Orient Watch Company released a line of Orient Star in September of 2011. The official press release is
here in PDF format, so I won't be repeating any of those.
As the flagship model in the distinguished line, it is the subject of this review. Let's start with the specifications-
- Mechanical Movement
- ORIENT caliber 40P50 Made in Japan
- Self-winding & Hand-winding movement
- 22 jewels
- 21600/hour vibrations
- Power reserve indicator, Date indicator
- 24hour hand
- Second hand halt mechanism
- Stainless steel case & bracelet
- Sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating
- Screw see-through caseback with crystal
- Water resistant to 100m
- Diameter 41.50mm
- Thickness 13.75mm
Packaging
It came in the usual double-box packaging, where the outer box has a front flap to easily get the inner box out.
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| Outer box |
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| Inner box |
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| The DJ000002W |
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| Booklets |
Inside the lower level compartment of the inner box are the manual and Orient Star international warranty booklet. As an added bonus, a cleaning cloth is provided in a separate envelope.
Craftsmanship
The watch feels solid and heavy. The build quality is superb and the craftsmanship strikes confidence. It is aesthetically pleasing to me, and the dial construction is excellent. The sword minute and hour hands look good, and the red GMT hand matches the white dial well.
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| Dial |
The dial that looks like porcelain in finish, is multi-layered, starting from the top I count five.
- The 24-hour rotating ring is on the top level
- ring with stick markers and lume dots
- ring where the applied index markers are set
- the center dial where the applied power reserve arc is set as well as the applied Orient Star logo with the painted "Orient Star AUTOMATIC GMT"
- the power reserve 1/3 circle with concentric circle
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| Power reserve indicator |
The watch has two crowns, one in the 2 o'clock position which is used to set the date, GMT hour, and time. Another crown is at 4 o'clock position which is used to rotate the inner ring. This crown is screw-down type to prevent unintentional rotation of the inner ring.
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| Dual crowns |
The bracelet feels solid and has minimal play and features solid end links. While it looks like an "oyster bracelet" to me, it is definitely not. As a personal preference, I have a bias towards brushed finish and I particularly like how polished accents are mixed into the bracelet. Really nice.
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| Clasp |
The watch case has brushed finish too, with polished accent. I like how the case is shaped and it has a display window at the caseback to reveal the movement. The bezel is 100% polished.
The movement is an automatic with hand winding and hack feature. While the decorations are not as elaborate as more expensive Swiss brands, the rotor features a “Cotes de Geneve” decoration.
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| Mainspring |
Complications
This is a useful GMT complication that can keep track of three timezones. The rotating inner ring can be set via a crown. The center dial also has 24-hour indicator, and finally the GMT hand can be independently adjusted via the crown.
As a bonus, there is a power reserve indicator and date window.
Conclusion
As my second Orient Star, I am extremely pleased with the watch. This is my second Orient GMT, but this Orient Star is truly a star.
Comments
Do you have any issues telling the time due to lack of contrast between the dual and hands?
I am very interested in this watch. Could you recommend which shops have the best pricing in the metro Manila area, and what it's the cost. I am located in the United States, but could ask some family members to buy it for me there if it makes sense economically.
Thank you again.