Reply With QuoteI used to repair Orient watches when I was an apprentice in Dublin. They were very like Seiko but had very colourful dials and multi facetted glasses.
I still have a couple of Orient automatics.
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I'm not sure what practical difference it makes but Orient Watch company no longer exists. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko Epson corporation (not to be confused with Seiko Watch - a company also owned by Seiko group but run completely seperately) and as far as I can work out from the press releases, they dissolves it and transferred all the assets to Seiko Epson.
so the brand exists but as a department within Seiko Epson - what that means for the long-term...
I used to repair Orient watches when I was an apprentice in Dublin. They were very like Seiko but had very colourful dials and multi facetted glasses.
I still have a couple of Orient automatics.
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Interesting news. Wonder if prices will fall
Why would they fall? They are already just about the best value for money as it is.Originally Posted by Nansbread1
Probably was a business reason to dissolve the company.
As a watch brand within the Seiko set up there shouldn't be reason why it would not continue. I guess that the decision makers will still be from the existing parent company.
I don't think Orient are officially sold in the UK so are not well known here in the UK due to Seiko marketing policy.
Seiko Epson has nothing to do with Seiko Watch - they are run as two competing companies. Seiko's marketing policy would have no impact on what orient (or now Seiko Epson) decides to do in the UK.
It's relatively old news, Alan. They haven't exactly made a secret of it:
http://global.epson.com/newsroom/201..._20160906.html (September 6, 2016)
http://global.epson.com/newsroom/201...0170131_2.html (January 31, 2017)
Orient quartz watches are simply cheaper 'badge engineered' Seikos
Orient Watch Co. are probably better known for their automatics. e.g. the Mako - a popular cheap diver. But their quartz watches have been manufactured by Seiko since the mid 1980's.
I collect Seiko 7A38's and any other quartz chronographs using the same (re-branded) 15J caliber.
I bought my first Orient J39 back in February 2010 (I now own a few dozen of them).
It's pretty damn obvious that Seiko made them (and their other sub-brands Racer and Puma),
because all of them have SI (Seiko Instruments) printed at the bottom of their dials (just a few examples):
When I bought that first J39, I emailed Orient and asked for more information. This is the reply I received:
I've received similar evasive replies to other subsequent questions. I suspect the reason they don't have the records is because they are held by the people who actually made them - Seiko !We had several type of J39 chronograph models until 1990 year, but it is regret to say that we do not have such records in hand now.
Last edited by Seiko7A38; 23rd April 2017 at 14:04.
Very true. It's even been on their site for months.
They've recently released some new models recently, so it's business as usual.
Last edited by Kozzy; 23rd April 2017 at 11:25.
And Seiko Corporation themselves have used plenty of those in years gone by ....
Think Shimauchi Ltd., Shiojiri Ltd., Morioka Tokei Inc. (for movements), Jean Lassale Inc. (for the Thalassa), etc. ....
It's amusing to note that their subsidiary, Orient Watch Co. followed suit for their Puma branded watches.
The full saga is here, on my forum:
http://www.seiko7a38.com/apps/forums...y19-connection
Needless to say, the evidence of JEPIC Corporation's existence has now conveniently disappeared into the ether:
http://www.patentsoffice.ie/eregiste...idappli=119842
Puma was (is?) a licence from Puma sportswear rather than an Orient sub-brand per se, I think. Not sure about Racer.
Interesting about the Seiko Instruments initials on the dial.
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