News · Orient Star

Orient Star opens up a new 75th-anniversary flagship

The 130-piece Orient Star Skeleton introduces a hand-wound F9B82 calibre, more than 72 hours of reserve and a notably slim 40 mm steel case.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 3 min read · 14 September 2026

• The 75th-anniversary Orient Star Skeleton is a 130-piece flagship built around the newly developed hand-wound F9B82 calibre.
• Its 40 mm SUS316L steel case is 9.5 mm thick, with sapphire crystals front and back and 30 metres of water resistance.
• The watch launches in December 2026; Japan's RK-BR0001N costs ¥1,100,000 including tax, while Australian pricing is unannounced.

Orient Star has used its 75th anniversary to make a proper flagship rather than another commemorative colour. Announced on 9 September, the Orient Star Skeleton RE-BR0001N introduces the hand-wound F9B82, a new in-house calibre that stretches the brand's skeleton-watch formula to more than 72 hours of power reserve. Only 130 will be made, each in a 40 mm steel case with a hand-finished goatskin strap.

The calibre is the dial

There is no conventional dial plate hiding the mechanism. Instead, the movement's bridges form a three-tiered arrangement of overlapping circles. Orient Star says the idea joins planetary orbits with the rippled gravel of a Japanese Zen garden, while the open spaces refer to ma, the Japanese appreciation of intervals and emptiness. That is a lot of concept to place on a wrist, but the practical result is unusually coherent. Repeated circles lead the eye through the calibre instead of leaving an undirected web of cut metal.

The F9B82 is not merely an existing movement with more material removed. Its specifications move beyond the brand's earlier skeleton calibres: more than 72 hours of reserve, a stated daily rate of plus 10 to minus 4 seconds, and a silicon escape wheel. A power-reserve display remains at 12 o'clock, while the balance and blue silicon component are exposed in the lower half. The movement has 20 jewels, stops its seconds for setting and is wound by hand.

Finishing is central to the proposition. Orient Star applies diamond-cut, mirror-finished bevels across the three levels, along with lapped screw edges, hairline work and lines inked by hand. The openworked hour and minute hands and the movement screws are heat-blued to a consistent colour. Those blue parts provide the only strong chromatic interruption in an otherwise silver composition, which is a sensible choice when the architecture already supplies so much detail.

A restrained case around a busy mechanism

The SUS316L stainless-steel case measures 40 mm across, 46.8 mm long and 9.5 mm thick. That last figure matters. Skeleton watches can become ornate display objects first and wearable watches second; keeping this one under 10 mm gives the elaborate movement a comparatively disciplined frame. The case and contoured lugs mix hairline surfaces with mirror finishing produced by Sallaz polishing.

Orient Star fits a dual-curved sapphire crystal with its SAR anti-reflective treatment on both sides. The brand says this coating cuts reflections by 99 per cent, an unusually specific claim whose purpose is obvious here: any glare would obscure the very mechanism the watch is built to show. A second sapphire window covers the back, where the 75th-anniversary wording, limited-edition designation and individual number are engraved around the display.

Water resistance is 30 metres, so this is not pretending to be an all-purpose sports watch. JIS Type 1 magnetic resistance is specified, and the complete watch weighs 64 grams. Those numbers establish the intended character clearly: light, slim and mechanically expressive, with enough basic protection for careful daily wear rather than the specifications of an integrated-bracelet all-rounder.

The strap receives unusual attention

The black 20 mm strap is made from goatskin leather. Orient Star says the hide is vegetable-tanned, then worked using the Japanese Chari Happo technique, in which it is massaged by hand in vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions. This produces the pronounced grain visible in the official images while retaining a smooth feel. Hand stitching and a new push-button triple-folding deployant clasp complete it.

That degree of explanation can sound disproportionate beside a newly developed calibre, but it helps the watch. A conventional glossy alligator strap would have pushed the design towards formality and competed with the movement's surface treatment. The rougher black grain gives the silver case and blue hands a neutral base, and at 20 mm it keeps the visual weight close to the case.

The Skeleton also sets out what Orient Star now considers its highest tier. The special navy presentation box is accompanied by a 10-year warranty and three complimentary overhaul services during that period. The listed work includes disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, lubrication, gasket replacement and a water-resistance test. For a watch whose value rests heavily on its proprietary movement, that service commitment is more meaningful than anniversary engraving alone.

Orient Star Skeleton RE-BR0001N pricing and availability

The Orient Star Skeleton RE-BR0001N is limited to 130 individually numbered pieces and is scheduled to launch in December 2026. Its Japanese-market counterpart, RK-BR0001N, is priced at ¥1,100,000 including tax, or ¥1,000,000 before tax. Australian and other international prices have not been published. The brand lists a 10-year warranty with three complimentary overhauls during the warranty period.