Review of Orient CEV09002B

[4Patriot]

This was my first Orient, purchased from the USA site.

Order/Shipment

The order was processed for what appears to have been surface shipment by UPS the same day I entered it online, and was available for delivery on the East Coast four days later. Couldn't have expected any better for a cross-country delivery, with no shipping charge!

Performance

The watch has been keeping excellent time since it arrived less than two weeks ago. It is not a hacking watch, so I haven't been able to set it exactly in sync with Internet Time, but any difference that might develop is inconsequential, because it is more of a weekend watch, and it runs down during the week.

Appearance

I chose this watch from Orient because I wanted to try the low end of their price range (it was $77 net of the 50% discount) and my tastes run more towards classic styling. It is not too big on the wrist -- the heft seems about right for casual wear, though it is by no means elegant, and clearly not a dress watch.

The general fit and finish is excellent -- the polished chrome body seems solid and smooth, and the engraved treatment on the obverse, the Orient logo on the crown, and the name on the buckle provide appealling extra touches.

I am a bit dissappointed with the faux croc watchband -- the leather surface has a gloss to it that makes it seem a bit cheap. A mat finish would have been preferred.

My biggest dissapointment regards more fundamental design aesthetics. On the website the watch seemed more classic in its appearance than it is in reality.

One issue is the crystal -- because it is domed it pulls light in from an expanded horizon, in comparison to a flat surface. The result is that it is very reflective of room lighting and of the sky, which interferes with one's view of the face. I would caution any buyer of Orient watches to be sensitive to this effect, and to know which models are domed.

Another concern is the polished chrome numerals and hash marks. In the photographs on the web they look white, but in reality their reflective surface adds more busy-ness to the play of light from the dome. The overall effect is unappealing, and it diminishes one's enjoyment of the watch. It's as if you have to look through the interference to see the face.

And then there is the face itself. The photographs on the website show a black face, and really don't give even a suggestion of its textured treatment. Most of the time that treatment makes the face look more grey than black, but sometimes the way the light from the dome works it even takes on a muddy or greenish tinge. The truth is, it appears as a classic black face with contrasting numerals only if you hold it just so. Otherwise it is busy, busy, busy.

The aesthetics at work here are a big missed opportunity. The same watch with a mat black face and contrasting numerals would be much nicer. The photos on the website suggest that, but it is not the reality.

Truth be told, as I look closely at the Orient USA product line, I am now impressed with how few watches reflect a fine enough design sense to be regarded as classics. Based on other comments on this site, some of the diver watches, whether homages or more original designs, might fit the bill in that category, but most of the Executive watches seem cluttered, except some at the higher price points.

Summary

Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the watch, but am reluctant to recommend it, as its aesthetic failings just remind one that a few alternative design choices would have resulted in a much more pleasing product. If Orient had someone with a Steve Jobs-like concern for design they could be so much better, even at the same price points, IMHO.

P.S. I contacted Joey at OrientWatchUSA about returning the watch, and he sent me a Return Authorization by email, but in the end I decided to keep it as a weekend watch. The performance and appeal of the automatic movement overcame my prissy design concerns. I was pleased that he didn't give me any resistance about the return, and will look forward to doing business again when something new strikes my fancy.

[DenverBuff]

I have the white version of this watch and am very, very happy with it. But I agree with most of your points. I had a black dialed Power Reserve CEX0P001B that I bought last year. You're right about the numbers and markings - they're not "white" as pictured on the website, but a metallic chrome. Under certain kinds of light - like overhead office light - the markings "disappear" right into the face making it very difficult to tell the time. It was the first thing I noticed and one of the reasons I sold it.

As I said, I bought the white dial version of your watch just a few weeks ago and really like it. I replaced the shiny croc strap with a tan calfskin strap (a cheap one) and it looks great. On the white dial, the hands and marking pop very nicely and they are much more legible. The textured dial is very nice as well. very fair review.

[former_usmc]

Thanks for the review. I looked at that watch several months ago but they were out of stock and I was told that it wasn't going to be brought back. Fast forward though and I found out that because of the popular demand of it, they did in fact bring it back.

I agree with much of what you said. I plan on replacing my band as well because I'm not crazy about the gloss, but it's not horrible either. Like you guys, I originally thought that the numbers were white but prior to ordering it, I realized that it was in fact chrome like. I'm ok with that too and see that the silver numbers probably just go better with the silver case, but that's just my opinion. Finally, the customer service with Orient seems to be top notch. I have 2 of their watches and both times they were shipped quickly and when I had questions about something, their response was very fast.

Thanks again on the review!

[orientwatchusa]

Thanks for the great and honest review. Hopefully with some new models available on orientwatchusa.com, you can find something that suits your design style a little better.