I am The Star

ORIENT STAR aka "OS300"
Caliber 46N4A Twenty-one jewels
Power Reserve up to 40 hours
5mm thick Sapphire glass
He-Gas diving to 300m

My OS300 came on time from Japan via EMS and in a heavy and solid black watch box.

When I opened the package, I was greeted by the watch, a strap changing tool, an original Orient soft rubber strap, papers and the hangtag. The black box was velvet lined - a nice detail by Orient Star.



My first impression of the OS300 was - This is really a big watch, and my initial worry seemed to be realising! How do I then wear this OS on her original bracelet?

I decided to give a shot to size the heavy solid stainless steel bracelet. The bracelet works on a pin-and-collar system so be very very careful not to lose those "microscopic" collars!



The signed crown is screw type and definitely feels more sturdy and substantial than my Tuna Emperor. The lug holes are drilled through and I am glad as this makes strap changing a breeze! Look at the thickness of the watch - approx. 17mm!



The wetsuit extension works by sliding the catch along the clasp. A neat and elegant design. If you don't dive, you can still use this gadget to loosen your tight watch bracelet on hot days.

The bracelet is an alternate arrangement of brushed main links and polished smaller links. The clasp has the Orient logo etched on which in my opinion is a lacklustre presentation of the Orient brand.

The underside of the clasp is engraved. The direction of the brush finishing is clearly evident.

The OS300 adopts the conventional screw-in caseback and this is a two-piece case design as compared to the much more expensive Seiko Marine Master 300m that uses a monocoque (or one-piece) case. The Orient logo here is raised giving more depth and thought into the design and finish.

The soft rubber or urethane strap is very smooth and has a faint vanilla scent. Although I did not try wearing the OS300 with the rubber strap, I guess the smooth underside may cause some imbalance of the watch on one's wrist. The buckle is signed.

The OS300 looks extremely mean and tool-like in her rubber strap!

Here is an interesting cutaway photo I found on the Net showing the cross-section of the divers watch. You will notice the movement is held between two thick chunks of steel.

Although the bracelet has been sized and ready for wearing, I have yet to start wearing her. But one thing is for sure - you will always feel the presence of the watch on your wrist due to her large unique appearance and massive weight.