For 75 years, Orient has set itself apart from competitors and created a diverse range of timepieces based on its unique designs and movements. Always pursuing individuality and uniqueness, its many models include the Flash, which features dial illumination using miniature bulbs, the Multi-Year Calendar with intelligent year, month and day calendar display, and the touch-sensitive Touchtron. All of these classic timepieces brought new value to the watchmaking industry, while establishing Orient's unique identity. Here we look back over the rich and varied history of Orient while focusing on some of its milestone models.
New Orient
Orient’s first mass-production watch. Orient was founded on July 13, 1950, renting the former Toyo Tokei Co., Ltd. Hino factory, and immediately began the production of wristwatches. Production discontinued.
Olympia Calendar Diver
Orient's first diver’s watch. Having been among the first to expand outside Japan in the mid-1950s, Orient was sensitive to overseas trends. It also released a water-resistant watch with a world timer in that same year. 19 jewels. Stainless Steel case and bracelet (diameter 40 mm). Production discontinued.
Calendar Auto Orient Diver
The successor to Orient’s first diver’s watch. The hand-winding movement was replaced with self-winding, and revamped designs were adopted for the hands and bezel. Self-winding. 21 jewels. Stainless Steel (diameter 40 mm). Production discontinued.
Orient Grand Prix 100
An ambitious work that brought great acclaim to Orient’s reputation. High-quality Triostat was used for the regulator pin, and Incabloc was adopted for the shock-protection system. To take the lead in the “jewels competition” of the time, Orient increased the number of jewels in the Grand Prix from 64 to 100. Self-winding. 100 Jewels. Production discontinued.
Orient Flash
Successor to the Orient Luminous released in 1958. When the button at 2 o’clock was pressed, miniature bulbs lit up the whole dial. This was an extremely ambitious wristwatch, but production was discontinued after a short time because the case was not water resistant. It was subsequently re-launched and became a popular model. Hand-winding. 21 Jewels. Production discontinued.
Original Weekly Orient King Diver
The original King Diver featuring a stylish design. This watch combined a compressor-type case with a self-winding movement. Yet the water resistance was roughly the same as an ordinary watch. Self-winding (Cal. 660). 25 Jewels. Stainless Steel (diameter 43 mm). Water resistance: 40 m. Production discontinued.
Orient Multi Year Calendar
The Multi Year Calendar showed the day with just one adjustment per month. But the calendar could only display from 1960 through 1981. This is the original version with hand-winding movement, but this was later changed to self-winding, and the watch became a big hit. Hand-winding. 21 Jewels. Production discontinued.
Orient Fineness
Cal. 3900 series movement, which was then the thinnest in the world for a self-winding watch with day and date display. Achieved a thinness of 3.9 mm by offsetting the wheel train and fitting a compact reverser. Self-winding. 35 jewels. Stainless Steel. Production discontinued. a self-winding watch with day and date display. Achieved a thinness of 3.9 mm by offsetting the wheel train and fitting a compact reverser. Self-winding. 35 jewels. Stainless Steel. Production discontinued.
Orient World Diver
Successor to the Calendar Auto Orient Swimmer World Trip released in 1964. Equipped with Cal. 34-1 series movement, it provided easy 24-hour display along with day and date. Self-winding (Cal. 34-1 series). 21 jewels. Stainless Steel (diameter 43 mm). Production discontinued.
Orient King Diver 1000
A diver’s watch with water-resistance of 1,000 m. The watch had a soft iron inner case to improve its antimagnetic properties. Self-winding. 27 jewels. Stainless Steel (diameter 43 mm). Production discontinued.
Orient Jaguar Focus
Orient's management rushed to develop a colorful dial, thinking that people's penchant for colorful products would spread to watches as well. The result was the Jaguar Focus dial with two-tone color gradation. The color was made more vivid from the cut glass crystal with nine faces. Self-winding. Production discontinued.
Cal. 46 Series Movement
Main movement replaced self-winding movement. The smaller and thinner shape made a wider range of applications possible. The adoption of a magic lever also provided high winding efficiency. After the merger with Epson, the finish and precision were further improved. This is still Orient’s primary movement.
*The picture shows a Cal. 46 series F6 movement watch, not the actual 1971 model.
Orient Touchtron
Model equipped with an LED module. This was the first watch in the world with LED time display activated by simply touching the case. It was superseded by the Touchtron II with illuminated display at the touch of a button. Production discontinued.
Orient Multi Year Calendar
This self-winding Multi Year Calendar, which featured semi-automated metal calendar plates, gained popularity worldwide. The 2009 model reproduced using almost the same design has become a collector’s item. Self-winding. Production discontinued.
Orient M-FORCE
Sports watch with extremely high legibility and a strong case. This was the first Orient watch to use pure titanium for the case and bracelet. Evolved into a 200 m diver’s watch conforming to JIS standards in 2011. Self-winding (Cal. 46 series). Water Resistance: 20 bar. Production discontinued.
Orient Mecha Trenics
Triple time-zone watch with three self-winding Cal. 55 series movements. The time anywhere in the world could be instantly determined by using the world time ring. “Tre” is the Italian word for three. Stainless Steel(diameter 50.5 mm). Limited edition (999 worldwide). Production discontinued.
Orient Diver Design
This model combined a design suitable for daily use with high functionality, including 20 bar water resistance. It acquired the name “Mako”, which means shark in Maori, because the dolphin icon engraved on the back of the watch was mistaken for a shark.
Self-winding. Production discontinued.
*Not an ISO standard diver's watch.
Orient Classic and Simple Style
The original Classic and Simple Style model. Characterized by classic, traditional dial, a domed glass with a retro feel, and a delicate case design with slender lugs. The distinctive design came to be loved around the world, earning the watch the nickname "Bambino". Self-winding. Production discontinued.
Semi Skeleton
From the Contemporary Collection, the Semi Skeleton adds a second hand to the 46-type F6 movement. Within the simple design, the internal movement is partially visible, allowing the mechanical appeal of the watch to be enjoyed. Self-winding.
Orient Diver Design 20th Anniversary Model
A blue dial model featuring Arabic numerals, a design signature that has been present since the original model in 2004.
The blue gradation 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock represents the beautiful ocean that surrounds Japan, while the dial’s stamped wave pattern coupled with the words “Anniversary Edition” at 4 o’clock and spectacular gold-colored hands, highlight the celebratory feel of the 20th anniversary model. Self-winding. Water resistance: 20 bar.
*Not an ISO standard diver's watch.
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