A name, an image. These are the two main elements of the latest press release from the Japanese house Orient Star, with its latest model the Orient Star Elegant Classic on August 27, 2015.
After a few reminders about the Orient Watch brand and its savoir-faire of more than half a century, the marketing team introduces this new model with this short sentence:
“The new Orient Star Elegant Classic is a refined model, following a line and a classic style, for adults who enjoy an original lifestyle based on their experiences and principles”
Download the official press release here
The movie presentation lasts a hundred seconds. There is, indeed, an adult enjoying a comfortable living environment, finishing his morning ritual by this unique moment in a day … His wrist covering by a beautiful automatic.
THE ORIENT STAR ELEGANT CLASSIC IN VIDEO:
The criticism
A lot of daring was surely necessary to the brand’s watchmakers and designers to display this new model which totally mismatched with what the japanese firm had accustomed us. We feel strongly, through the prism of his latest collection, the desire of Orient Star to conquer the European and North American markets, especially with the very… Western new codes.
By focusing on this timepiece case, we can find some surprising features for the japanese high-end manufacture:
Index
No Orient Star watch has already been equipped with Roman numerals. There is, however, a more entry-level model that has literally hit in the parent company, Orient Bambino II (available for 184,99 €)
It is also interesting to keep this image in mind, because the parallel is not only limited to the indexes … In fact, as on Orient Bambino II Cream, the 3 Orient Star Elegant Classic hand color (out of the 4 available variations) is deep blue, strongly contrasting the case, the indexes and the dial color.
The Hands
Let’s continue on the hands. This time, the inspiration is strongly felt on the side of Breguet, and its mythical blue hands of 3 circles…
Editor’s question:
“Why have you chosen to accentuate this classic side which is already strongly marked by the indexes and the squared central dial? Elegance is sometimes in a succession of details. And not an accumulation of symbolic elements already well known by the general public…”
CENTRAL DIAL
Here again, this Orient Star Elegant Classic is in direct competition with a bestseller of its category. The Tissot Le Locle Automatic Gent :
THE POWER RESERVE
However, where we cannot blame the Seiko brand little cousin is this arc of circle at noon, offering the power reserve a valuable indication. Very refined, it will be useful to beautiful watch making fans, often anxious to keep their timepiece in working…
GOOD MARKS
Finally, we obviously appreciate the basics of the Orient Star line made of sapphire crystal, the opening on the watch back allowing perceiving the mechanism, the “S” engraved on the crown and the finishes worked – close to perfection – of the case…
