I'm impressed by the high cost performance. A review of Orient Star's "Contemporary Collection Standard"

This is a wear review of the new gray dial model from Orient Star's "Contemporary Collection Standard." The central hour, minute, and second hands, date display, and Orient Star's signature power reserve indicator are simply combined, and the 38.5mm case diameter styling is truly "standard." The movement is highly practical, making this a highly recommended watch with a high level of satisfaction.

A review of the truly "standard" "Contemporary Collection Standard"

　The watch I'll be reviewing this time is the Orient Star "Contemporary Collection Standard." It features central hour, minute, and second hands, a date display at 3 o'clock, and Orient Star's signature power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock, all wrapped up in a 38.5mm case. Coupled with its simple design, it's a truly "standard" model that matches a wide range of occasions, from business to casual.

　Previous models of this standard series have come in classic, popular, and bold colors such as silver, black, and navy. The model we're reviewing today is one of the models with earth-toned dials added as part of the new 2025 Standard series. The new colors include green, reminiscent of tree leaves; copper, reminiscent of desert sand; ice blue, reminiscent of crystal clear water; and gray, inspired by inorganic rocks. This model is the gray one.

　I faced the actual watch without really reading the press release that was sent to me along with my request for impressions. The compact size, sharp, crisp dial design, and overall good finish made me think, "This is probably a model in the 100,000 yen range. It's pretty good for that price, isn't it?" As I started to read through the press release while wearing the watch, I was blown away by the price. "Wow, seriously? This is amazing," I exclaimed (for real). The watch was priced at 77,000 yen (tax included). I'll continue with my impressions, focusing on the level of craftsmanship that astounded me.

Simple and well-balanced dial design

　The dial design features Roman numerals at 12 and 6, a date display, and a power reserve indicator, with an edgy design based on straight lines. These are design codes common to all previous Orient and Orient Star models, and the name "Standard" reflects Orient Star's enthusiasm. It also evokes the former "Royal Orient," making it a design that fans will find appealing.

　Thanks to its compact design, the dial extends to the edge of the case, giving it presence without being too large. As a result, the layout within the dial has a sense of condensation and does not feel stretched out. This is one of the reasons why I highly praised the design of this watch. In addition, the earth-toned gray tone is good. The lacquered silver dial has a slightly burnt, slightly yellow hue, which gives it a calming feel while also contributing to the watch's unique charm. On the other hand, the date display disc is white, and when combined with the earth-toned dial, the white stands out. If I were to be greedy, it would have been better if it had matched the dial color, or if it had been gray or off-white, which would have blended in with the dial.

　The center of the dial has a sunray finish, with a rugged pattern like a record around the edges. These rugged areas cause the light to reflect unevenly, creating a unique look. The date display is framed, which also contributes to its appealing appearance. Although it is difficult to see with the naked eye, the power reserve display has a very slight change in texture in a fan shape. It is very subtle, but it brings about a change in the look of the dial.

Comfortable to wear and well-designed to suit a variety of styles

　When wearing it, the 38.5mm case diameter feels wonderful. For me, whose wrist is about 18cm, it has a compactness reminiscent of vintage watches. It also fits well on those with smaller wrists, making it a size that will be widely popular. The advantage of this compact size is that it maintains a snug fit while achieving an impactful silhouette with slightly longer lugs.

　The earthy gray tones match well with skin tones and are easy to coordinate with suits, casual styles, or even military looks. The fact that it can be easily coordinated with a wide range of styles matches the concept of this piece, which is named "standard."

Lightweight bracelet and clasp for comfortable wear

　The bracelet is rather thin and light, and the clasp is a basic press-molded piece. It also has a spring bar length adjustment mechanism, so it's functionally sufficient, but the appearance is just so-so. This is probably where they strike a balance with the cost. In my personal opinion, the bracelet and clasp are lightweight, the weight balance with the watch itself is good, and it's comfortable to wear, so I have no complaints.

Automatic movement Cal.F6N43 with flawless practicality

　The automatic movement, Cal. F6N43, is a key component of Orient Star's lower-end collection and the mid-range movement of Orient overall, including the Orient collection. With a long history of use, the power reserve is approximately 50 hours, a long time for a watch in the under 10 yen price range.

　The winding efficiency is also good. The amount of winding and power consumption were comparable during my lifestyle, which involves a 30-minute commute (round trip) and most of my time spent at a desk, and a 30-minute shopping trip resulted in about 5 hours of winding. For most people, wearing the watch will likely provide enough winding. Even if not, if you wind it at the beginning of the week and wear it every day, it is expected to run reliably throughout the weekdays. In addition, the power reserve indicator makes it easy to manage the amount of winding.

　The specs state that the watch has a daily rate of -15 to +25 seconds, but the sample watch I had was much better than that. Also, even when the power reserve indicator was close to "0," there was no significant deterioration in accuracy and it continued to run, which gave me a sense of security (although it's important not to be overconfident). From the above, I had no complaints about the practicality of this watch.

This work is highly complete and has excellent cost performance.

　This review is generally full of praise. However, upon closer inspection and comparison with more expensive models, one notices the poor finish of the indices, the lack of three-dimensionality of the hands, the gap between the case and bracelet, and the mediocre appearance of the clasp. However, one must not forget that this model's price tag is 77,000 yen (tax included). It is comfortable to wear, the design is sleek and well-balanced, and the finish is by no means bad. Its basic performance is also adequate, and the high level of satisfaction when you hold it in your hands is something that deserves high praise.

　As I was revising my impressions to conclude, I pondered the "good value for money" of this watch. In recent years, the expression "good value for money" has been gaining attention, but because standards vary greatly depending on the recipient, I try to avoid using the word "value for money" as much as possible. However, I would like to comment on this watch as follows: "This watch has excellent value for money, is highly refined, and is a good watch that I would recommend to many people."