Are you worried about which ORIENT STAR model to buy? Have you ever wondered why some ORIENT STAR models are as affordable as ORIENT STAR, while some ORIENT STAR models cost more than 10,000 yuan? Today we will discuss the biggest factors that affect the price of watches. - "Movement".
Including the F8 movement launched in March 2021, among the watch models still in production, ORIENT STAR's movements can be divided into three types, namely F6, F7 and F8 movements. One thing to note is that both the F6 and F7 movements have launched versions with 40 and 50 hours of energy storage respectively, while the F8 watch has only launched F8B62 and F8B63 with 70 hours of energy storage.
Movement accuracy
It turns out that the biggest difference between F6, F7 and F8 movements is the "daily error". Different from quartz watches, quartz watches that use batteries and stepper motors as power sources use quartz crystals to generate a vibration frequency of 32,768 times per second. At a very low cost, quartz watches can already have high accuracy. In contrast, a mechanical watch that operates on mechanical principles only vibrates 6 to 8 times per second. Therefore, the accuracy of mechanical watches determines the main value of mid- to low-priced movements.
Generally, for watches on the market priced at HK$6,000 or less, the daily error of the movement is about +30 ~ -25 seconds. For example, the common NH35A error is +40 ~ -20 seconds, and the Standard version of ETA 2824-2 has a daily error of + 30~-12 seconds. The F6 movement commonly used in ORIENT and some ORIENT STAR has a daily error of +25 seconds to -15 seconds, while the F7 and F8 movements used in high-end ORIENT STAR models have a daily error of +15 to -5 seconds. Therefore, equipped with a higher-accuracy F7 or F8 movement, this type of high-end ORIENT STAR model will have a higher price.
Movement polishing level
In addition, another difference between F6, F7 and F8 movements is their polishing level. The F6 and F7 movements are also polished by hand. On the F6 movement on the right side of the picture above, you can see the fish scale pattern on the plywood and the Geneva pattern on the oscillating weight. However, compared to the F7 movement on the left in the picture above, the polishing of the F6 movement can only cover the flaws in the metal. If you look closely with a magnifying glass, you can still detect the burrs on the metal edges caused by cutting and other parts that have not been polished.
On the F7 movement (pictured above), in addition to being more shiny and polished, chamfering is also added to remove the right angles of the edges. The blue steel screws fired at 300 degrees high temperature, the repeatedly polished gold balance wheel and the rubies on the bearing make the back of the watch equipped with the F7 movement very ornamental. The F8 movement (pictured below) inherits the exquisite polishing process of the F7. The fish scale pattern on the front of the movement and the Geneva pattern on the back plywood are sparkling. In addition, the blue escape wheel can be vaguely seen on the golden plywood. The low-key treatment and the golden movement will not dazzle people too much.
The F8 movement is equipped with a silicon escape wheel for the first time
The newly launched F8 movement is the first movement among major Japanese brands to be equipped with a silicon escape wheel. Before the advent of silicon, most movement materials were made of metal, which was easily affected by magnetic fields, making the vibration frequency of the watch unstable and affecting the timekeeping accuracy of the watch. The escape wheel made of silicon does not contain metal. In addition to not being affected by the magnetic field, it also solves the problems of elastic fatigue, cold contraction and thermal expansion of metal. The shock resistance and accuracy of the watch are also greatly improved. In addition, because the material of the silicon escape wheel is stronger and more wear-resistant than the metal escape wheel, therefore, maintaining the same durability, the silicon escape wheel is thinner than the metal escape wheel. Due to the smaller contact surface, friction The coefficient is low, the transmission efficiency of the watch is relatively higher, and with the longer spring design, the operating time of the F8 movement is extended to 70 hours.
As Japan's watchmaking technology continues to improve, ORIENT STAR also uses a silicon escape wheel for the first time in its own movement F8. Moreover, silicon watch parts are now the mainstream material for high-end watch brands, and the silicon escape wheel is also the first to be seen among major Japanese brands. As silicon parts gradually become more popular in ORIENT STAR's styles, ORIENT STAR's status in the Japanese watch industry will become even more noticeable.
Will reading the entire article help you choose ORIENT STAR watches?
Short video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4j7O48WWuQ&t=129s
Buy now: https://lamworkshop.com/collections/orient-star
//
More articles to share:
Like our Facebook Page: Lam Workshop Watch Store
Follow my Instagram: Lam_Workshop Hong Kong watch store