Orient Star YFH04001B Review

[336gabriel]

Specs:

Mechanical Movement: ORIENT caliber 46S50
Self-Winding movement
23 Jewels
21,600/hour vibrations
40 Hour reserve
Stainless steel case and bracelet
Sapphire Crystal
Water resistant to 100m
Diameter 43.0 mm
Thickness 14.0mm





Face/Dial:

This is the Airplane model from Orient’s retro-future line. This watch is available in black, blue or orange. They also produce a Motorcycle, Car, and Camera models based on classic 1960’s design cues. The face and dial can be very intimidating when seen for the first time. It does not take long to get used to the dial and telling the time is quite simple and clear. The dial has a small second hand in the 6 position that is made to resemble the altimeter needle of an aircraft cockpit. The power reserve needle at the 12 position continues this theme and it is made to resemble the fuel gage.
The watch has no date or day feature and instead it has an opening where you can see the crown mechanism. On the other side, there is an opening that allows the viewing of the inner workings of the watch. The lume on the watch is good, but since the numbers and markings are relatively small it is not very legible at night.



Case/Crystal/Back:

The top half of the case is brushed and the bottom half is polished stainless steel. It is very good quality and I could see no flaws with the fit and finish of the case.
This is the only model of the retro-future line that has a sapphire crystal, the others use mineral crystal. One interesting feature is that the center stainless steel part holding the hour and minute hands actually protrudes from the crystal. The crystal itself is set at least 3mm below the bezel.
The case back has the typical inscriptions, made in Japan and model numbers. The crystal in the back and the case continue with the airplane motif. The crystal is decorated to make it look like an aircrafts’ engine intake. The stainless steel parts of the case back are decorated with rivet like markings. I personally would have preferred a simpler look to the case back.









Bracelet/Clasp:

The bracelet is a combination of polished and brushed stainless steel. This is an unusual bracelet and I can’t recall seeing one like it. The bracelet uses the typical push pins and it was very easy to adjust and comfortable to wear. It is a quiet bracelet and does not rattle, very good quality all around. The clasp has the inscription OrienStar and it is brushed stainless steel.


Movement/Accuracy:

The movement is the in house Orient 46S50 and so far has run +4 seconds a day for the past month or so. The movement can not be hand wound and it is not hackable. However, like most Orients, even the slightest movement will start the watch and it has a good power reserve. This is where the reserve power indicator comes in very handy. It is a feature that I have come to enjoy and wish more mechanical watches had.

Conclusion:

This is a very nice example of Orient quality and value. It has a good in house movement, sapphire crystal, and an interesting design. Overall, I have been very pleased with the watch and have received many compliments. I have no hesitation in recommending this watch to anyone looking for a solidly built and reliable watch. The only thing that I would say is, that design may not appeal to everyone and it does take a little getting used to.

[MINIDriver]

This is a very beautiful watch. At full MSRP, this piece is very steep for me. I hope, one day, Orient puts it on the block for 50% off as a DOD.

[shardsofglass]

Excellent review! It has certainly helped to cement my decision to purchase this as my first automatic.

Do you have any updates on the watch after owning for several years?

Thanks for your help.

[bvc2005]

Hi. Granted you still own this OS, can you give us an update as to how it's held up since you posted your review? Many thanks.