Presenting the Orient Star "M Collection"

Orient has just announced a new collection of Orient Star watches, dubbed the "M Collection". The announcement claims these "M" models represent an even higher quality than most Orient Stars – this of course has yet to be seen in person, but the pictures no doubt tell a compelling story.

 

M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase

At the top of the line sits a new version of Orient's moon-phase watch, reference RK-AY0120A. It is a full (no "open heart") mother-of-pearl dial, similar to last year's MOP moon-phase model. The new dial is a very warm mix of golden-brown shades, matched to a complementary bronze-plated bezel and brown crocodile leather strap (a steel bracelet is also included). A very elegant combination indeed.

That said, there does not seem to be any real difference between the "M" version and previous moon phase references from the Classic collection, and the slightly higher price here probably just reflects the bezel plating.

You get the same F7M65 movement, a quality automatic 50-hour caliber with +15/-5 seconds per day accuracy, the same dimensions of 41mm width and 49mm length, Orient Star's SAR-coated sapphire crystal, etc. This model is limited to 350 pieces.

 

M42 Diver 1964 Titanium

Or, "M42 Diver 1964 2nd Edition F6 Date 200m Titanium" to be precise, as Orient is joining the Swiss trend of super-long names for watches, reference RK-AU0701B.

The new model is based on the "Diver 1964 2^nd edition" released in 2022, with the main difference being that it's made of titanium – making it much lighter than the steel versions, at 113g vs. 175g. Many might also prefer the somewhat warmer and less bright shade of the Titanium finish, which makes it look less dressy and more "tool watch".

Again, all other technical and visual elements are the same – including case dimensions (41mm wide, 49.6mm long), movement (F6N47 with +25/-15 seconds per day accuracy), and dial design (only differing in the addition of "titanium" to the dial text).

The bracelet, too, is Titanium of course, inclusive of a diver's extension, but unlike the previous releases, no rubber band is included. The price is about 15% higher than the steel models, which is a reasonable premium for titanium.

 

M34 F7 Semi-skeleton

This is a new Orient Star semi-skeleton design, not radically different from previous semi-skeletons, yet it is modernized with a new movement, caliber F7F44, featuring +15/-5 seconds per day accuracy.

The first thing to notice about the new M34 watches is the mother-of-pearl dial. At closer look you can also appreciate tasteful little elements, like the tracks of the seconds sub-dial and the power reserve indicator.

The M34 line includes four references –

·         RK-BY0001A with a blue-green gradient dial, comes with a steel bracelet, and costs around 950 USD.

·         RK-BY0002A with a golden-brown dial, comes with a steel bracelet, and costs around 950 USD – now available only on Orient Star's online store.         

·         RK-BY0003A with a blue-green dial, comes with a steel bracelet and leather strap, and costs a little over 1,000 USD – now available only on Orient Star's Prestige shops.

·         RK-BY0006A with a charcoal-grey dial, limited to 300 units, comes with a steel bracelet and leather strap, and costs a little over 1,000 USD.

All references feature a 40mm wide case, 47.3 long lug-to-lug, 13mm thick and having a 20mm lug width. The front and back crystals are sapphire, and water resistance is 100m.