important models and new designs, some of which were later revisited in watches using newer calibers.

The first and most notable – and popular – model was the Orient Star Dynamic. The Dynamic started life as a fairly standard-looking watch, not much different in appearance from the Hinomatic it replaced.

Having similar looks and a movement that was, in essence, very similar to the T-S, one could be fooled into thinking this was little more than a minor update to the running production line.

However, between 1957 and 1958, at which time the Dynamic line concluded, plenty of fresh and innovative designs emerged.

At first, Orient were to play with some fancier dial designs. These also presented a more modern dress-watch style, suitable to the end of the 1950s – as opposed to the Hinomatic's very "early 50s" looks. Differences may appear subtle to us now, but at the time they were probably appreciated for consumers looking for a more current design.

Then Orient produced some more daring creations that went beyond just dial and markers. One example is the "mysterious" watch, where the second hand was replaced with a rotating disc that hid the hour and minute hands, and created a special radiating effect. This design was later reproduced as a Royal Orient.

Another example is the "case within case" design, seen below on the right. This style too was very unique to Orient, and was reused by the brand for its Olympia Swimmer models in the 1960s.

If that wasn't enough, Orient then went on and put the T-Type inside a triangular case, to make its homage to the Hamilton Ventura. This was sold as both a wristwatch and a pocket watch version, as you can see here.

The case-in-case design also received its pocket-watch, or pendant version as you can see below; and an even more unusual product was this table-clock Dynamic, which resembles a lamp.

While the Orient Star Dynamic was the main product line at the time, Orient manufactured more models using the T-Type caliber.

The Jupiter model was presented in 1956, shortly after the Dynamic. It was initially intended as a more basic watch: using versions of the movement having as little as 9 jewels, while Dynamic models usually made use of the 17-jewel version. Later, however, things got a little mixed up with 11 jewel versions appearing in both the Jupiter and Dynamic lines.

In 1957 the Mars Orient was introduced, as a higher end model, with finer regulation and improved shock resistance. These watches used 19 and 21 jewel versions of the T-Type, and the 21-jewel model also featured a higher level of finishing throughout.

Another watch worth mentioning that made use of the T-Type movement was the 1958 "Luminous" with its battery and miniature light bulb, and the antimagnetic Para Aimant. Despite being introduced along with the start of the production of the newer N-Type caliber, these models took advantage of the smaller dimensions of the older movement to pack more "technology" into their cases.

Note, however, that most of the earlier models mentioned – the Dynamic, Mars and Jupiter – had fairly small cases, ranging between 32-34mm. Take this into consideration when looking to buy one of those.

 

Pictures that appear in this post were taken from the 1999 Orient Watch Catalog book, and old Orient sale ads.