Orient Star Contemporary Basic Date review

Having had the Orient Star Contemporary Basic Date for exactly a month now with about half of it spent on the wrist (no thanks to a certain newly released Kamasu), it’s time for my long overdue review of this piece. Specs are specs so let’s just get that out of the way first so we can get on to how it actually performs.

Specs
Case size: 42mm
Lug to lug: 50.8mm
Lug width: 21mm
Case material: Stainless Steel
Glass: AR Coated Sapphire Crystal
Caseback: Screw down crystal display case back
Movement: F6N43 (Automatic, Hacking, Hand-winding)
Complications: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Date, Power Reserve Indicator
Power Reserve: 50 hours
BPH: 21,600
Jewels: 22
Water Resistance: 50m
RRP: S$1081
Reference: RE-AU0406L

Overview
So the Orient Star Basic Date range is a special Asia exclusive. This particular one I have in hand is a limited edition piece with only 1000 pieces made. It is designed to be a dressy yet sporty piece that looks just as at home in the office as it does on the golf course.

Case
So this series was specially created to satisfy a demand for a larger case in the Asia region. At 42mm and a 50.8mm lug to lug, it’s definitely not for everybody, but if Orient was compelled enough to create it I’m sure the demand is there. It is admittedly large for my 6.25” wrists (I have girl wrists) and right at the limit of what I can pull off, there were however many times where I couldn’t help but admire its strong presence despite my girly wrists. A 21mm lug width is admittedly not the most popular size, but the provided bracelet is a very worthy offering which we’ll talk about later.

The case itself is remarkably Orient Star, absolutely amazing quality and finishing for the price point. The sides are brushed giving it a sporty aesthetic while the rose gold bezel and beveled edges are mirror polished giving it an added level of refinement, a signature element of the Orient Star branding. I’m told the mirror finish is in fact Zaratsu polishing which is lovely to have and I do wish that Orient would take more liberties in marketing these little known aspects of their watches. The lugs are even cut off and polished at the ends to allow sleeves to slip over more easily. A rose gold signed crown matches the bezel and is nicely sized and finished with a coin edge making it easy to operate. The AR coated sapphire crystal is flush with the bezel giving it a clean and smooth look and the display case back shows off a lightly decorated signed rotor.

Dial
Orient Star describes the lustrous blue dial in combination with its rose gold hands, bezel and crown as reflecting the nightscape of the dynamic metropolis of Tokyo. I’ve never been to Tokyo so I’m just going to take their word for it. As a lover of blue dials that are clean and simple, this one is a knockout for me. The dark blue dial features a subtle sunburst effect that really allows the applied rectangular rose gold markers to stand out.

Clean dauphine hands and minimal printing on the dial complete the minimalistic face. A painted beveled cutout for the date ring sits unassumingly at the 3 O’clock position causing minimal disruption to the aesthetic. The power reserve indicator is sensibly placed at 12 O’clock and in my opinion really helps to balance out the symmetry. Despite being an automatic watch, I do appreciate having a power reserve indicator as I have more watches to rotate than days of the week. A small area of lume on the hands is an interesting touch to retain the sporty aspect of this watch but is personally not something I would miss though I can understand where they’re going with it.

Overall as a blue face lover, this is definitely one of my favourite looking dials and would absolutely love to have one in a more fitting size for my dainty wrists.

Movement
I love Orient Star movements and the F6N43 is no exception. Though not COSC standards, they have been very accurate in my experience with them and feel noticeably more sturdy and precise to operate than the movements you find in the standard Orients. The date ring of these movements particularly stand out to me for their accurate alignment with the date windows where I’d normally have to fiddle with the crown a little on the standard Orients to get it perfectly centered. You’d be hard pressed to find a better movement at this price point.

Bracelet
I love the bracelet that comes with this watch. Orient isn’t particularly well known for providing outstanding bracelets but this one is definitely one to look out for. Solid links and end links with a milled and signed clasp make this one of the highest quality bracelets that I’ve seen on an Orient so far. The clasp locks with a solid and positive click and releases just as confidently. It wears very comfortably on the wrist and is well weighted to distribute the weight of the watch.

While it doesn’t feature screw connections and only offers 3 micro adjustments, it’ll probably be sufficient for most people and frankly not something you can really complain about at this price point considering its other qualities. The bracelet is mostly brush finished with a slight polish on the clasp making scratches less obvious. Take note that this is a 21mm lug width so your choice of alternative straps will be slightly limited. Fortunately it is a very worthy bracelet so most of you probably won’t have to fuss over finding a replacement for quite awhile.

Final thoughts
This watch exudes everything that is Orient Star. Superb value, quality and finishing for the price point and a unique design that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. I honestly love everything about this watch apart from the size but that’s really my own fault for not hitting wrist gym all these years. Even so, it feels surprisingly comfortable on my wrist and wears smaller than the numbers seem to suggest. If this came in closer to 40mm, I’d grab one in a heartbeat.

Big thanks to BigTimeSGP for allowing me to discover and experience the Basic Date range. Do contact them or their dealers if you want to find out more about this piece!

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