Orient’s Power Reserve Design
Many Japanese watch enthusiasts are familiar with the signature Orient Company Ltd. watch design that features a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. Did you know Seiko actually used it first? Orient Japan produced many models featuring this dial layout in the past decade, so many that it’s almost a signature style. An example is Orient Star model WZ0011EJ — pictured above in a photo from Watch-Tanaka’s Web site.
I came across photos of two vintage Seiko automatics last week on Yahoo! Japan Auctions featuring a power reserve indicator. These watches are pretty rare, and I’ve never seen two for sale the same week before. I’ll present one of them below.
The watch is from the 1950s. Note the power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. The 21-jewel movement had a power reserve of 36 hours. The pictures come from a YJA seller named shouwa_sv. I’ll include more of his pictures below.
It’s likely the design of watches with a 12 o’clock power reserve predates Seiko’s use in the ’50s, originating in Europe many years before. As for the Japanese, Seikos from the ’50s are the earliest examples I’ve seen, and predate Orient’s use of the design. Another well-known Orient example from the ’90s is the Orient Star Royal below with a 50-hour power reserve.
Photo: uedatenpake
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January 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
After having owned a half dozen watches with PR indicators from different manufacturers, I have to say that I like the traditional Orient implementation the best. The worst, I’ve had is also from Orient. The PR indicator on my 300M diver is in such an awkward place. Although I slowly get used to it if I’m wearing it, it never fails to startle me, the first time I see it when I haven’t worn the watch in awhile.
PR indicators are wonderful complications on auto watches for those collectors that have more than a couple of watches in their collections and like to keep them running.
That vintage Seiko is one of my favorites. Until I read your story, I never even thought of the potential Seiko influence on the now iconic design of the Orients. Now, it’s so obvious!
January 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Hi Petew,
Here are photos (below) of the other example I mentioned of a Seiko from the 1950s with an “Orient-type” power reserve indicator. Note the script on the dial is different from the example shown in the post above. The pictures are by the same person as listed above in the article.
Regards,
Bryan
February 6th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Bryan,
it could be interesting to note that Orient did not do any power reserve watches in the 50s or the 60s as Seiko did but that this function was only introduced with the modern Orient watches. Also, the Seiko power reserve watches do not seem to have been produced in large numbers but they stayed in the lineup for quite a long time. They were introduced in 1955 and the serial of the watch above looks like a 1959 watch.
/ martin
February 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Hi petew, while Orient might very well have been influenced by the Seiko design, Seiko seems equally to have been influenced by the Swiss power reserve watches of the 50s. As was confirmed to me last week at the Seiko Institute of Horology, the Seiko movement was more or less identical to Swiss power reserve movements of the early 50s and not a Seiko original design.
regards / martin
February 7th, 2008 at 10:08 am
I have been thinking of getting an Orient for a while. Inspired by this article, I bought an Orient Star Royal. It was actually the exact one pictured above, selling at Yahoo Japan for a decent price. To keep my spending to reasonable amounts, could you please do a few articles about ugly uninteresting watches.
thanks / martin
February 7th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi Martin,
I’ve had that Orient Star in my hand before. It’s a beautiful and striking watch. Congratulations on your purchase. Although it’s an Orient, it will fit in your collection quite well.
As far as articles on ugly and uninteresting watches; I’m sure some of our readers would think that about some of the Casios we discuss!