The Super Auto Perfect Self-Winding, Orient's First Automatic Watch

In 1961, Orient took its first step into the world of automatic watches with the release of the Super Auto Perfect Self-Winding. This historic timepiece marked Orient's entry into the competitive automatic watch market, setting the stage for future innovations.

At the time, Seiko had already introduced their first automatic watch, the Seiko 11A Indicator, in 1955, followed by the 290 series soon after. Citizen also joined the automatic revolution with their 3KA movement in 1958. These early automatic models paved the way for a new era of Japanese watchmaking (never mind that far across the ocean, Swiss brands were already 3 decades into automatics).

At the heart of the Super Auto was a movement that took inspiration from some of the finest automatic winding systems of its era. Based on Orient's high-grade Royal Orient hand-wound N-Type movement, the Super Auto introduced an efficient automatic winding mechanism, featuring a heart cam and a sickle-shaped winding lever.

Interestingly, watch enthusiasts have drawn parallels between this mechanism and IWC's famed Pellaton winding system, noting striking similarities in design and function. This observation suggests that Orient engineers were influenced by the best automatic winding technology available at the time, integrating it into their own movement to create a robust and efficient system.

The Orient "Super Auto" featured an understated aesthetic, characteristic of the early 1960s and not unlike other Orient models of that period; the brand did not go to great lengths to produce a design that would emphasize the revolution inside. Such are the cursive dial text, along with the simple dotted indices of the first version (case marked H72084). The dauphine hands, coated with luminous material, provide excellent readability, further enhancing the watch's utility.

A second version of the Super Auto (marked F91040) presented a somewhat fancier dial design, with a more elaborate, fluted hour track.

Despite the subtle design and new movement, the Super Auto was intended to be a practical and durable watch. The movement's 21-jewel configuration provided reliable performance, while the 6.4mm thick movement (2.2mm thicker than the base N-Type caliber) allowed for a relatively slim profile compared to competing automatic watches of the era. The 37.7mm case size, considered large for its time, offers a balanced presence on the wrist, while the deep silver sunburst dial enhances its sophisticated appeal.

The Super Auto was available in both waterproof and non-waterproof versions, with model variations such as the "Swimmer" and "Showerproof" lines, ensuring versatility for different lifestyles. Case materials included stainless steel (SS) and gold-filled (OGF) options, each featuring the proud engraving of "Perfect Self-Winding" on the case back.

The success of the Super Auto laid the groundwork for future Orient automatic watches. In 1962, Orient leveraged the same automatic winding system when introducing the LCW caliber, combining the self-winding mechanism with the new L-type movement. This decision cemented the Super Auto’s influence on Orient’s evolving lineup of automatic timepieces.

Furthermore, the automatic winding system from the Super Auto was later utilized in notable models such as the Grand Prix Almighty (64-jewel) and the 100-jewel models released in 1963 and 1964. These watches carried forward the Super Auto's legacy while refining and improving upon its innovations.

Today, the Orient Super Auto Perfect Self-Winding remains a sought-after piece among collectors and enthusiasts. Its unique blend of classic design, historical significance, and technical ingenuity make it a valuable addition to any collection of vintage Orient watches.

At launch, the Orient Super Auto was positioned as a premium timepiece. Over six decades later, its importance in Orient’s history remains undeniable, yet its price today is surprisingly modest. Typically selling for around 300 USD in decent condition, it seems a fair price to pay for a wearable piece of horological history.

And about that name – "Super Auto Perfect Self-Winding" might sound like a bit of overkill, but it’s got charm. It’s as if Orient’s engineers wanted to make absolutely sure you knew the watch was automatic, self-winding, and, of course, perfect and super. If redundancy is a sin, at least it’s committed with flair here.

Pictures of the Super Auto that appear in this post were taken from the 1999 Orient Watch Catalog book, and from various sales ads.

Orient's Pocket Watches

Pocket watches emerged in the early 16th century, when portable timekeeping was first made possible by compact spring-driven mechanisms. Initially worn as pendants, these early watches were both rare and ornate - more symbols of status than reliable instruments. As craftsmanship improved, so did accuracy and design, and by the 17th century, pocket watches had become flatter and rounder, allowing them to slip more easily into waistcoat pockets - a style shift that coincided with changes in men’s clothing, particularly the rise of the three-piece suit.

Through the 18th and 19th centuries, pocket watches evolved into essential daily tools. They were refined with complications, robust cases, and eventually standardized movements that made them vital not just for gentlemen but for railway conductors, military officers, and professionals across fields. This golden age continued until the early 20th century, when wristwatches - initially a novelty and often considered too delicate or feminine for men - gained prominence during and after World War I, eventually replacing the pocket watch in everyday use.

Today, the pocket watch seems to be enjoying a quiet return, not as a utilitarian object but as a fashion statement. On recent red carpets, particularly high-profile events like the Met Gala, celebrities such as Jenna Ortega and Leon Bridges were seen wearing pocket watches, in a pretty extravagant manner, and in great stylistic sync with one another. A good excuse, then, to talk about Orient's pocket watches!

And indeed, throughout the years, Orient has played with the concept of a pendant or pocket watch a few times. Earliest examples were included with the Orient Star Dynamic line, in the late 1950s.

Both the round version and the triangular one (which was also discussed before on the blog) were pretty uncommon releases at the time, and probably produced in very small numbers. Hence, sample of these are near impossible to find nowadays.

With the brand's focus on wristwatches, it took years – in fact, decades – before considering pocket-watch format again. Indeed I've seen some odd picture of an "AAA 21 Jewel" pocket watch but that looked so out of place I am almost certain it was a re-casing of an old wristwatch. But the next familiar pocket-watch releases I am confident with, were quartz models produced in the 1980s.

All examples I saw of these items were gold-toned, and quite minimalist in design. They seem to have been mainly aimed at female buyers, to be worn as pendants.

Again it took some time before Orient returned to making a pocket watch. Around 2002 the brand released Orient Star Royal reference WZ0041EG, a truly fine piece in the brand's highest standards of watchmaking at the time. Hand-wound caliber 48A40 ensured an accuracy of +10,-5 seconds per day and 50 hours of power reserve.

A few years had passed and Orient Star Royal became "Royal Orient". Some of the older models were discontinued, but the pocket piece was among the lucky few to get rebranded, and so – we got reference WE0041EG, essentially the same watch but arguably carrying the nicer logo.

Note that these models, despite being of a much higher quality (and price point) than their quartz predecessors, were only produced in Stainless Steel – and I feel the subtle elegance of these was indeed much better suited for the pocket watch concept than the gold paint of the quartz.

Orient's last batch of pocket watches was produced in the early 2010s. These weren't Royal or Star but "regular" models, yet they were quite nicely designed and made. These included WV0011DD and WV0031DD pictured above, and WV0021DD shown below.

The earlier references with Arabic numerals were introduced in 2010, and made use of the then-new caliber 48C40, a downgraded version of the Royal 48A40, having simpler decoration and reduced accuracy of +25/-15 seconds per day. The last version, having the Roman numerals, was added in 2013. That was Orient's last pocket watch, at least for now.

 

Photos were taken from old Orient catalogs and sale ads, except the "celebrities" photo taken from GQ magazine.

Orient's Multi-Eye Watches

Orient's fascination with "interesting" (or strange / complicated, as you prefer) dials has previously been discussed on the blog. One way Orient used to achieve this level of interest, was the use of movements supporting multiple sub-dials. Today we'll look at one such movement: Caliber 46B, famously powering Orient's "multi-eye" dials (and its successor, F6B).

But first, an apology! As I was researching for this story, I noticed the old movements table I used in the "Caliber 46" post had an error… I saw it had Caliber 46C (as seen in this model) listed with the exact same specs as the 46B, which made no sense.

Indeed, that was a mistake. The difference, of course, is that 46C has the same day-of-week hand, but does not feature the 24-hour hand that 46B has! Well, error fixed. I know many of you take to the blog to obtain accurate, reliable Orient information, so whenever I notice an inaccuracy (which can happen) I aim to fix it immediately.

Take a quick look at the 46B's documentation and you'll immediately notice a slight problem: if you arrange the movement "properly" as shown in the diagram, you need to place the watch crown at the awkward 2:30 position.

However, never reluctant to play oddball, this was exactly how Orient first presented this movement. In the image below are two early models, proudly boasting the symmetrical dial position. The axis of the two sub-dials is placed at the same "height", and the crown is unashamedly sticking out at 2:30 (or closer to 2:36, it seems).

And of course, Orient being Orient, moving from the first to the second series they shrunk the 24 hour sub-dial, making sure even the dial symmetry is gone.

In the next two models, nothing seems to be in its right place. The sub-dials are at 11 and 3, and the crown is at half past 3. However, somehow this arrangement, aligning along some imaginary diagonal axis, is more eye-pleasing than the previous.

When Orient introduced more complex layouts, with the addition of an internal rotating bezel, two benefits were gained: first, the additional crown for rotating the bezel balanced the main crown; secondly, with the dial now busier anyway, the location of the sub-dials becomes less of an issue. In other words: when things get confusing, just keep making them more complicated, until you reach a level where it all makes sense.

Also, the more sporty the design, and less “dressy”, the less of an issue is the dial layout. This is true for the almost-classic “defender” field watch (which was later replaced with a new movement allowing the crown to move to 3 o’clock), and for the hefty-looking beast on the left, in the next picture.

And of course, you can always go for a non-round case shape, where all expectations for familiar watch designs get ditched anyhow. Consider this chubby barrel-case model – or the chunky rectangular one. Yes the dial looks odd. Okay, we accept it for what it is.

Luckily, it wasn't all strangeness for the sake of strangeness. Once in a while, Orient's designers did the other thing they know quite, and harnessed their creativity to produce something truly good-looking.

The sun and moon watch was probably the best application of caliber 46B. Here Orient replaced the simple 24 hour hand with a rotating disc portraying the movement of the sun and the moon. Still a busy dial, but now it's busy working for the greater good.

Having achieved greatness, caliber 46B was finally ready to retire. Orient replaced it with caliber F6B, offering similar functions but now operating much better, with modern features like hand-winding and hacking. And having learned its lesson, Orient's manuals now show it with the crown at 3 o'clock.

New models using the F6B movement are identified by the “AK” part of the reference code, replacing the old “ET” indication. As one may expect, the new designs are not too adventurous. For instance, pictured above are the current Defender and multi-eye Bambino.

Below you can see the updated Sun and Moon watch. Here you can see two formats of this design – the Bambino style in 41.5mm, and a larger, sportier version in 42.5mm.

If you’re looking for something more fancy, there is also the 41.5mm contemporary-style sun and moon – or, for the ladies, 36mm decorated models like this mother-of-pearl piece.

So, that is the story of Orient multi-eye watches: plenty of goofy stuff, undeniable creativity, and occasionally some nice-looking products.

 

Photos were taken from Orient manuals, catalogs and sale ads.

 

A Decade of Orient Watch Releases – What the Numbers Reveal

As longtime readers of Orient Place know, I’ve been compiling stats about this blog’s activity for years – often sharing some fun insights in the annual anniversary posts. This time, I thought it would be interesting to look outward: to dive into publicly available data about Orient’s actual watch releases and see what patterns might emerge.

Over the past ten years, Orient has been consistently enriching its catalog with a mix of new models and variations on existing designs. By analyzing over 170 releases between 2015 and 2024, some patterns become clear – and they offer clues not only to the company’s product strategy, but also to what we might expect next.

 

The Big Picture

I scanned around 175 releases, as advertised on the brand's website. I was interested in release dates (as I wanted to observe seasonality), and also wanted to separate new designs from variants (such as new dial colors or plating options), and to distinguish between Orient branded releases, Orient Star, and other "fashion" sub-brands like "iO" and "Moussy".

Overall, releases were split quite evenly between 81 new designs and 94 variants. Among the three major product lines:

• Orient Star led with 99 releases, focusing heavily on variations.
• Orient followed with 61 releases, showing a balanced mix of new and variant designs.
• The Fashion lines saw only 15 releases, most of them new. Note that while Orient would rarely release "new" models with very slight changes from existing ones, this is much more likely to happen with the Fashion lines, which are driven more by design than function.

 

When Are New Watches Released?

There’s a clear seasonality to Orient’s release schedule. The busiest months are February, April, and September, with February being the top month overall – a time that coincides with the end of the Japanese fiscal year. This timing might reflect strategic planning cycles, or simply a desire to capture seasonal market energy.

• February and April are rich in new designs, suggesting a focus on innovation early in the year.
• September and October lean toward variants, likely to refresh existing lines before the holiday season.
• The quieter months – January and December – see almost no action. The single December release, a fashion watch, likely some Christmas gift idea!

 

Anniversary Years: Special Attention

Orient’s major anniversaries in 2015, 2020, and now 2025, clearly mark moments of heightened activity. During these years, Orient released an average of 9 watches per year – nearly double the annual average of non-anniversary years. This uptick includes both new designs and variants, with each type seeing roughly a 75%–100% increase over typical years.

For Orient Star, the trend is more nuanced. In non-anniversary years, the brand tends to favor variants, releasing more than two variants for every new design. But in anniversary years—like 2016 and 2021—this pattern reverses. The average number of new Orient Star models per year nearly doubles, surpassing the number of variants and reflecting a deliberate push for innovation during milestone moments.

In short, anniversaries are not just symbolic for Orient – they are creative peaks, often bringing with them some of the most interesting and original designs the brand has to offer.

 

Trends Over Time

Looking at year-to-year shifts, a few longer-term trends emerge:

• A variant-heavy strategy has been dominant since 2018, especially between 2021 and 2022.
• New designs spiked again in 2020 and are trending upward once more in 2024.

Meanwhile, product line activity has shifted:

• Orient Star consistently leads in activity – this makes sense, as the likely higher profit margin justifies more research and development.
• Orient models dropped off slightly in the late 2010s but are now recovering.
• Fashion lines peaked in 2015 and have been minimal in recent years.

 

Forecasting the Future

Orient’s release schedule over the past decade reveals a certain rhythm—one that allows for cautious speculation. While each year brings its own surprises, the clustering of releases around February, April, and September appears consistent enough to serve as a rough guide. This year's activity so far supports the trend: Both February (actually starting January 31) and April brought about plenty of new releases, mainly variants.

Anniversary years in particular have shown a tendency to concentrate both volume and variety in these peak months. If 2025 follows the precedent set in 2015 and 2020, we may well see more activity in the autumn, likely in the form of additional variants and, perhaps, a few new designs.

Naturally, no chart can predict a design team's creative process. This analysis is offered in the same spirit as much of what we do here – part appreciation, part curiosity, and mostly just for the fun of it.

 

Final Thoughts

Of course, there are many factors that influence when a watch brand chooses to release new models—market demands, production schedules, and global events to name just a few. This analysis isn’t meant to be predictive in any serious way. It’s just a fun look at how Orient has operated over the past decade, and a small way to appreciate the rhythm and strategy behind the brand’s ongoing evolution.

And who knows? If the numbers hint at what’s to come, all the better for us collectors.

P.S. Yes I did pick the Grand Prix Triostat for the accompanying photoshoot. It's about stats. And it's a triostat. Sorry...!