Orient Star is to Orient what Grand Seiko is to Seiko – a separate watchmaking arm focussed on higher spec designs within the same overall brand umbrella. So while Orient celebrated their 75th anniversary last year (with a lovely collection of Bambinos) Orient Star is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, as it was created a year later. The first of their celebratory releases is the new M34 F8 Date Meteorite Dial.
Orient Star’s modern “M” collections hark back to the original intention of the brand to reach towards the stars in a horological sense, pushing the boundaries in comparison to the more accessibility focussed Orient, hence the name Orient Star. The M34 for example is thematically linked to the Perseus Star Cluster while the M45 relates to the Pleiades and M42 Orion. For the Anniversary Edition of the M34 they’re doubling down on one of the most fascinating phenomena associated with the Perseus constellation, the Perseid Meteor Shower – an annual meteor shower from the comet Swift-Tuttle that happens against the backdrop of that constellation.
A watch inspired by a meteor shower simply must have a meteorite dial and so Orient Star have delivered. They’ve opted for a classic iron-based meteorite with a high iron and nickel content that features the signature Widmanstätten pattern of striations, formed naturally by the extreme temperatures experienced in space. Each dial is totally unique, adding an element of exclusivity to each watch beyond the fact that it’s a limited edition. The layout of the dial is relatively understated to allow the feature dial to be the focus, with central hours, minutes and seconds, 3 o’clock date, a power reserve indicator below the Roman numeral 12. The remaining hour markers are facetted bar indices.
For the case, the M34 F8 Date Meteorite Dial uses Orient Star’s contemporary daily wear design, which means that it has a practical 40mm diameter and 12.9mm thickness. So, it’s in that mid-range of sizes that’s easy to wear regularly without leaning towards being either a tool watch or dress watch. That’s further backed up by its steel construction with 100m water resistance and alternating brushed and polished finishing.
Inside that case is the in-house calibre F8N64 with automatic winding. It’s often the movements where the biggest difference between Orient and Orient Star can be felt. The F8N64 has a 60-hour power reserve with a daily accuracy of +15/-5 seconds per day compared to the F6B24 from last year’s anniversary Bambinos which is 40-hour with +25/-15 seconds per day. A small but significant improvement in specs that’s enhanced by the use of a silicon escapement in the Orient Star to reduce friction and improve anti-magnetic resistance.
The M34 F8 Date Meteorite Dial is limited to 255 pieces globally, making it very exclusive by Orient standards. The watch goes on sale later this month at a price of £2,824.99. That’s a little above the £2,400 from previous M34 top end watches, but given the limited availability and more significantly, the meteorite dial, I think it’s well within expectations for this watch. Orient Star has announced a full 75th Anniversary Series and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Price and Specs:
More details at Orient.
