Customer Reviews

'A Fine Timepiece' Review by Taylor

Rating

Will you find Orient in horological magazines alongside Pateks, Sohne or Mille? Never. Does Orient have a cult like following and over half a century of quality watchmaking experience? Absolutely. This was my first worthwhile watch purchase. For a while I was wasn't wearing a watch, but after some extensive research I decided to plunk down my money on the OrientStar Retro Future Camera model. I couldn't be happier. I was at my tailor the other day and we were discussing "attention to detail" and he was very impressed at my watch. This man knows detail as he has clothed many high-ups in the area. Anyway, back to the watch. As others have pointed out this is a hefty watch, but this serves as a good reminder that we are shackled by time, just kidding. Every detail and line has a purpose, all leading to the final product. The 40mm case diameter is perfect for my wrist. I was a little nervous at first since I have chicken-esque wrists, but the case is the perfect size. I ordered the white face version of this watch. It has blue hands, but they only appear blue when caught just right by the light, great trick or impeccable detail? You be the judge. The lume is stellar, I'll be walking outside, walk under an underpass and the lume is well defined and that's in daylight. What else can you say? Do your research, the movements are top notch. Buy one, but keep Orient a secret. The last thing we need is Oprah endorsing it like she did the now laughable ToyWatch.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'If you like cameras, you won't find a better watch' Review by TK

Rating

When I first saw this watch I couldn't have been more excited. I love automatic watches and cameras, and to find a watch from a brand I trust that combines them was more than I thought possible. While it is a watch and timekeeping is first and foremost, the more important aspect of this piece is the design.

The case is well sized at 40mm (not including crown). It's big enough to read easily and stand out without being gaudy or showy. The bezel is perfect...it includes f-stop detailing (which is etched in, not merely painted) with a knurled edge for easy rotation. The unidirectional bezel movement clicks from position to position very smoothly, and is easy to turn with no risk of slippage. The crown shares the same knurled edge and is similarly easy to unscrew, even with the guard. Orient curved the caseback, including the exhibition window, in a way that allows the watch to ride much lower on the wrist than other watches of a similar thickness. You get all of the substance without having the watch catch on your shirt sleeves.

With no date complication, setting the time is a breeze. The 6 o'clock subdial counts the seconds, so while the watch isn't hackable, it's easy to set the time dead on with a little bit of patience. At 12:00 the hour, minute, and second line up perfectly, as one would expect from a watch of this caliber. Still, good to know that they didn't skimp on the functionality.

While the face of the watch is complicated, it's easy to read the time because of the nice thick hour and minute hands. Reading the time at a glance is easy, which was a concern I had before purchasing. But fear not, the watch is able to serve its purpose. The subtle aperture blade inspired look of the dial is unique and stunning when you concentrate on it. The screws in the face as well as the scalloped edges of the exposed markings at 8" and 38" are little touches that stand out on close examination.

At the 12 o'clock subdial Orient included a power reserve, which is a rare feature for a watch at this price point. Sure helps when keeping track of which watch to wear if you switch daily, and is a neat feature with a window through the latter half of the dial to the gear below.

Speaking of gears brings me to the 9 o'clock skeleton subdial. The exhibition window goes all the way through the case back and it is indeed possible to see entirely through the watch. While of no practical value, it's another neat touch that demonstrates how much attention to detail is in this watch.

Overall, I couldn't recommend this watch more highly if the design appeals to you. The quality is superb, the movement as accurate as one would expect from an automatic, and the exhibition window is truly top notch. The only disappointing aspect is the lack of sapphire crystal in the nicely domed front of this watch, but if you can see past that, you'll find a gem.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Quality In Every Aspect !' Review by Bob

Rating

This is my first Orient watch but it definitely will not be my last! I never heard of Orient until 2 weeks ago and after extensive research on the web, I was convinced Orient makes great watches of value that are well regarded by knowledgable watch collectors. It didn't take me long to decide to get this model once I decided I was getting an Orient.

This watch shines with quality in every aspect starting with the gloss black wooden box it arrives in. These boxes are unique to the Orient Star line which is a notch above the standard Orient watch line. My expectations when I opened the box were definitely surpassed for a watch at this price point. There is no doubt this watch is in the same league if not higher than watches selling 3 to 4 times the price. I didn't think that was possible but it is true.

The watch feels very solid with some definite heft and size to it as mentioned in the other reviews. I think that heft is a plus. Even so, it is extremely confortable to wear and gives one a sense this watch is rugged and will last. The curved back exposition crystal fits the contours of your wrist perfectly adding to the overall comfort. The fit and finish of the bracelet and the case is very good. The clasp locks with a good solid click.

I could look this watch for hours without end, especially the skeleton dial that reveals the moving balance wheel. Being able to see the inner workings of the watch through the back crystal adds to the enjoyment. The legibility of the dial and hands is good but not necessarily the best I have seen on a watch. The only thing missing is a calendar function but I can easily give that up for what the watch does offer. The power reserve dial is really a great feature as it accurately conveys how many hours of power are in the mainspring. That function is rare in watches under $1K. The automatic movement is pretty efficent and gets up to a full 40 hour reserve in no time at all.

The knurled screw down crown makes it easy to unscrew it for time adjustments. From everything I have researched the Orient caliber used in this 23 jewel watch keeps very good time for an automatic so I expect adjustments to be fairly infrequent. I will try to update this review after I have had a chance to check its accuracy against an atomic clock.

The "retro camera" look is very well executed with many subtle details. The "shutter leaves" on the dial are a nice feature that could be easily overlooked. The outer timing bezel is marked in a fashion to mimic the focus settings of a camera lens. The outer bezel is also knurled adding to the camera look and feel. Orient has really done a good job of balancing all these camera aspects with the functionality of the watch. It comes off very well without being too over the top that it is styled after a 1950's camera. It is subtle with the details coming out the more you study the watch. This "retro camera" styling was a big selling point for me and I am really pleased with it now that I actually I have the watch.

In case you haven't figured it out by now I am really happy with this watch and have no regrets in getting it. The fact Orient just started selling offically in the US in late 2008 should not be a worry. They have been in business for over 50 years selling in over 70 countries and have really mastered the art of mechanical automatics. They have some of the lowest defect rates in the industry. They were recently acquired 100% by Seiko so there should be no fears about warranty or future service. Amazon is an offical Orient distributor which is very important for the warranty. I think Orient is the best kept secret in the watch world here in the US and I really hope it stays that way. It is nice having something "old school mechanical" with quality and value that is different from everyone else. Some how I think the word about Orient will leak out after eveyone reads the positive reviews on all their models here on Amazon.

As always, Amazon's packaging , delivery, and pricing are top notch. No problems at all in my delivery. In case you haven't seen it, check out the "Amazon only" exclusive yellow dial Orient "Mako" diver's watch. This is a limited US release, only available through Amazon in celebration of Orient's partnership with Amazon. Get one before they are gone as I predict this will be a valued watch in years to come, more so than the blue dial Mako which has a huge global following with rave reviews. The Amazon yellow dial Mako is the next Orient on my shopping list as the price is a steal!

If you have any doubts about getting this model Orient or any of the others, don't debate it. Order it and you will have no regrets.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'So far so good' Review by Chuck

Rating

Without a doubt, this is not a wimpy watch. The case is hefty but not tiring, it's substantial without being bulky. The bezel may be a bit tall for some; I wouldn't mind if it were perhaps 2 or 3mm shorter. Still, it's a good size and doesn't snag on my clothes or get in my way.

The crystal is nicely treated for anti-reflection. The exterior surface is slightly convex, so reflected images are small, dim and do not significantly interfere with viewing. It's definitely fun to see the balance wheel through the observation window. I'd like to see more of the movement, but Orient doesn't make movements designed for fully skeletonized watches.

Orient did a good job with the face design - they have not forgotten that the primary purpose of the watch is to tell time. There are some embellishments, but they add character rather than confusion.

The screw-down crown is nice - it's not going to snap off accidentally; there's a nice guard "block" just above the crown. It will do a good job protecting the crown, but it does get in the way a bit when you're trying to unscrew the crown.

I'm not fond of the fact that the second hand can't be stopped while setting the watch. I'm also not fond of the fact that you can't manually wind it either. I'll pass up this opportunity to make an off-colour joke about the hand movement you get to make if you let the watch run down.

Not much to say about accuracy yet; I haven't seen any detailed technical reports on the Orient 46S50 calibre movements anywhere on the net either. As this is a recent acquisition, I'll probably wear it around for another week to put some miles on the bearings and even out the inner lubrication before testing it. Off the cuff, I'd say this watch is about 15s fast this week - somewhere between 2 and 3 s/day - but I haven't been making rigorous measurements.
(Posted on 5/19/11)