Happy New Year – 2025!

2024 is almost over, and as always, it's time for the blog's year wrap-up.

Looking back at the year in watches in general, and for Orient in particular, one must admit that in much the same fashion as 2023, 2024 was far from exciting. Is it because of smartwatches, or the economy, or something else? I'm not sure, but the entire industry (with the exception of certain micro-brands) seems to take steps as prudent and conservative as a Netflix board meeting deciding on the next season.

Nevertheless, let's look at what Orient did this year, and see who goes on the podium of my (completely subjective) vote for best releases of 2024.

In third place, it's the Bambino 38 on a bracelet. Yes, hardly a revolution, not even a new model per se, but the combination of the smaller version of this classic dress watch with a steel bracelet made it more sporty and practical, almost toolish. Just another small step for this long-going line of models, then, but a good one.

In the second place, I put another new variant of the Bambino, again in the new and improved 38mm size – this time, the small-seconds model. The new design is more compact, offering a dial that's both functional and interesting – especially that lovely "tuxedo" version. Again, nothing breathtaking or that we have not seen before; but a decent evolution that seems to be in line with consumers' expectations.

Top place on the podium belongs to the only release of 2024 that stood out from the crop, attempting to offer something new – and perhaps, for the first time since the demise of the Royal Orient brand, daring to look Grand Seiko in the eye.

With the M34 F8, Date Orient took its top, most modern caliber family – the F8 – added a date disk and a trendy textured dial, packaged them in a sharply polished case, and presented a very attractive watch. Had it been Swiss, we would have said it's properly priced as an entry-level luxury watch; being an Orient, it still needs to prove its value to potential buyers. But objectively speaking, there's no doubt this is one very captivating Orient Star.

Anyway, when new releases are either too expensive or too mundane, one can always turn to the good old stuff, and that's what I did. I added only three Orients to my collection this year, but each is quite unique!

There was that sporty 2007 Orient Star, which I fondly referred to as the Orient "Alpinist". I liked its peculiar features from day one, and I have to say that after almost a year of ownership, it proves to be a very wearable, go-to watch when looking for something sporty but on leather rather than steel or rubber.

The 1963 Olympia Calendar with its unique manta-ray case and "mystery" dial is a real standout acquisition. The shape, the quality, the rarity – it's a beautiful piece and I would love to see Orient do something similar today! And why not? After all, Zodiac are proudly selling their Olympos re-issue…

The latest purchase is the 1998 EX0D M-Force. This one is remarkable even among fellow M-Forces, a generally non-conformist lineage of watches. I'll be posting the full review of this piece in January – a worthy start to the new year.

Now, we're looking forward to 2025. Hopefully, a more peaceful year for everyone, everywhere, and one where more of us can spend more time with the unimportant things in life, such as watches – and maybe thus get our favorite watchmakers to return to innovation, not only at the high end of the catalog but also in the attainable models.

This year, I'm not going to repeat my wish for a new Orient GMT and 300m divers – maybe by some feat of reverse psychology, they'll do it when we stop asking… but I'll keep an open call for the brand to surprise us with something new, fun and cool.

Happy New Year to all blog readers and followers, and a happy holiday season to you, your families, and your friends. See you in 2025!

Orient's "ModeID" Watches

Once in a while, I like to dive into some of Orient's quirkier attempts at model naming – whether unexplained ones, like "Bronco," or models that actually did get an explanation, only a strange one – such as the "M collection" in which watch names go after entries in the Messier Catalog of celestial bodies. Well, they don't come much stranger than "ModeID"...

Introduced in 2008, Orient's explanation to the name was that "ModeID" is a coined word that combines "Mode" (meaning fashion) and "ID" (identity), and means the fusion of "fashion" and "being yourself." Yep, that sure clears things up!

The ModeID line itself (MD for short) was actually rather interesting. It included two versions – a square case and a round case, each featuring numerous references. They provided almost every conceivable combination of case color, strap, and dial color – mostly black or white (but also a few blue, red and brown).

Below are all eighteen watches included in this first iteration of ModeID. Note how references start with WD (like WD0011DB, WD0021DB…), unlike most Orients that would start with WV (like the MD contemporaries WV0011DB, WV0021DB, and so on, which were completely different designs).

The round case was around 39mm in diameter without the crown, 45mm lug to lug with a 20mm lug width, and 11.9mm thick. The square version was around 35mm wide and 46mm lug to lug, and a little bit thicker at 12.4mm.

Both types of MD watches used caliber 46A40, a very simple variant of the 46 family of movements. It was a time-only automatic movement, with no hacking or hand winding. Caliber 46A was mainly used for semi-skeleton watches, where the lack of day or date disks prevented the view of the internal moving parts from being obstructed.

The second wave of ModeID came in 2009, and this time, the watches had a very different styling. Orient referred to the new release as "Orient ModeID Dark Romantic," claiming its design conveyed "the duality of glamour and mystery" and "the establishment of a world view that can be described as dark romantic." Orient continued to describe how "the lustrously curved dial features deep colors reminiscent of the colors of Victorian furniture, creating a dark romantic atmosphere. Furthermore, the frame surrounding the date and day of the week further enhances the glamorous and mysterious image."

Well, that might sound like a lot of fluff, but the new range of MD watches was actually quite nice. The collection was much more focused, with just four references.

The new model made use of a different movement – caliber 46B46. Caliber 46B provided the date, day and a 24 hour sub-dial, allowing for a much more interesting – and less minimalistic – design. The new elaborate dial was, in my opinion, more true to Orient DNA, despite ditching the open heart window.

The case was 40.5mm wide, and 13mm thick – considerably larger than the 2008 release. And while the 2008 MD models were sold as Unisex watches, the new version was decidedly presented as a men's watch.

This, then, is the story of Orient's ModeID. A short-lived name and a bunch of colorful watches, some of which were actually pretty nice (which ones are those, I guess, is just a matter of personal taste!)

All photos in this story were taken from Orient catalogs.

 

Head-to-Head with Orient's Clubman Chronograph

In today’s post, I’ll dive into a head-to-head comparison of two intriguing chronographs that debuted at a similar price point—around $3,000 when new. One, of course, is an Orient: the Clubman Chronograph Reference WZ0031DS from 2007. The other is a Frederique Constant FC-392CH6B4 from 2010, which besides being the closest item in my collection in terms of price and function, also allows us to engage in an interesting Japanese vs. Swiss face-off (which I'll try to judge as objectively as one can!)

When it comes to dimensions, the Orient is 41mm x 49mm with a height of 15mm, while the Frederique Constant is slightly larger at 43mm x 53mm and also 15mm thick. The FC’s larger case size offers a bit more presence but can feel bulkier on smaller wrists, while the Orient feels noticeably more comfortable and balanced, especially with its bracelet. Weight-wise, the Orient is lighter at 105g (or 180g with the bracelet) compared to the Frederique Constant’s 116g. Both watches offer 100m of water resistance, so they’re well-equipped for everyday wear. The Orient’s 20mm lug width makes it versatile, whereas the FC’s 23mm width adds to its solid stance.

The Orient WZ0031DS houses a Seiko caliber 6S37, operating at 28,800 bph with a 50-hour power reserve. It’s incredibly smooth to wind, set, and operate, adding a tactile quality that gives a satisfying feel in every adjustment. In contrast, the Frederique Constant uses the ETA Valjoux 7750, also at 28,800 bph but with a shorter 42-hour reserve. While the Valjoux is a classic, well-regarded movement, the Seiko caliber offers a slight edge in user experience.

My Orient runs at +9 seconds per day, while the Frederique Constant is at -9 seconds per day — both can be considered solid performance, especially since neither has been serviced since it was produced, but speeding up a little is definitely better than lagging behind.

From a design perspective, the casebacks differ significantly. The Orient provides a full view of its Seiko movement, which is sharp and functional, though it’s not highly decorated or particularly ornate. The Frederique Constant, on the other hand, offers only a small viewing window into its movement, but the rest of the caseback is richly covered, featuring the FC logo, gold plating, and a glimpse of the golden rotor, that make it visually appealing and elegant.

Both watches feature similar chronograph layouts with three sub-dials, but the Orient also has a power reserve indicator, which adds functionality and reinforces its sporty character. When it comes to readability, the Orient offers strong contrast and lume for low-light visibility. The Frederique Constant lacks lume and has medium contrast, which can make it slightly harder to read at a glance.

The overall finishing of both watches is similar on the outside, with smoothly polished, pebble-like surfaces. While some elements of the FC, such as the crowns and caseback, are more elaborately made, the dial of the Orient is more impressive on close up, with more layers and sharp use of color.

As for rarity, the FC is officially a limited edition of 1,888 pieces, not super rare then but also not a watch you're likely to come across on the street. Despite the absence of specific production data, it’s likely that the Orient is much rarer, especially given its limited distribution in the Japanese domestic market. This scarcity also helps the Orient hold its value exceptionally well, with pre-owned models often selling close to their original price. Meanwhile, the FC typically resells for around half of its new price or less, depending on condition.

Both watches bring unique qualities, but there’s something special about the Orient. Its rarity, unique color scheme, and even a certain legendary status among Orient collectors give it a distinctive allure. While I can appreciate the design and craftsmanship put into the FC, I find myself favoring the Orient. The specs, feel, and even my personal affinity for the brand tip the scales. Objectively, both are great watches, but for me, the Orient stands out as something special in my collection.

Orient's King Diver Depth Gauge Watch

Incorporating depth gauges into dive watches made a lot of sense, especially before the advent of dive computers, which began to gain popularity in the late 1980s. Before these electronic devices, divers relied on mechanical wristwatches to measure depth and time spent underwater. Mechanical depth gauges provided a convenient, all-in-one tool for divers to stay aware of their limits. However, integrating these mechanisms into watches presented challenges—such as complexity, cost, and reliability issues—which explains why relatively few brands attempted this.

Despite these challenges, a number of notable brands did succeed in producing mechanical depth gauge watches, each using different systems to achieve accurate depth measurement. Some of the earliest examples of this combination popped up in 1968. Such was the Favre-Leuba "Bathy 50", which used a membrane system to translate water pressure into depth readings.

Another example from the same year was Nivada's "Depthomatic". This watch used a different mechanism, called the Bourdon tube. However, whatever the system used the concept is the same – these are different mechanical structures that converted water pressure into a circular movement (of either a needle or a circular tube), and that movement was placed against a scale that converted the pressure into water depth.

Orient did not take long to follow this trend, and in 1970 introduced the King Diver Depth Gauge into the Chronoace line. The new model was seen as a unique response to the growing demand for practical dive tools.

Orient's King Diver Depth Gauge used a capillary tube system, where water entered the watch through an inlet at 3 o’clock, compressing air to display depth on the dial. Its robust 42mm stainless steel case, rated to 100m depth, made it a durable tool for divers. Additionally, its specialized version of the caliber 42 movement – without a quick-set date button – enhanced its water resistance, making it an even more reliable companion for underwater exploration.

Depth gauges eventually fell out of favor as electronic dive computers became the standard, during the 1980s. It is worth noting that dive watches with depth gauges have not completely disappeared, although they now serve more as novelty than practicality. Take, for instance, the highly complicated mechanism embedded in the 1999 IWC "Deep One" – which not only shows you the current depth, but also the deepest you reached.

As a side note, it's worth mentioning another means of "measuring" depth, although measurement is a big word for this crude, yet innovative approach. If you ever wondered what that colorful markings on some old king diver models was intended for – here's the secret: Different wavelengths of visible light get absorbed by the water in different depth. And so, you can tell at what depth you are (very roughly) by noticing when each of the colors on the internal bezel disappears.

Back to the Chronoace King Diver Depth Gauge, this watch is not just a relic of a bygone era but a testament to Orient’s adventurous approach to watchmaking in the late 1960s and early 1970s - taking inspiration from the Swiss watch industry and incorporating it into its own very Japanese watchmaking.

Like many other Orient divers from those years, its size makes it a perfectly wearable watch even by today's standards – although you will need some hard work and luck to find one nowadays, and likely a bit of cash to make it come your way.

The picture of the IWC Deep One was taken from monochrome-watches.com. Pictures of the Orient Depth Gauge King Diver and other models that appear in this post were taken from various sale ads and the 1999 Orient Watch Catalog book. 

Orient's Titanium Watches

Titanium has become a popular material for watch cases due to its unique properties. It was first introduced by Citizen in the 1970s, a pioneering move that opened the door for its use in both luxury and entry-level watches. Since then, many watchmakers have adopted titanium as an alternative to traditional materials like stainless steel.

One of titanium's key advantages is its excellent strength-to-weight ratio. It’s about 45% lighter than steel while being just as strong, making it comfortable to wear for extended periods. Titanium is also highly resistant to corrosion, which is particularly beneficial for those who wear their watches in harsh environments, such as saltwater or humid conditions.

In terms of hardness, titanium is generally softer than stainless steel, which makes it more prone to scratching. However, newer technologies like surface-hardening treatments have addressed this issue by making titanium surfaces much more durable.

From a manufacturing standpoint, titanium presents unique challenges compared to steel. While it has a lower surface hardness, meaning it can scratch more easily than steel, titanium is actually tougher in terms of resistance to bending and deformation. This toughness makes it more difficult to machine, cut, or mold into shape. Its lower malleability means that specialized tools and techniques are required to work with it, especially when forming intricate designs or achieving precise finishes.

Polishing titanium is also more complex, as the material’s natural dullness doesn’t easily achieve the same level of shine as steel. However, the unique matte or brushed finish that titanium often has is part of its appeal, giving watches a modern, understated look.

Despite the challenges in manufacturing, the combination of lightweight comfort, durability, and a sleek aesthetic makes titanium a popular choice in watchmaking. Following in Citizen's footsteps, the major Japanese watch brands adopted titanium for their cases, Seiko and Orient included. Let’s explore some notable examples of Orient watches that feature titanium cases.

The earliest Orient to use titanium as the base material for its case and bracelet was the first generation M-Force, the EX00 model introduced in 1997. That was already a very special design, and producing it in unpolished, grey, almost gunmetal-looking titanium must have added much to its uniqueness.

From that point on, titanium models would continue to pop up among Orient's releases, albeit in a fairly random manner and not in prevailing in any long-going lineage. For example, there was the occasional titanium M-Force, despite most M-Force models getting steel cases.

These included the relatively well-known titanium beast, reference WV0011DV (or WV0021DV with the yellow minute track), introduced in 2013. But there was also the much less known, almost mysterious M-Force ref. CFD04001/2 – one of those releases that made me think that some Orients actually got their "M-Force" badge by mistake…

Some other sports models besides the M-Force also received their titanium cases. For instance, there was a whole range of titanium watches that emerged in the late 1990s (and featured a very distinct "nineties" look). And later came the Orient "Slide-rule" design – a pretty nice model actually.

Of course, it wasn't just M-Force, or sports models in general. Orient did introduce a number of dressy titanium models too.

Take a look at these two watches, for instance. I'm not sure of their price point at the time of production — probably a step or two above the entry-level models, with a textured dial and sapphire glass. It is odd, though, that a titanium watch was offered on a leather strap — I might be wrong, but every other titanium Orient I came across had a metal bracelet.

                          

Titanium usage on Orient Stars was (and still is) rare, possibly as achieving the high-end sub-brand's shiny finish is harder with this metal. But there are exceptions.

The first exception was the 2015 Orient Star Titanium, which was presented in 5 versions -  ref. WZ0011AF (with a grey dial), WZ0021AF (blue), WZ0031AF (white), WZ0041AF (special edition of white dial and gold markers), and WZ0051AF (black dial).

It is interesting to note that this titanium model got a movement unique to it—caliber F6N42. This movement is similar to F6N43 (which is used in the current Outdoor and Basic Date models) but has only 40 hours of power reserve instead of 50 in the newer movement.

We'll conclude this review with the 1964 diver, the latest Orient watch to get a titanium case. Notably, it's also the only Orient model that has ever been offered in both steel and titanium, for the consumer to choose.

This allows us to compare the weights of both versions easily: according to the manufacturer, the steel model weighs 175g, while the titanium watch only weighs 113g. And here's a simple math question for you: How much does the part of the watch that doesn't change (movement, sapphire, etc.) weigh?

 

The pictures of the EX00 M-Force that appear in this post are copyright of the blog. Other pictures that appear in this post were taken from old Orient catalogs and sale ads. 

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!