Orient's "Contemporary Standard" model was introduced in 2018.
Originally presented in either black, blue, or white dial version, its design
was almost identical to that of the 2015 "Urban Standard" titanium
model.
Up until recently, the model's production continued to feature the same
references. However, earlier this year Orient Star caught up with the popular
trend of offering more playful, colorful versions of serious watches, a trend
given the stamp of approval by Rolex with its Oyster Perpetual models a few
years back.
I often get to review new models provided to me on loan by Orient, but
this time it was different. The announcement of new
Orient Star models for 2025, and particularly the new Contemporary
Standard watches, caught my eye. While waiting for the new model to hit the
stores I was contemplating hard on which color to pick, finally deciding on the
green one – reference RE-AU0107E – and eventually purchasing the identical
Japanese reference RK-AU0107E.
How It Looks
Orient's "Contemporary" models are characterized by sharp, well-crafted metalwork, the sort that often gets referred to as "poor man's
Grand Seiko" (although with current prices, a middle-class Grand Seiko
would be more appropriate) and this one is no exception. The case and bracelet
impress with a precise, well balanced look that manages to be neither too
elaborate nor over-simplified.
The dial of the Contemporary Standard is a bit more controversial,
particularly because of the endless battle between proponents and haters of
Roman numerals. I personally like Roman numerals and I even appreciate mixing
those with simple hour markers to create a more interesting dial, so for me –
this design works. Of course, if you don't like it then you don't, there is no
wrong or right here.
For those who are fond of the design, this green dial is a great match.
It is a metallic olive hue with a subtle sunburst effect that is emphasized around the hour track. This choice of color suits the watch very well, as it retains the "professional", dressy look, making the watch look
livelier but not childish or too glitzy.
When looking more closely at the dial elements, the level of finishing
is somewhat inconsistent. The hands and power-reserve gauge, for instance, are
very finely cut; the markers are not as sharp, and lack the high-end precision
that I found on the Modern
Skeleton. Still it is all relative; nothing is coarse or badly made,
and even under the macro lens you won't find the sort of rough edges that are
revealed when examining cheap watches.
Overall, it's a really good-looking watch. The design elements that some might call controversial, in my opinion, add character, ensuring this Orient Star is not mundane or bland. The dial color elevates it from "cute" to "pretty," and the visual impact of the case and bracelet, with their alternating brushed and polished surfaces, makes sure it's "pretty and smart."
How It Wears
The Contemporary Standard is one of the smaller models among Orient's
range of men's watches. The case is 38.5mm wide, without the crown, 46.9mm lug
to lug, and 12.3mm thick.
A thinner watch of similar diameter on a leather strap might have looked
undersized on large wrists, but at the given thickness, combined with the
robust 20mm-wide steel bracelet, it does not. So the wearer can enjoy the
comfort of a modestly sized watch without compromising on wrist presence.
Indeed, the watch wears well, although at 153g you couldn't call it a
featherweight. As always with smaller watches attached to hefty bracelets, you
get a good weight distribution that helps the watch feel balanced on the wrist
and at times, one can almost forget it's there.
The bracelet itself is good, as Orient Star bracelets usually are. It is
easy to adjust to size, and on the wrist feels solid, smooth and does not pull
hairs or any such thing.
How It Functions
The movement inside the Contemporary Standard is Orient's caliber F6N43,
same as in the larger Orient Star "Basic Date" – and honestly it fits
better in this, smaller case, enabling the hands and power reserve indicator to
fill the dial space better.
This caliber is automatic and hand-winding, with hacking. Its specified
accuracy is between +25 and -15 seconds per day. The watch I got was doing +9
seconds per day; not exceptional but decent and within range. It is definitely good enough for owners like myself who rotate (and therefore set the time) almost every day.
Despite the watch's small dimensions, its crown is large enough and
quite grippy. It's easy to pull and turn, so winding the movement and setting
the time and date are effortless.
Daytime legibility is as good as it gets: the markers reflect light from
every angle, the hands stand out well against the dial color, and the little
bits of white color also help. And while I would love to see a date disc that's
green like the dial, black on white is undoubtedly much clearer. The whole thing
is covered by sapphire glass, with Orient's very effective anti-glare coating
applied to it.
In the dark, those white bits become luminescent but don't expect a dive-watch level of nighttime visibility here. You get thin lines for hands and
tiny dots for the hours. Better than no-lume you'd get on pure dress watches, I
guess.
Another advantage of not being a real dress watch is water resistance:
here, you're getting a fairly adequate 100m. Not a beater, then, with this pretty
face, but not a slouch either. You can take this one with you on most daily
chores.
Bottom Line
Orient Star's Contemporary Standard is one of those watches that's more
than the sum of its parts. Its good looks, practicality, and appreciable quality
combine to produce a very capable and attractive package.
Indeed there are elements here that might deter some buyers, such as the
Roman numerals and PR gauge. Fair enough, not every design can please everyone,
nor should it. But if these elements do not put you off (or perhaps you find
them appealing) you will find very little here that will.
The pricing of this model is fair. The list price for the JDM reference is about 500 USD at the moment; the global market version appears to sell for about 30-50% higher in most stores. Whether shipping and paying taxes on imports from
Japan makes sense or not is up to each buyer to do the math. For me, it did
make sense.
Bottom line, this is one of the finer, reasonably priced offerings from
the Orient brand. Choose the right color and get yourself a Contemporary
Standard!
