Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Orient Star Launches Flagship Model for its 75th Anniversary, the Skeleton RE-BR0001N
A high-end skeleton model incorporating everything the brand can do.
While most of us picture the Bambino or Mako collections when we think of Orient watches, the Japanese brand owned by Seiko Epson Corporation can make much more advanced and refined watches, especially under the Orient Star umbrella. We’ve seen this especially this year, as the brand celebrates its 75th anniversary, with models such as the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding or the M34 F8 Date Meteorite. What we’ll discover today goes even further in watchmaking and refinement and is touted as the flagship model for the brand’s anniversary celebrations. Let’s have a look at the Orient Star Skeleton RE-BR0001N, representing the finest of the Japanese maker.
Orient Star, the high-end side of Orient, isn’t new to skeleton watches, beginning with the 1991 Mon Bijou, through to the striking 2021 Orient Star M45 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding, incorporating a silicon escape wheel, or the recent M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding. The new 75th anniversary Orient Star Skeleton model represents the latest expression of the collection and the finest side of mechanical expertise at Orient (an integrated manufacture, should I recall). The new RE-BR0001N is shaped entirely by its new in-house movement’s skeleton structure, with more advanced decoration than the brand usually offers.
The watch, a highly limited series, comes in a refined case measuring 40mm in diameter and only 9.5mm thick. It features boldly contoured lugs and is finished with brushed flanks and mirror-polished surfaces executed through Sallaz polishing (also known as Zaratsu). The case is topped by a sapphire crystal with a Super-Anti-Reflective (SAR) coating, which cuts light reflection by 99%, ensuring that every facet of the newly developed movement can be seen clearly. The sapphire back allows you to see the other side of this movement. Water-resistance is rather low at 30m.
The front view is dominated by the openworked movement and its numerous curves, spreading out like ripples in a Japanese Zen garden, with a three-tiered structure of overlapping circles. These rounded openings are paired with hand-inked lines on the bridges, and time is read thanks to openworked, blue-tempered hands. In addition, the watch features a small seconds at 6 o’clock (hacking) and a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. It is also Orient’s watch with the longest power reserve ever, rated at over 72 hours.
The new calibre F9B82 is a finely executed hand-wound movement with 20 jewels and a frequency of 4Hz. It features a silicon escape wheel, a rather rare feature in Japanese watches, with an optimised, patented geometry to increase efficiency – explained in more detail in this article. The movement is also nicely decorated with diamond-cut, mirror-finished chamfering, hand-applied hairline finishing and blued screws.
Last, the Orient Star Skeleton RE-BR0001N is worn on a goatskin leather strap, first vegetable-tanned with natural plant-derived tannins, then finished through the traditional Japanese Chari Happo technique, hand-massaged in all directions: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. It closes with a trifold deployant buckle with push buttons. The watch comes in a dedicated presentation box and includes a 10-year warranty and three complimentary overhaul services during the warranty period, comprising movement disassembly and cleaning, reassembly, lubrication, gasket replacement, and water-resistance testing.
A limited edition of only 130 pieces, the Orient Star Skeleton 75th Anniversary Flagship RE-BR0001N is priced at JPY 1,100,000 (approx. EUR 6,150 at the time of publication). The official price in Europe or America is currently undisclosed. For more details, please visit Orient-Watch.com.
