Orient Fineness, Hands-On

I've discussed the history of Orient's "Fineness" watches before. As is often the case, getting my hands on a decent sample of this model was just a matter of time. Well, here it is!

The watch at hand is of the second iteration of the Fineness – that is, the 1968 version featuring the rounded case and a cyclops over the day and date.

The case is entirely polished, and as this particular sample is in a very fine condition, the sharpness and glitter of the stainless steel has been well preserved. It has a properly elegant look that goes well with the thinness of the case, and I think works better as a dress watch than the first iteration with its elaborately decorated cushion case.

The lugs are very short and do not extend beyond the edge of the case, so essentially it is 36 by 36 mm, without the crown. The watch is 8.5mm thick from case back to the top of the crystal, not counting the cyclops. It is probably the thinnest watch in my collection, Orients and all.

On the wrist this translates, not surprisingly, to a very comfortable wearing experience. It's summertime now, so it's the lightness of the Fineness that is immediately appreciated. Was it winter, I'd probably be talking about how easy it is to fit under cuffs.

The dial layout here is simple, yet it holds certain unique elements that add character to the Fineness.

The combined day-date display is an uncommon sight. The date and (Kanji) day of the week are nicely enlarged by the effective cyclops. I feel the cyclops also slightly softens the date, which is the darkest element on the dial, helping it match the overall silvery appearance of the watch face better.

The hour and minute hands are quite uniquely shaped on this version of Fineness. Possibly, Orient wanted to make up for the simpler case, compared to the earlier and later versions. Both hands get narrower just before their pointed ends, then go wider again. It's a very elegant design that also helps express the slimness of the watch.

Another singular element here is the stamped "F" logo. While it clearly represents Fineness, it does not appear on any of the other versions of the watch. Note how the stem (to use a typographic term) of the letter F matches the profile of the hour and minute hands.

Presumably this is, again, a way of adding flavor to the simple round case. And it works – the logo combines with the cursive writing of "Orient Fineness" to add a subtle touch of luxury.

One annoyance here is the crown. Setting the time is fairly slow – it's not one of those mechanical movements where a minor turn of the crown moves the hour quickly – and the small crown means more effort is needed to turn it. The caliber 3900 lets you change the day by moving back and forth across midnight, but changing the date requires moving the full 24 hours forward, a rather tedious affair.

Adding the quickset button on the caliber 3991 of the last version must have been of great relief to owners… I'd have loved to have it here! But that final iteration of Fineness is quite impossible to find.

Anyway, I'm quite happy with the watch I got! It's elegant, comfortable, and very special. This version of Fineness is not too difficult to find online, and prices are more than reasonable, generally going at around 300 USD. A worthy vintage dress piece by all means.