ORIENT Slide Rule Tool

Slide Rule is a logarithmic scale that assists the user in simple metric conversion and mathematical calculations. This mathematical tool has been incorporated into many watches, the famous and most common one being the Breitling Navitimer. Here we look at some Orient watches that have sliderule functions in them.

ORIENT Slide Rule 24-hour Pointer Day
Caliber 46B 21 Jewels
Inner rotating sliderule
24-hour indicator subdial at 10 o'clock
Pointer Day at 4 o'clock
Date window at 7 o'clock

This is a massive Orient at 44mm! excluding crown. I am especially attracted by the blue dial and the case shape. As bracelets never seem to work on my small wrist, I am looking at changing to a blue croc leather strap. Orient is indeed making some handsome watches!

This one has a clear caseback. Orient seems to be making some of her newer watches with see-through caseback and some in the normal solid caseback.




ORIENT Slide Rule Date Pointer Day
Caliber 46W 21 Jewels
Inner rotating sliderule
Arrow Pointer Day at 6 o'clock
Date window at 3 o'clock
Flat crystal glass

This Orient has the instrument pilot look. The blue dial looks more like a blend of charcoal grey and blue. Due to the thin bezel, the watch looks huge at 42mm. As you can see, I did not remove the plastic on the steel bracelet as I believe a pilot leather strap will fit her better!


This watch has a solid caseback which I personally prefer.

ORIENT Slide Rule Date Full Day
Caliber 46E 21 Jewels
External rotating sliderule bezel
Full Day at 6 o'clock

In my quest for Orient watches, this one stopped me in my tracks as I have never seen this model before. The cream dial, sliderule bezel and cushion case make this an all-rounder. The red wordings on the inner sliderule and the red-tipped second hand contrast against the cream dial. The solid stainless steel bracelet is of a down-to-earth design and nothing too fancy.



Another clearback cased Orient showing the Caliber 46.



But this Orient was sold shortly after I bought her. Why?

As of all true blue WIS, we sell watches to fund other watches! I reckoned I can give her up (temporary I hope) as I needed to pull trigger on a discontinued NOS Seiko during the same period.