Many
Orient fans are fond of the brand's Latin offspring, Orient
Brazil, despite (or maybe because of) how difficult its models are to
obtain outside its home market. It has been a while since I last covered the Brazilian
products, so – let's do a little roundup of what is currently on offer from
that watchmaker.
Following
are just a few standout items, that caught my attention, out of the brand's
many watches.
First,
a recent release in the Flytech line, a family of pilot
watches and flight-inspired designs. Much of the Flytech line-up is quartz,
but this – reference F49PP033 – is an automatic, a limited edition of 500
pieces.
Like
many Orient Brazil watches, this one is fairly large, measuring 44mm in
diameter. However, having a lugless titanium case and rubber band, it should be
quite comfortable. There's also an inner rotating bezel, sapphire crystal, and
100m of water resistance, making it a pretty robust and functional watch.
Costing the equivalent of roughly $400 USD, this is excellent value for money.
I
noticed this quartz chronograph in one of the brand's ads, and I thought it was
kind of funny: if you want a reasonably sized man's watch in Orient Brazil's range,
go for a women's model. However, this one is still fairly large at 43mm, and
with the steel case it's probably heavier than that flytech piece. In fact, on
the website it is classified as a man's watch. So why did the ad present it
differently?
Well,
honestly it doesn't matter. You can call it a unisex model. Some of the colors
(like the blue-grey ref. FTSPM004) are perfectly fitting for either gender. It
looks good, fashionable, and costs only about $150 USD.
The brand has got many unmistakably feminine models too. One of these is this stylish 34mm model featuring a simple dial that's enhanced by the faceted mineral glass. I think the designer has done a good job here.
50m
water resistance is considered pretty decent for this type of watch, compared
with the more common 30m rating, price is in the $100 USD range, so that is a
compelling package.
It
appears as though Orient Brazil are also putting more effort into its
solar-charged watch range, compared to the fairly minimal solar range by the
Japanese parent company. Take, for instance, this really nice-looking diver,
ref. MBSS1471 (same for both colors, curiously).
It's
big and bulky with a 47mm wide steel case, features a nicely textured dial and
200m water resistance. At around $180, it is an interesting option for
anyone looking for a quartz diver-style watch, and is quite unlike anything on
the Japanese range.
A
different type of solar watch is this family of elegant chronographs. They are
more reasonably sized at 42mm, feature a nicely curved mineral crystal, and are
very different from the brand's more masculine sports watches.
Once
again Orient Brazil is making references a rather obscure thing, as both blue
and grey models on the bracelet are ref. MBSSC265 while the one on leather is
different (MTSCC050). Anyway the all cost about the same, around $220 USD.
Another
solar model that I really liked is this digital-analog watch. Orient Japan used
to have these,
but do not produce any at the moment. Orient Brazil have numerous ana-digi
options, but this one I think stands out with its sleek design.
At
around $220 you're getting a 42mm case, and very retro look somewhat
reminiscent of Seiko's "recraft" range. I particularly like this
green-dial reference GTSPA001.
Here's
a nice quartz (regular, not solar) model that caught my attention. Like some of
the other quartz pieces in the brand's catalog, it walks a fine line between "fashion watch" design and true brand DNA, but at least in the brand's advertising pictures, the end result seems quite attractive.
The
watch case is 44mm of steel, it's rated to 100m water resistance, and at under $100, it presents a cool offering with its chunky design and interesting dial/hands combination. You get reference MBSS1486 with the dark grey dial, ref. MBSS1473 with a blue dial, and – if you really want to go overboard with this – the gold-plated MGSS1272 for an additional $40 or so.
Still
not impressed? Well, maybe this will do it: Orient Brazil also has an XL line,
for those who find 47mm watches puny. For instance, check out this 52mm beast
featuring a chronograph and three time-zone displays. If you get stranded in
the jungle and need rescue, this watch can also serve as a helicopter pad.
Why
do I like this? Maybe because it reminds me of Orient's classic Mechatrenics.
Anyway, you can choose your helipad colors, with such options as the all-white
ref. MBSCT005, all-black MPSCT004, or others. At a little over $270, this is a great price per m².
The
Tristar range has, for decades, been a go-to product line for customer seeking
a simple yet reliable watch at decent price. While unfortunately, it is now
gone from Orient Japan's catalog, Orient Brazil still has a range of
tristar-badged watches.
The one Tristar model I liked in particular was this barrel-cased series, a shape sadly also missing in Japanese production nowadays, and I have to admit to particularly eyeing the golden one (ref. F49GG030). The watch
has a modest 40mm wide case and a cool retro look (not unlike that ana-digi
model discussed above). Costing between $200 (steel) - $220 (gold plated), this
is a lovely design and, assuming the brand's usually good build quality, value
for money worthy of the Tristar moniker.
Wrapping
up this review is the skeleton watch. While Orient Japan now only offers
skeleton watches under the Orient Star brand, starting at over $1,500 USD for
any of the new models, this here will set you back a mere 300 – 350 USD.
Indeed
it's not as impressive as any of the Orient Star watches, but still: a 42mm case
with a Japanese automatic movement from the Epson group, visible from the front
in raw metal color (reference NH7SS004), gold toned (ref. NH7SS005 or NH7SS006)
or black IP plated (NH7YY001).
All pictures are taken from the Orient Brazil website and advertisements
