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.