The "Mystery" Olympia Calendar

Orient first introduced its Olympia series in 1961, along with the L-type movement. Incidentally this was the same year the Zodiac watch company, then still a Swiss brand, launched its Olympos watch, famous for its unusual manta ray-shaped case.

Despite the simultaneity of the events and similarity of names, the first Orient Olympia had a perfectly normal round case, and bore no resemblance to the Zodiac watch. The names too were probably only inadvertently related – Olympos being an alternative spelling for Olympus (as in the name of the mountain, or the home of the Greek gods) whereas Olympia more likely was chosen in preparation for the upcoming 1964 Olympics in Japan.

And yet, despite all of the above, in 1963 Orient went ahead and presented a version of the Olympia Calendar watch shaped like the Zodiac's manta ray. Indeed the case shape was upside down, with the shorter sides of the case pointing downward instead of up (as in the Swiss model) and the crown placed at 4 instead of 2, but the source of inspiration for the design was clear.

Original or not, the unusual design became a classic of sorts, and appeared on both Orient's 60^th anniversary commemorative book and the 1999 Orient Watch Catalog book. You already know, that is the sort of vintage piece I got to get my hands on, and that's exactly what I did.

This model differs very slightly from the model pictured in those books, in the shape of the "hour hand", but it is the same in all other respects. And I'm putting "hand" between parentheses as this is not really a hand but rather a revolving hour disc. Yes, this is one of Orient's Mystery Dials I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Other than the disc, the rest of the dial seems fairly normal, with standard minute and seconds hands. Keep in mind, the quicker the hand, the greater the effort for the movement if it needs to push a heavy disc instead of a thin, light hand. Rotating an hour disc was fairly easy, but for minutes and seconds, normal hands were a must.

This watch is powered by the same hand-winding LC caliber as other Olympia Calendar models, like this Swimmer or this Speed Data (or Dater). Despite the age and the "mystery" configuration it is perfectly easy to maintain. The watch was not working well when I received it, so I had my local watchmaker fix it. He did it quickly and the watch is now healthy, winds and keeps very accurate time.

Now, reading the time might be a bit confusing at first, as the eye automatically searches for the larger hand it sees, and one may initially confuse the minute to be the hour. In this aspect, I guess the other design – with the more prominent arrow, as shown in the old book – might be better. But once you get used to it, reading the time is easy, and legibility is quite good. Especially with those large shiny markers at 12 and 6.

This case shape offers a unique aesthetic, which makes it a conversation piece – in fact, two colleagues who usually don't comment on my (or any) watches, complimented me on this watch as I wore it to work. But it is more than just about being different.

The typical case diameter for a dress watch at the time was around 36mm. Which is lovely but a little small for my wrist. The manta-ray case imposes a larger diameter – here it's 39mm at the widest point (which also acts as a crown guard of sorts), despite the bezel only measuring 35mm.

The shape also affects the lugs, which – flowing naturally from the sides of the case – are also thicker than normal dress watch lugs. All in all, the watch manages to maintain a more substantial wrist presence compared to simpler round cases that would use the same movement. It's not bulky or anything – on the contrary, the watch is very elegant – it just looks better.

Other dimensions are a total length of merely 40.5mm lug to lug, and just a tad over 10mm in thickness. Indeed, despite the enhanced wrist presence it is still a sleek dress watch that would easily hide under your cuffs.

As such, it is also super light and wearable. As I bought it without a strap, I attached this special blue calf leather band from "Strap Geeks" and I think it works well! The gold and blue combo is somewhat unusual but suits this equally unusual watch nicely. And this strap is really good quality for the price and has a very pleasant feel and texture.

This really is a watch that stood the test of time. It looks a bit quirky today, but probably no more than it did when it was released, about 60 years ago. The movement is robust, and the case is well finished. It is gold-filled, a more durable technique than simple plating, and indeed it still looks marvelous. Those colleagues who noticed it? They were quite astounded to hear how old it is (about both their ages combined).

Getting your hands on one of these, today, would take a while as this particular shape of Olympia Calendar does not go on sale often. I would estimate possibly once every 6 months on the more globally reachable channels – and maybe a little more if you have access to local shops in Japan. However when they do pop up they're not extremely expensive. So far, the few I've come across in recent years, up to including the one I just bought, were in the range of 400 – 700 USD. Definitely worth the hunt!

New Orient Bambinos and Solar Makos

Orient has announced a few new watches today, expanding its range of solar models and adding more members to the Bambino 38 family.

 

Solar Powered Mako

It appears as though Orient has put more emphasis on solar-powered models recently. It makes sense that many buyers of watches in the lower end of the price range are looking to get more practicality for their money, and a decent solar powered movement can deliver just that, with both quartz accuracy and not having to replace batteries often.

So, with this in mind, Orient are presenting a bunch of watches combining their "diver design" (aka Mako) with their solar movement. This movement features a -20/+20 seconds per month accuracy, and about 12 months of power reserve on full charge.

Five references are being presented – of which four are in global distribution:

·         RA-WJ0001E (RN-WJ0001E in Japan) with a green dial

·         RA-WJ0002L (RN-WJ0002L) with a blue dial

·         RA-WJ0003S (RN-WJ0003S) with an ivory dial

·         RA-WJ0004Y (RN-WJ0004Y) with a brown dial

·         RN-WJ0005L (Japan only model) with a light-blue dial

Interestingly, these new models combine the case size of the Mako 40 with the dial design – including markers and hands – of the more classic Mako II (42 mm). Like their mechanical siblings, the solar versions feature a sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, and 200m water resistance. They are about 10% cheaper than the mechanical Mako 42 (which itself costs a little less than the Mako 40).

 

Bambino 38

Orient have also just added a couple of new references of the Bambino 38mm model, which now has more color options than the original Bambino case.

Five references are being presented – of which four are in global distribution:

·         RA-AC0M14L (RN-AC0M14L in Japan) with a light-blue dial, limited to 6,500 pieces (of which 50 are in Japan)

·         RA-AC0M15Y (RN-AC0M15Y in Japan) with a copper-colored dial, limited to 2,500 (of which 50 are in Japan)

Both models are bundled with a leather strap, and are generally similar to the existing models in the Bambino 38 range.

Orient Star Modern Skeleton Hands-on Review

A few weeks ago, I wrote here about the history of the Modern Skeleton, one of Orient Star's longest-running designs (ten years now and counting). Now the time has come for a hands-on review of this model.

The watch I received on loan for this review, courtesy of Orient Europe, was reference RE-AV0124G, which is identical to the JDM version RK-AV0124G: a classic example of the Modern Skeleton, with a champagne dial, yellow-gold bezel and markers, and a steel bracelet.

So, without further ado, let's get to work…

How It Looks

The first word that comes to mind when seeing the Modern Skeleton for the first time is "Sharp". It really does look sharp. Orient's "contemporary-style" case looks finely cut and delicately finished, as does the stainless steel bracelet. The dial, even before diving into the details that make it up, looks crisp. The overall impression is just what one would want to have in this type of watch, and probably what Orient had in mind: elegance, in modern guise.

The Orient Star case is well proportioned, being 41mm wide, 49mm lug to lug, and 12mm thick. The lug width is 21mm; the odd width might not be the most popular among buyers who look for replacement straps (although there are really plenty of 21mm options out there). But for a watch that comes on a bracelet, this is hardly a consideration. What's important is that this helps the lugs and bracelet flow naturally and nicely from the case.

Looking more closely at the dial, there are plenty of details that need to be noticed and appreciated. The lovely three-dimensional markers, gold-colored in this version, stand out with their pronounced polishing and fluted top surface. They are complemented by other fluted elements, like the power reserve gauge and the ring around the balance wheel window.

The hands are just as nice. The hour and minute hands are polished along the sides, with brushing along the middle – except where lume paint has been applied. The small seconds hand is delicate, hovering above the circular pattern of the sub-dial.

The watch showcases Orient's expertise in putting together complicated dials with seemingly disconnected elements that still, somehow, work. The cut-out on the power reserve sub-dial seems to have no purpose but it mirrors the (similarly purposeless) cut-out at the bottom of the dial. Likewise, the cut-out at 2 o'clock does not really exhibit any movement component of particular interest – and yet, the dial would be out of balance without it.

Of course, proponents of clean, simple dials would not approve of this sort of watch, and they will have plenty of reasons to their support. But then, this (like any semi-skeleton watch) is not for them. If you do like a dial that exposes a bit of the backstage action, the Modern Skeleton presents an improbably well-balanced face with a sparkle.

There was only one small flaw in the execution of this watch that bugged me, although it took me a while to put my finger on it. It's petty, really: viewed from above, it's perfect: the dial, case and bracelet, all look great as described. From the side, however, the case still looks excellent – even better, in fact, as this perspective reveals its flowing shape and sloped lugs. What bothered me was the smooth sides of the bracelet links.

I had to check other watches I had where I found the bracelets to be attractive, and indeed – where the side of the case was brushed (as it is in the Modern Skeleton), the bracelet links were also brushed on the side. The more expensive ones were even chamfered. Here, the simple polishing of the sides of the bracelet just does not match the sharp appearance of the bracelet when viewed from the front.

How It Wears

Petty grievances aside, the bracelet is good, solid, and comfortable. It tapers from 21mm down to 18mm. The buckle is the standard Orient Star crop, milled triple-folding clasp.

The Modern Skeleton weighs 154g on the bracelet, which is a sort of sweet spot heft: present but not burdening. It is also quite well-balanced. I wore my loan watch fairly loose, as I did not want to remove too many links from it – and it remained nice and even on the wrist.

References that come with a leather band weigh just 89g, which is likely to require a tight fit to avoid the case dangling like a pendulum. So I'm pretty sure the steel bracelet is a smart choice for this model.

By the way, this watch is 2mm thinner than the Layered Skeleton. Presumably, because that had more layers. I do think thinner is better in this case, and when winter finally arrives, the Modern Skeleton will be easier to wear under long sleeves and jackets.

How It Functions

The Modern Skeleton is powered by Orient's in-house, automatic caliber F6F44. This mechanism, which has been around for quite a few years now, is a robust and fairly simple time-only (and power reserve) movement, offering 50 hours on full "charge" and, officially, an accuracy of +25/-15 seconds per day. The sample I received did +8 seconds, which is just fine out of the box.

Using the movement is just as fine – the crown isn't very large but it's grippy. It does not screw in, so you just wind the thing, pull it out to set the time. A very simple affair, the movement does its job as it should. No complaints here.

Legibility is good enough, certainly as good as you can expect in a semi-skeleton watch. Which means, don't expect dive-watch levels of "see it in the dark from a mile away", but the hands are easy to discern in any position, whether over the dial or when hovering above an exposed piece of underpinning.

The little smidges of lume aren't going to provide any long-lasting night vision; the thin stripes on the hands and dots around the hour track would allow you to check the time a moment after you entered a dark room.

Practicality is also decent. The front crystal is sapphire (while the back isn't), and the water resistance is 10 bar (100 meters). By design this is not a tool watch, and it is the sort of watch that really shouldn't have to ensure much beating. Keep it clean and shiny, but know it will be okay with the occasional splash of water or accidental bump against the door knob (ouch!)

 

The Bottom Line

The range of Orient Star Semi- and full skeletons spans a fairly broad price bracket, currently around 500 – 2,500 USD. Within this range, the Modern Skeleton sits comfortably closer to the entry-level at around 800-1,000 USD. The higher range is mostly occupied by models utilizing newer movements like the F7 and F8.

Honestly, I feel quite content with the "old" F6. Using a proven movement inside a proven design, Orient delivers with its Modern Skeleton a stylish and reliable watch at a decent price. That is really the sort of value-for-money one expects Orient Stars to offer.

The Modern Skeleton is a very likable watch. It looks good (from most angles it looks fantastic). It wears well – it did on my 7.25" wrist and should be equally suitable for 6.5" wrists – I reckon it can work on even smaller wrists but trying before buying would be strongly advised.

There are numerous dial colors to choose from, most of which look good – although I must admit I doubt the all-black version (RE-AV0126B) suits the true style of this design. Keep in mind there's also the Layered Skeleton to consider, costing about the same – but I personally, and completely subjectively, liked the Modern Skeleton better. I think the simpler (though not subtler) design works best.

 

The blog would like to thank Orient – Epson Europe for providing us this Orient Star Modern Skeleton watch for review. 

 

Orient Star September 2024 Releases

Orient Kicks off 2024 with no less than 7 new watches, each a new variation of a current Orient Star model. Let's see what we got…

 

"Moving Blue"

First, there's a batch of watches under Orient's ongoing "moving blue" series, all featuring – you guessed it! – blue dials. This time round it is a fairly light, sky-blue shade, that has been applied to three of the brand's semi-skeleton models.

·         RE-AV0127L is a Modern Skeleton, limited edition of 900 pieces.

·         RE-AT0019L is the "regular" Semi Skeleton, a limited edition of 700.

·         RE-ND0020L is the ladies' classic semi-skeleton, featuring also a golden bezel, limited to 400 pieces.

There are identical JDM versions (references starting with RK) as well as "Prestige Shop" editions RK-AV0128L, RK-AT0020L, and RK-ND0021L which are the same but are supplied with a leather band on top of the standard steel bracelet.

M34 F8 Skeleton

Next, it is the flagship M34 full skeleton with its 70 hour F8 movement. Reference RE-AZ0104L is a new limited edition of 100 units, featuring dark grey plating of the bezel, and of the dial elements (the few that remained through skeletonization…)

The JDM version of this, RK-AZ0103L, comes with a black leather strap in addition to the finely polished steel bracelet that both versions are equipped with.

 

M34 F7 Models

Orient has also announced two watches in its M34 F7 collection. Caliber F7 is positioned between the F6 and F8. It features just 50 hours of power reserve but has the improved +15/-5 seconds per day accuracy of the higher-end movement.

·         RE-AY0202A is the Orient Star contemporary collection moon-phase, with the full dial (no open heart) version.

·         RE-BY0009A is the Open Heart, time-only (and power-reserve) watch.

Both releases are limited to 200 pieces, and feature a grey gradient mother-of-pearl dial. The JDM versions (ref. RK-AY0201A and RK-BY0008A) are similar but again, are sold with both bracelet and leather strap.

 

M42 Diver 1964

Finally, there's a new version of the Orient with the longest name: M42 Diver 1964 2nd Edition F6 Date Titanium. This limited edition of 365 pieces, ref. RE-AU0702B, features gold-colored accents on the bezel, hands (including the PR hand), hour markers, logo, and the frame around the date aperture.

JDM version RK-AU0702B is identical – no leather straps for the dive watch, please…