Orient Monarch Review

The Monarch is another excellent example of what I love about Orient Watches: affordable and well-made, distinctly-styled and mechanically competent. Like the Bambino, which I still maintain is the best affordable automatic watch, the Monarch hits that sweet spot where what it brings to the table greatly exceeds expectations. You won’t find another quality mechanical and that is 100% handwinding. A great feel to it. Let's take a look

Orient Monarch FDD03003Y0 Technical Specifications Model Number: FDD03003Y0 Case Diameter: 40mm Alternate Models: black dial, gold case white dial Movement: Mechanical, Orient Calibre 48C40 Complications: Power reserve Power Reserve: Approximately 40 hours Water Resistance: 50m / 165ft Crystal Material: Mineral

Video review is here

https://youtu.be/7C2rnZsYkzs

The only other color to the dial, aside from the hands, is the touch of red at the center of Orient’s logo. I like how the hands contrast against the dial; they are easy to read and are satisfying to look at. Of course, legibility is dependant on lighting: there is no lume on the Monarch, so it’s strictly daytime viewing only.

Power reserve indicator states 40 hrs reliable working.

Indices are well placed and well designed with nice fonts and good readability.

However, if you and the Monarch aesthetically jive, you’ll be happy to know that it is otherwise a well-done watch that was made with precision. It looks and feels high quality, and this is also true when viewed under significant magnification. All the markers and printing are applied with care.

The hands, including the one used for the power reserve, are ion-coated blue. From what I can see, the application is even- there are no marks or imperfections on them that stand out, even when zoomed in. Depending on the angle you view them at, their color shifts from a rich blue to almost black. The Orient Calibre 48C40 is a hacking hand-wind movement that beats at 21,600 bph. The beat rate gives the second’s hand a noticeable “tick” as it circles the dial.