Monthly Archives: January 2009

Why what do we have here?  It looks like my first Orient watch.  Who is Orient Watch?  They used to be one of the big three watch makers in Japan, after Seiko and Citizen.  The quartz revolution almost wiped them out, but they continued to make mechanical watches.  Most of their production is still mechanical.  Seiko bought a controlling interest a few years ago, but Orient still produces their own calibres in house.

This watch is a CEVAD003W.  It is a fairly large watch, at 37x45mm or so.  However, it is still quite nice to wear and looks very modern as a result.  The fit and finish are no less than amazing for a watch of this price range, less than $80.  The case is all stainless steel with a high polish.  The crown is signed and the face of the watch is very detailed.

The face has wonderful detailing and swirl patterns.  The large arabic numerals and indicators are coated with pure white Lumibrite.  The lume works well and is pretty comparable to my Seiko 5’s.  The hands are blued and look like they are laser cut, also filled with Lumibrite.  The crystal has a magnifier built in, and this is the first time I have seen a magnifier that I actually like.   It is mineral glass.  The watch also has Day and Full Day of the Week indicators.

I believe it has a 46E40 movement, made in Japan.  Accuracy is no less than amazing.  I timed it vs. a quartz watch and in 8 hours it has lost about 1 second!  This means about -3 seconds a day!  This exceeds COSC requirements for chronometer accuracy. It does not hack or handwind, which is typical of entry level movements. 21,600 BPH.

The case back is snap on and appears to be laser etched.  The case is all stainless steel, 50m water resistance.

This watch comes on a crocodile pattern leather band.  A whopping 24mm lug size!  It is about the widest leather band I have seen.  It is comfortable to wear and is very nice quality.  The buckle is signed, again it looks like it was laser etched.

The watch is very comfortable to wear is looks very impressive on the wrist. I think my only complaint would be is the high polished case is a fingerprint magnet, but that is to be expected on a dressier watch.  This is my first Orient, and if the economy ever improves, it will not be my last.

Features:
Case: 37mm x 45mm, stainless steel, 50m water resistance.
Back: Stainless Steel, snap on, Orient makers mark, water resistance and serial number.
Crystal: Hardlex, domed, with magnifier.
Movement: Automatic, 46E40, Orient in-house design and manufacture.
Complications: Full Day of Week, Date.
Other: Genuine leather band, Luminous Hands and Markers.

As a bonus, here are a few wrist shots:

_

by

Got a set of watch tools in the mail, thanks to my lovely wife.  A nice assortment of tools including:

A pin remover, which is great for resizing most metal bracelets.  It is easy to use and works well.

A hammer with nylon tip.  Used to put pins back into place

Jeweler’s screwdrivers. Handy for many reasons.

A springbar tool.   Makes removing bracelets and bands a breeze.

A caseback opener.  Now, I don’t need to stop at a jeweler or Wallyworld to change a battery.  It is used for screw on casebacks.

A case knife.  Opens cases that snap on.

A nylon band holder.  For knocking out pins.

So, all in all, the basic tools for resizing bracelets and changing out batteries and bands.  If you have a small watch collection, especially if it is quartz, the tools will pay for themselves in no time at all.  If you like to swap out bands a lot, it is really necessary.

Also, in more important news, I am getting a watch in the mail today.  Yes another one.  I what has become a tradition, I picked out several watches and let Tiffany pick one out in secret so what I am getting is a mystery.   I shall see what it is this evening.   All I know is that is probably an Orient and an Automatic.

by

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up my first NATO style strap from one of my favorite watch stores. What is a NATO strap?  It was originally designed for, shocker here, NATO.  It is a long nylon strap that can be used under or over clothing, due to it’s length.  It can also be worn for diving and used on watches with fixed bars.  (As opposed to spring bars, which most watches have.)  I picked up a Speidel version of a NATO strap with 3 rings.  I first had it on my Pepsi diver, but I discovered it looked much better on my newest watch:

It really makes the compass lettering on the bezel pop and gives it a more military look.

It really hugs the wrist and reduces the overall weight of the watch.  It can be worn all day with little irritation.  If you are sensitive to metal against your skin, it is a good band to wear, since it covers the back of the watch.  At $10 it was a good investment and gives an already nice watch a different look.

by