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Monday, September 14, 2015

My Orient M-Force (or MForce) Collection - Varied but useful to a lot of users

A sub-brand of Orient that I have built a small collection with is the M-Force line. Currently I have three models (from L to R) the blue dial WV0021, the red dial WV0091E and the black dial DV01002B


Interestingly, all three models (they were produced one after the other) have different design philosophies. It is a very interesting study on the thought process within the design team in Orient. For a start, let us list out the major differences for these particular models.


WV0021 WV0091E DV01002B
Material Stainless steel Stainless steel Titanium
Size 46 mm 47 mm 47 mm
Movement (Caliber) 40N5A 40N5A 4075A
Power reserve indicator & location Yes, at 1 o'clock Yes, at 6 o'clock None
Crown location At 4 o'clock At 9 o'clock At 3 o'clock
Date window location At 9 o'clock At 3 o'clock At 3 o'clock
Primary markers Flat-top obelisk markers in two sizes Rectangle and round markers Flat-top obelisk and rectangle markers plus Arabic numerals

In my personal view, if there is a need to reduce or drop a complication for a newer model design, I would drop the date window. For me, I get more value out of the power reserve indicator than the date window. Let's face it, once you know the date, in the next 24 hours, that date would not change regardless of how many times you refer back to it. On the other hand, the power reserve indicator tells you how many hours left before the watch stops functioning - this is a more important information in my view. I was therefore surprised that Orient decided to drop the power reserve indicator on the DV01002B.

Despite the almost random changes in successive models, am important factor remains - all three models (including the latest M-Force which is not in my collection) are still in production. This means that the general idea of the many options available is to fulfill practically everyone needs and wants. For example, the WV0091E would be better suited for those that like to wear their wristwatch on their right hand. For those that don't like a weighty watch, the DV01002B would be a good choice due to its lightness.

From a manufacturing point of view, a very complicated stock balancing system would have to be incorporated to ensure the stocks are available based on the demand. Since Orient continues to sustain the manufacture of these models, the demand for all three models must be consistent and justifies the manufacturing lines.

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