Ok, ok, so perhaps yesterday’s Orient model might have had a bit too busy of a dial for some folks (personally, I liked it). To make it up to that camp, however, I’m bringing you another model from their fairly extensive lines – the simply named Vintage.
The one I’ve got up at the top of the post is the FFD0F004W (brown strap, cream dial), and there are three other variants that offer a black dial and/or a steel bracelet. Regardless of the specific one you choose, they all feature the following:
- 40mm stainless steel case (11.7mm thick) with 22mm lugs
- Orient Caliber 46N45 (Made In Japan) automatic movement with 40 hour power reserve indicated on dial
- Sapphire crystal
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Water Resistance rating of 50 meters
- Three-hander time and date display
- Deployant clasp
As befitting something with a model name of “Vintage”, this watch presents very cleanly, and it’s giving you any more than you need – just a solid experience from a mechanical watch. While they could have gotten away without any lume on the watch, I like the fact that the hands are lume-filled, making things just a bit more useful overall.
I’m also a fan of the power reserve indicator. It adds some visual interest to the dial, for one. For another, it gives you some nice insight into the relative health of the movement. If you’re like me, you’re probably rotating through watches on a daily basis (for what you’re wearing, that is). With the PR indicator, it can help nudge you towards strapping a watch on to keep it properly wound and on-time.
At an asking price of $425 (though, coupon code Summer2012 knocks that down under $300), this is not just some throwaway watch you’ll add to your collection for a few months and then forget about it. And, given how strong (and positive) a following Orient appears to have, I think this would make a very compelling option for a classic watch design.
