Sponsored: Advanced Dial Expression that Highlights Orient Star’s Technological Skills

30.09.2024 11:30

Watchtime.com

Photographs by Masahiro Okamura
Text by Naoto Watanabe

Since its birth in 1951, Orient Star has continued to captivate many watch fans as an authentic mechanical watch brand. Although the brand is widely known for its Mechanical Moon Phase and Skeleton series, it has launched numerous models highlighted with delicately crafted dials in recent years. We illustrate the evolution of Orient Star’s dial designs that lead the way for a new era of the brand, reaping the benefits of its unique in-house production process.

M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase RE-AY0124N that expresses cosmic scenery featuring the moon and Pleiades

The model we introduce here is the M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase Ref. RE-AY0124N. The M45 Collection’s name derives from the open star cluster M45, visible near Taurus.

In Europe, M45 is called the Pleiades Cluster after the seven sisters of the Pleiades in Greek mythology, but in Japan it has long been familiar by the name Subaru.

Orient Star M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase Ref. RE-AY0124N

_{Automatic mechanical caliber F7M65, 22 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour, power reserve of 50 hours, stainless steel case (diameter 41mm, thickness 13.8mm), water resistance to 5 bar (50m), limited edition of 120 pieces.}

The design concept of the dial is “occultation or overlapping of the moon and Pleiades.” Occultation is a phenomenon in which the moon appears to overlap with other fixed stars as it orbits the Earth. The combination of the dark, subdued gradation coating around the periphery of the dial and the irregular pattern expresses the brilliance of the stars in the Pleiades star cluster.

In addition, the silver-colored mirrored dots placed in the darkest area of the outer circumference of the Roman numerals sparkle even in the smallest amount of light, giving the timepiece an appearance of a celestial body shining in the dark night.

All the printings on the dial are unified in black, but each is heaped up three-dimensionally through pad printing so that shadows appear to change depending on the angle from which light enters the dial, which is a feature unique to this model.

_{The dial of the M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase Ref. RE-AY0124N. When the surface of the press stamped dial is magnified, the pattern looks like traditional Japanese paper. The printings are three-dimensionally thick formed by multiple rounds of pad printing. While the entire dial is monotone, the hour and minute hands have two different finishes, polished on one side and hairline on the other, to ensure legibility. The dial is also extremely legible because of the SAR coating on the dual-curved sapphire crystal glass.}

Dial production by the Dial Studio of the Shinshu Watch Studio

The dial of this model is also made by the Dial Studio of the Shinshu Watch Studio. First, patterns are stamped on the brass base plate with press processing, and the surface is then wet-plated in silver color.

Then, paint is carefully layered one by one with a dedicated machine to create gradations from gray to black.

_{Following the gradation process, pad printing is applied using gelatin pads to the base plate after wrap coating, polishing and cutting are completed. Repeating layers multiple times forms a three-dimensional print, but demands significant time and work as each plate requires a drying process.}

The top layer is wrap coated and polished until perfectly flat, followed by cutting and drilling of the power reserve and moon phase areas, and the cut surfaces re-plated.

The three-dimensional print is then formed by multiple rounds of pad printing, and applied parts and lower dial are attached by hand for completion.

Orient Star takes dial manufacturing to the next level

This is the kind of craftsmanship that can only be achieved by Orient Star, which carries out the entire manufacturing process internally, from parts production to timepiece assembly.

As technologies that leverage Orient Star’s strong assets such as optical multilayer that allows optical coloration and SAR coating on dual curved sapphire crystal have been incorporated, Orient Star’s timepiece craftsmanship is certain to attract further attention as it enters a new era of dial designs.

Fortunately, for anyone in the United States or United Kingdom the new M Collections it has never been easier to buy Orient Star watches thanks to the brand’s US and UK online stores.

For US customers: with ORIENT STAR (Orient Star Official Online Store) (orientstar-watch.com)

For UK customers: Orient Star | Orient Watches UK Official Website.　

And to learn more, click here.