In 2021, Orient celebrated its 70th anniversary and did so by launching an improved version of its Orient Star Skeleton. Orient Star is the most premium line of the Japanese watch manufacturer, which was founded in 1951 and has, for quite some years now, been part of the Seiko Epson conglomerate. In fact, this Orient Star M45 F8 Skeleton (reference RE-AZ0004S) is made in Shiojiri, an expansive manufacturing facility that is also the place where Grand Seiko is making its high-end quartz and Spring Drive movements, but also serves as the home of its renowned Micro Artists Studios.

Skeleton watches play an important role in the world of Orient Star. The first skeleton watch joined its ranks in 1991, making it a double anniversary. For the brand, it is a way to highlight the mechanical movements that power its watches, something on which they are rightfully proud, of course, in a modest, Japanese way. In the Orient Star M45 F8 Skeleton, the movement is a treat not only in a technical sense but also in an aesthetic one. It houses caliber F8B62, for which Orient upgraded the power reserve from an already decent 50 hours to a generous 70 hours, just as the anniversary they were celebrating. The Orient Star gets this power reserve from a single barrel, which can be admired at the twelve o’clock position and runs at 21,600 VpH/3HZ.
Making a skeleton watch is not that difficult, but getting it visually right is another thing. Orient Star took the most challenging ...