These are old news by now – almost a week old! I usually post about new
releases from Orient as soon as they are announced, however at that time I had
my breath taken away (figuratively, as well as literally) climbing some
mountains in Norway, so this had to wait.
Okay, enough with apologies, let's see what's new!
M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase Hand Winding
First up is the new M45 hand-winding moon phase. The name's a mouthful –
why say Mechanical when hand-winding makes it obvious? But naming aside, this
thing is pretty cool – a clean and (relatively) lean dress watch with just hour
and minute hands – no seconds – and the Moonphase. And Power Reserve, of course...
Case dimensions are 39.5mm wide, 46.7mm lug to lug, and 11.9mm thick.
Not particularly small, as dress watches go, but fairly normal for a Moonphase.
Sapphire crystal both front and back provide a view of the lovely dial as well
as the nicely decorated movement in the back. Lug width is 20mm and water
resistance is 30m.
The movement here is a new derivative of the F8 family – caliber F8A62.
It provides 70 hours of power reserve and -5/+15 seconds per day accuracy. The
decorative disc here features a mother-of-pearl moon.
At this time, Orient presented two dial versions. A white dial appears in
reference RE-BW0004S, or JDM model RK-BW0001S. A special grey-black gradient
dial appears in limited editions, RE-BW0005N (140 units), RK-BW0002N (100
units, prestige shop model), and RK-BW0003N (20 units, online shop model).
Global models are supplied with cordovan leather straps, while JDM
models generally use Crocodile leather straps – except for the prestige-shop
model, which is provided with both types of straps. Prices for this beauty are
generally around 3000 USD, depending on the exact reference.
M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase
For avoidance of doubt – this mechanical Moonphase is the
automatic. These are not exactly new models, and as far as I could tell, the
only difference between the new references and the older version is the
redesigned moon disc, basically showing different stars.
The caliber also changed, from F7M62 to F7M42 – and I suppose the change
is simply an indication of the different disc, as there do not seem to be any
other differences in the specifications or appearance. Anyway, it's a nice bunch
of watches and a rare occasion when a new model does not cost more than its
predecessor, so why not?
Three dial versions are presented. The white dial is reference
RE-BT0005S (JDM RK-BT0001S), provided with a steel bracelet and leather strap.
The navy blue dial is ref. RE-BT0006L, or JDM RK-BT0002L. The global version
comes with both steel bracelet and leather strap, the JDM one – only the
bracelet.
In addition, there is the limited edition light-blue dial. Reference
RE-BT0007L is limited to 190 units. JDM RK-BT0003L is limited to 270 units, and
RK-BT0004L is limited to only 30 units available on Orient's online store.
Light blue versions are all provided with both bracelet and leather strap.
Now, the big question remains: Come on Orient, all these moon-phase watches released, and not a single word about the blood moon lunar eclipse? Social media team, that was supposed to be your day...
M34 F7 Semi-Skeleton
This one is another variation of an existing collection. The M34
F7 family of semi-skeletons consisted of models with elaborate
mother-of-pearl dials; the new release is a simpler execution of what is
essentially the same watch, with the sharp "contemporary" case and F7F44
movement, just having a more minimalist dial.
Reference RE-BY0010L (JDM RK-BY0010L) features a blue sunburst dial,
while ref. RE-BY0011S (RK-BY0011S) has a silvery-white dial. As the reference
numbers reveal, both global and Japan models are identical. They are not
limited production, and both are supplied with the steel bracelet.
Prices for the new versions are around 5-10% lower than the MOP models.
