When I was at BigTime in Singapore, I compared the first version against this model, known as the ORIENT x STI collaboration 2010 Limited Eition Ⅱ. Man, the look and feel are way apart.
Here are the specifications of the watch, pulled from the press release.
REFERENCE
Ref No.: FD0H001B
Dial Color: Black
Case Material: Stainless steel case
Band Material: Stainless steel bracelet
SPECIFICATIONS
Glass meterial : Sapphire crystal
Dial : Uses carbon material employed for the racing car
Caseback : Screw see-through case back with serial number
Rotor : Engraved the race results
Water resistant : 100m
Case Diameter : 42.00mm
Thickness : 11.65mm
SPECIAL GIFT BOX
Item No. BST02
NEW CALIBER
Movement : ORIENT caliber 46N47 Made in Japan
Drive system : Self-winding movement
Vibrations : 21600/hour vibrations
Daily accuracy : +25 ~ 15 sec/day
Running time : More than 40 hours
Number of jewels : 21 jewels
Function : Power reserve indicator, Date indicator
This model is limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, each with their own marked serial number. Having spent 13 years of my life with Unix, picking up serial number 644 was a no brainer.
When I handled the watch, it feels solid and chunky. It is so beautiful in person, I don't think my photos would do justice to the watch. The quality is top notch, with every detail I continue to appreciate.
The dial is made from carbon fibre material, and the hour indices are pretty good. The Orient logo is positioned at 12 o'clock, the date window at 9 o'clock, and the power reserve indicator at 6 o'clock. The power reserve indicator mimics that of the fuel indicator in the STi, and even has the fuel pump icon beside it.
The black, non-rotatable bezel is adorned with what looks like hex bolts at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 o'clock positions. It made the looks of the watch a bit mean. The second, minute, hour hands are white, as well as the power reserve pointer.
The indices and hand are all luminous and what's really nice is that it also has lume around the flat sapphire glass that yields this effect.
The screw-down crown is not signed, but knurled to prevent slippage. It is located at the 9 o'clock position and Orient's rationale for that is to prevent impeding the driver's hand movement when steering. I get the drift, as in my other watches, it does happen to me unless I wear it a little bit high above the wrist.
The crown guard.
The lug width is 24mm and tapers off at 22mm. It came with a very nice bracelet, that is also heavy and gives a solid feeling. Three links were removed for my fitting.
My other Orient uses a standard clasp with push to release button. For this model, Orient added a catch to make it more secure. My friend was telling me a story one night about his friend who was in a bowling betting tournament. The fight was so close, and when he won, he was so pumped up he was punching his arm up into the air so hard, it caused his Rolex to take a flight, landed by hitting the corner of the bowling lane and shatters the sapphire. When shit happens, they happen in mysterious ways.
The Orient sign adorns the outside of the clasp.
Orient said there is a new engine powering this watch, and is displayed in all its glory via the see-through case back. The rotor has the results of the race laser etched on it.
When I got the watch, the power reserve is drained. It took about 45 minutes to charged up to about 50% power, and another 2 hours or so for full charge. Orient claims, it has a little bit over 40 hours power reserve. I'll find out soon enough.
I like the watch and it did not disappoint. This one is a keeper.
Here are some artsy-fartsy shots.
Finally, a wrist shot.
