Orient Sun & Moon v2 Review: Orient's Unsung Hero

Accidents in Watch Collecting - Post

Writing this as a follow-up review to the post linked above. That post tells the story of my time with this piece, and I figured it would be worth giving a deeper look at the piece and give my perspective on ownership.

Orient as a brand needs no introduction. Their iconic lines such as the Bambino, Kamasu, Mako, and Defender are responsible for welcoming so many recent watch fans into this crazy hoby of ours (including myself)! In recent browsing, I can't help but notice that Orient's wider catalogue feels messy and cluttered. If you ever browse their websites, you have troubles navigating thanks to their confusing categories, inconsistent model names, and a given impression of 'quantity over quality' with regards to their visual designs. These make it increasingly difficult to find a hidden gem in the catalogue that doesn't belong in one of the lines mentioned above.

The biggest victim of this, in my opinion, has to be the Sun & Moon line. I purchased this particular watch in thr low $200s in 2018. Though prices for the newer models have raised a bit, this is still one of Orient's most impressive watches EVER, and it can easily be found for great discounts on other sites. Orient is in a league of their own when it comes to atainable dress watches, and this HAS to be my favourite option for more formal dress occasions.

Pros:

• Movement: this iteration of the Sun & Moon houses the Orient calibre F6B24, which is viewable from the mineral glass caseback. It may not be the most visually decorative movement to look at, but for a watch this 'dressy' it is still a great touch. While it does not have hacking or handwinding like the Bambino, these are small prices to pay for the beautifully complex day, date, and day/night cycle complications. The movement is also far smoother and more premium feeling than my personal Bambino V4, with a much quieter rotor and seemless push/pull crown action. It also maintains the Bambino's 40 hour power reserve, and has a slight jump in water resistence from 30m to 50m.

• Presentation: what we are all here for, the main attraction of this piece. This without a doubt is the most amazing looking dial I have seen from Orient. So many thoughtful layers, textures, patterns and colours to admire. There is nothing else in the price range that comes remotely close. I love the subtle gloss of the sun, moon, stars, and decorative screws. There is just so much to get lost in here!

• Sapphire crystal: The front glass is a flat sapphire which gives an incredible distortion effect when looking at the watch from steep angles. Their is also the bonus of having the afformentioned mineral glass caseback to view the movement with.

Cons:

• Deployment clasp: I honestly have very few complaints about this watch, and one of the major ones can be easily mitigated. This particular model came with a black leather strap with an alligator pattern. Similar to the blue one that I have replaced it with, if not for the deployant clasp. I found it to be super uncomfortable on my 7.5" wrist, with the fold of the clasp not sitting flush with the strap and digging into my wrist. The clasp functioned fine, but it was too unbearable to wear longterm. I swapped for a strap without a clasp.

• Large dimensions: at 42.5mm in case diameter, 15mm thick, and 22mm strap width, this is a large dress watch that took me some time to get used to. Now that I have a couple of other large watches that I wear regularly, this watch seems to fit like a glove! But for those expecting a low profile, classy dress watch, this is not quite that. It sits quite tall on the wrist. I would most recommend this watch to those with mid to large wrists.

Overall:

If you want a premium Orient experience without paying Orient Star stype of money, I can't think of a better watch to go for. It seemingly fixes many of my major Bambino complaints in a whole new package with a fancy bow on top. While I don't think anyone should only buy an affordable watch because it "looks expensive", I do think there is plenty to be impressed with here regardless of your watch apetite. This is certainly the most sentimental piece in my collection, and one that I am extremely proud to own. Now go out there and get one for yourself!