Is Orient Star the New Royal Orient?

Royal Orient used to sit at the top of Orient’s range. It wasn’t a mass-market line, but it wasn’t necessarily understated either. Vintage Royal Orients often leaned into distinctive design, sometimes quite bold, and later models even included solid gold executions such as the WE0011EG. It was, in many ways, a space where Orient allowed itself to be more expressive – both technically and aesthetically.

When the line was discontinued around 2017, it left a gap. At the time, it wasn’t clear whether that gap would be filled, or simply remain part of the brand’s past.

Looking at Orient Star today, the question naturally comes up: has that gap already been filled – just under a different name?

Over the past few years, Orient Star has expanded significantly upward. Where it once focused mainly on mid-range mechanical watches, it now includes pieces that reach into territory once occupied by Royal Orient. Models based on the F8 calibers, hand-wound skeletons, and more recent special dial executions are clearly positioned above the classic Orient Star offerings. Prices for these watches are no longer confined to the traditional sub-$1,000 range that defined much of the line in the past, and in some cases reach into the low-to-mid four figures.

To put that into perspective, modern Royal Orient models from the 2010s were typically priced in roughly the $2,000–$4,000 range, with some pieces going higher depending on materials, complexity, and rarity. Even today, secondary market listings for these watches often fall within that same range. Meanwhile, recent high-end Orient Star releases – such as the meteorite dial F8 model – are priced around $3,500 at launch, well within the same range.

So while exact comparisons are complicated by inflation and changing market conditions, the overlap is hard to ignore. In practical terms, Orient Star has reached the same price territory that Royal Orient once occupied.

At the same time, there remains a noticeable internal spread within Orient Star itself. Entry-level models still follow the familiar formula – reliable, very well executed, but largely industrial in production, often well below $1,000. Higher-end pieces, particularly those using F8 movements, show a different level of attention. This is visible not only in the technical side – silicon escape wheels, longer power reserves – but also in finishing, materials, and overall presentation. It’s not a separate line, but it does feel like a different tier within the same name.

This shift is also visible in the design direction. In the recent meteorite model reviewed on the blog, the watch did not feel out of place alongside significantly more established high-end Japanese names, both in finishing and overall presence. That may be one of the clearest signals of where Orient Star is heading – not just improving internally, but repositioning itself externally.

This raises an interesting point about positioning. Orient, unlike some other Japanese manufacturers, does not seem to aim for the very high-end segment – the five-figure territory associated with brands like Grand Seiko or Credor. That leaves a ceiling that is relatively well-defined. Within that ceiling, the space once occupied by Royal Orient still exists – but it is now being approached from below, through an evolving Orient Star rather than a distinct top-tier label.

So would it make sense to revive the Royal Orient name?

On one hand, it could help clarify the structure. A separate label at the top would make it easier to distinguish between entry-level Orient Star models and the more refined pieces. It would also reconnect the brand with a part of its own history that included both high finishing and more expressive design.

On the other hand, there’s a case for what Orient is already doing. By keeping everything under the Orient Star umbrella, the brand avoids fragmentation and builds equity in a single name. Over time, the higher-end models may simply redefine what “Orient Star” means, stretching it upward rather than splitting it.

In that sense, the question may not be whether Orient Star should become Royal Orient – but whether it already has, in practice if not in name. For now, the technical and design progression is clearly there. The identity, perhaps, is still catching up. And those of us dreaming of a new Royal Orient will probably have to keep dreaming...