Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by swisswatchreview
Japan produces some amazing watches. In fact, many would argue that some of the watches produced in Japan are similar in quality to Swiss watches. One of the leading watch manufacturers in Japan is Orient. Orient fits squarely into the ‘budget’ luxury watch category. Their watches are often sub-$1,000, with many being far cheaper than that. However, these watches still boast that luxury feel, and they are incredibly accurate timepieces. Orient watches, especially the Orient Star range, are perfect for those that want something stylish but doesn’t want to blow a hole in their bank account.
For a while, one of the more popular watches sold by Orient was the Orient World Time (sometimes called the Orient World Timer). While the product has been discontinued for a while, there still are some retailers that hold it in stock. It is also incredibly common on the used market, with the World Timer holding its value incredibly well. This Orient World Timer review will discuss the Orient World Time, as well as give an alternative option for those that cannot track down the Orient World Time original model.
About The Orient World Timer
The Orient World Timer (known as the Orient Star World Time) is a discontinued product from Orient. It was only available in limited markets, with the bulk of the models sold in the United States and Japan. While the Orient World Timer is no longer manufactured by Orient, there are still several companies that keep it in stock. Due to the quality and sophistication of Orient watches, it is likely to be available to buy on the used market for years to come.
The Orient World Time is a stunning watch. As the name suggests, the Orient World Time allows the user to see the current time in all of the world’s time zones. There is also a unique power level indicator (a dial), This is not all that common on watches nowadays, particularly automatic watches where there is rarely a need to see how much power left there is. After all, if a person is walking around, the watch will always have power. Still, it is a very nice touch.
As mentioned, the Orient World Time is now a discontinued model. So, this Orient World Time review is going to be split into two sections. Firstly, there will be a discussion on the Orient Star World Time. That is for those that can still find the Orient Star World Time in stores or wish to buy on the used market. The second section will look at an alternative to the Orient Star World Time.
Orient Star World Time (SJC00002D0)
When the Orient Star World Time was in production, there were a few different watch face layouts available. It was something that Orient liked to play about with a bit. Perhaps because they wanted their watches to be more unique, while also not hampering the luxury feel. The most popular Orient Star World Time produced was the SJC00002D0. This boasted the following specs:
- Orient Watch Caliber: 40H60 (in-house production)
- Mechanical
- Stainless steel strap and case
- Blue watch face (available in black too, although that option is much rarer).
- 40 hours power reserve
- Date indicator
- Power reserve indicator
- World time
- Anti-reflective coating
- Water Resistance: to 100 meters.
- Width of watch: 41.5mm
- Thickness: 12.65mm
- Distance between lugs: 20mm
While the Orient Star World Time is certainly on the lower end of the pricing range for ‘luxury’ watches, being just a fraction of the price of its Swiss counterparts, it is evident that the Orient Star World Time has been manufactured with quality in mind. Like all of its products, Orient has sourced the best components. The stainless steel looks very similar to the quality that you would get on a watch many times the price of the Orient World Timer. This watch would look absolutely stunning on the wrist of anybody, and that luxurious, but very understated look, makes it perfect for every situation.
One of the real highlights of the Orient World Timer is the anti-reflective coating on the watch’s face. This is a coating designed by Orient and keeps so much light at bay that the sapphire glass looks almost invisible. The anti-reflective coating ensures that the watch face can be read, even in the brightest light. It’s very scratch-resistant too, so there is no need to worry about damaging the watch glass under normal use.
As mentioned, the watch can show the time in all 24 time zones, a very handy feature for the seasoned traveler. There are a few dials on the main watch face too. This includes a date indicator, a power level indicator, and a small seconds dial. While some may think that the Orient has gone overboard with the dials on the watch face, it offers a surprisingly clean and easy-to-read design. This is a testament to the skilled designers that work at Orient.
The Orient World Timer uses the 40H60, which was rarely used in Orient models, although it boasted broadly the same specs and accuracy as other watch mechanisms produced by the company (they produce all their mechanisms in-house), and the Orient World Time is an incredibly accurate watch, even at a low price.
Orient Star GMT (WZ0071DJ)
The Orient Star GMT is very similar to the Orient World Time. While it is not a direct replacement, it follows the same aesthetics that the Orient Star World Time offers i.e. a stainless steel case and strap, anti-reflective sapphire glass, and a beautiful blue watch face. However, the Orient Star GMT ditches the idea of displaying the world time. Instead, it gives a secondary watch hand for displaying GMT time.
The watch case of the Orient Star GMT is slightly thicker than the Orient World Time. Although, it is only 1mm thicker, so it is barely noticeable. This is to accommodate the slightly larger watch mechanism inside. The watch mechanism is still designed by Orient in-house. It is the Orient 40P51 which is just as accurate as the mechanism found in the Orient Star World Time.
The main noticeable difference between the Orient Star GMT and the Orient Star World Time is the watch face. The Orient Star’s watch face feels a lot less ‘busy’ since Orient has cut back on some of the dials. The date is relegated to a simple wheel, much like other watches. The small second hand dial is no longer used, and the power indicator is much smaller. So, there is a much cleaner look to it. Although, as mentioned, it isn’t like the Orient World Time was poorly designed.
The Orient Star GMT is a viable alternative to the World Time if the World Time can’t be found in stores. It is only really lacking the world timer function, but it is still a great watch at an affordable price.
Orient Star Automatic
Barring a few exceptions, all the Orient Star watches use an automatic mechanism. This means that the Orient Star automatic watches don’t need to be wound. As long as they are worn on the wrist and a person is walking around, the watch will be winding itself. Well, at least every forty hours. The watch’s automatic mechanism can only store wind itself up enough to provide power for 40 hours. Although, for most people, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. An Orient Star watch is the type of watch that will be worn daily.
Interestingly, the Orient Star automatic mechanism is produced in-house by Orient. It is even manufactured in Japan. This is incredibly rare for watch companies selling at the lower end of the luxury watch market. Most other companies buy their mechanisms from external companies (normally Seiko), but Orient decided that it wanted to control every stage of the manufacturing process, as since the mechanism is one of the most important components of a watch, they opted to control the manufacture of it.
Despite being a cheaper watch mechanism, it is surprisingly accurate and feature-packed. The watch is accurate to +25 seconds / – 15 seconds per day (on par with more expensive mechanisms). It boasts the Seiko Diashock system to prevent the watch mechanism from breaking if it picks up a knock. It also has the capability of displaying the date, plus time in multiple timezones.
Orient does produce a variety of different watch mechanisms, but they all have the same core feature sets. In fact, the main difference between the various watch mechanisms is the amount of information they can display e.g. not every watch mechanism will display multiple timezones like the Orient World Timer.
Final Thoughts – Is The Orient World Timer Worth It?
While it is currently not in production, the Orient World Time (sometimes called the Orient World Timer) is a tremendous watch. Most Japanese luxury watches are. It comes in at an affordable price, and you can really feel the quality when you have it on your wrist. If the Orient World Time can’t be found, then the Orient Star GMT is a good second choice.
