The latest M-Force from the Orient watch company. The new Orient M-FORCE 200m inherits the tradition of a model released in 1999. It features an ISO-standard 200-meter water resistance for scuba diving and a special structure to absorb shock. This watch was officially launched on 23 March 2012.
Opening the box, you will be able to see the huge watch resting on its black velvet cushion.
A close-up of the watch. At this point, because I always assume the crown should be on the right, I inadvertently arranged the watch to be the wrong way up.
The watch on its own (still upside down). The case is water resistant to 200 meters and has a characteristic side frame that guards the bezel. At 47 mm, it boasts presence and a sturdy design. The rotating bezel is PVD coated (I believe) and unidirectional.
A close-up of the dial. The watch comes with sapphire crystal. The date indicator is at the 3 o'clock position and the power reserve indicator is at the 6 o'clock position. Based on the indicator, this watch can potentially store 40 hours worth of spring energy. Only now I realised my mistake and immediate turned it upright.
The dial looks solid. The red colour looks very nice. Not too bright like yellow or orange, yet brighter than another typical colours used for dials, such as blue or black. It really complements the watch.
This watch has the two important ingredients that I find useful on an automatic watch, a dive bezel to be used as a timer or a second time zone, and a power reserve indicator to warn users the amount of energy currently stored in the watch. The yellow second hand as well as the yellow hand for the power reserve indicator fits perfectly to the red dial. The lume is also done nicely.
This watch is a work of technical marvel. For the price that one pay, you get a watch that has been certified as an ISO 6425 diver’s watch, an ISO 764 anti-magnetic watch and as well as an ISO 1413 shock-resistant watch; a three-in-one certification programme.
The mechanical movement used by Orient for this watch is the caliber 40N5A and is made in Japan. It is capable of self-winding as well as hand-winding capabilities. It is also hackable. It comes with 22 jewels and performs at 21,600/hour vibrations.
The screw down back is simple with just the necessary information stamped on it. The Orient logos can be found stamped on the back case as well as the clasps.
Relatively thick watch at 13.3mm.
But one thing that I find useful about this watch is the straight through pinholes for the bracelets or straps on the main casing. This will facilitate the ease of changing the bracelet.
The watch on my wrist. The size does make it looks full on the wrist.
Another interesting feature about the watch is the red marking on the crown guard. It is supposed to shows users when crown is loose (i.e. if the red line on the crown is inline or to the left of the red marking, it means that the crown in not screwed in).
This M-Force version has all the stuff positioned properly unlike the previous version (in my humble opinion). The best correction Orient has made in the design philosophy is the position of the crown. Instead at the 4 o'clock position in the previous model, the new position at 9 o'clock makes it look cleaner and more symmetrical. Unfortunately, it still requires some work. If given a choice, I want it to be at the 3 o'clock position since I wear it on my left hand. As it is now, it is very awkward to manipulate the crown. However, in reality, it is not that bad. From the side profile, the watch looks normal.
The reason the watch looks normal was due in part to the size of the bracelet. Official documentation of the watch did not mentioned the bracelet width but using a ruler, I was able to conclude that it has the size of 24mm.
With some imagination, if you change the bracelet to leather with red stitching, this can be one killer looking watch.
Wearing this watch even during normal office hours is not a chore. Although weighty, after a while you forget that you have it on your wrist. Despite its size, it easily slips underneath your cuffs. I believe this is due to the design of the casing itself. Although you may not be able to see it from the pictures, every flat part of the watch is angled thereby eliminating possibility of snagging.
Once again, Orient got a winner for this design. It will be a well sort-after watch in the future.
