Nothing much was expected under the Orient brand for 2019. However, out of the blue, the brand presented a re-crafted model of their famous SK diver of 1970s. The SK design in question is the Super King series (a lot of people mistaken the SK to stand for Sea King). When I saw it, I was intrigue and I immediately got one for the collection. The one I chose was the dark navy blue version, the RA-AA0B03L.I was made to understand that this will be a limited run series. Production started from June 2019 and is expected to end by March 2020.
It would appear that Orient is adopting Seiko's 're-craft' strategy. Identify older iconic design and re-issue them using the latest technology. This strategy is dicey and requires careful planning. Milking the historical interest of yesteryear's design can only go so far. You can already see the danger in this strategy the way Seiko has been treating its iconic 'turtle' and 'tuna' divers. They have totally flooded the market with numerous iterations and fans are getting uncomfortable with the current development. Orient should stick to the strategy adopted under Seiko's 'Recraft' series instead - short and sweet production run with limited iterations.
The SK (Super King) Divers
There are three members in the retro series. These are Reference RA-AA0B02R in radiant purple, similar to one of the original SK models; Reference RA-AA0B01G in greyish-green, similar to another of the original SK models, and; Reference RA-AA0B03L in dark navy blue.
 RA-AA0B01G |  RA-AA0B02R |  RA-AA0B03L |
Externally, all versions are almost identical to the original apart from some of the texts on the dial. Internally, the latest Orient in-house automatic Caliber F6922 which also can hand-wind and have a seconds-hand stop function is used instead.
The unique characteristics of the the SK divers is the shape of the watch case. It is asymmetrical. On the right side of the case, you will find three flat angled surfaces. On the left side of the case you will find that it is one circular surface. On the top and bottom sides of the case, you will find flat surfaces.
 |  |
 |  |
Dimension wise, it is similar to the original SK. The width (excluding the crown) is 41.7 mm across. The length as measured (lug-to-lug) is 46 mm and it has a height of 12.6 mm. Lug width is 18 mm.
The Dial
The sloping chapter ring doubles up as the internal bezel controlled by the crown located at 4 o'clock. It is bi-directional and moves smoothly. White minutes markers in various shapes as well as a few Arabic numerals in orange can be found on the chapter ring.
On the dial itself, the circular gold-coloured short-cone hour markers are applied on all hour positions except for the 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 3 o'clock. For the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions, beveled rectangular gold-coloured markers are applied on the dial. For the 3 o'clock, a gold-coloured framed aperture has been added to show the day and date complications. The dual language for the day wheel is English and Spanish.
The classic straight-lined hands are also painted golden with a small strip on both the hours and minutes hand painted with luminous paint. Apart from the main hands, the only part of the dial painted with luminous paint are the round 5-minute markers located at the edge of the dial.
Additional design found on the dial is the two circular strips; one between 11 o'clock and 7 o'clock while the other between 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock. The strips are painted with a slight tinge of gold. This design is similar to what was on the original SK.
Apart from the expected texts found on the retro compared to the original, only a couple of obvious changes were noted. On the original, you will find “21 JEWELS”, while on the retro, you will find “22 JEWELS”. Another change would be the production coding (in very small print located at the bottom of the dial).
There is an interested back-story word "Crystal" on the dial. Prior to the 1970s, the windows on the bulk of affordable dive watches were made out of acrylic. As a marketing ploy, Orient decided to put glass as standard and made it known very prominently by displaying the type of material used on the dial itself. Nowadays, mineral crystal is very common. It would be much more cooler if Orient used sapphire crystal instead. Now that would make a bold statement and the give real meaning to the word "Crystal" on the retro models.
The Casing
There is a thin fixed bezel to help somewhat protect the crystal glass from side impact. In the following photo you can see the beveled crystal protrude slightly above the bezel. On four corners of the bezel sits four rivet-like protrusions. I am not sure whether these are actual rivet joints that attaches the bezel to the rest of the casing or just an artistic design feature to maintain similarity with the original SK.
In this photo also you can see the short lug design that makes it a wearable watch even for those with smaller wrists.
This watch has two identical crowns. The primary crown is located at 3 o'clock and controls the F6922. It uses a push-in, pull-out system to cycle through the various controls such as manual winding (fully pushed-in); adjust the day and date (pull-out to the first level to access the quick-set day and date functions), and; adjust the time (pull-out to the second level). The second crown at 4 o'clock controls the internal bezel. There is no locking mechanism for both crowns. Both crowns are also sterile without any graphics.
The solid case-back is a screw-down. Apart from the logo chemically etched at the center, some basic information about the watch are also etched around the case-back.
Underneath the case-back is the newer F6922 automatic movement which was introduced back in April 2016. Using 22 jewels, it operates at the 21,600 BPH frequency and has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. Accuracy has been stated to be between -15 second +25 seconds per day.
The watch is only water rated to 5 bars or 50 meters. Rather pathetic if you ask me. It is sufficient for daily use and general durability, but not actual diving.With new technology and materials, Orient could easily double that rating easily.
Using the Toolwatch app, I was able to record an accuracy rate of +12.5% which is within the stated accuracy range of the watch.
The Bracelet
Paired with the watch is a rather flimsy looking stainless steel bracelet. The links are folded metal pieces connected by thin flat pins locked in place by friction. The manufacturing tolerances are very generous and this makes for a loose and rattly bracelet. This is the only part of the watch that I have the most issue with.
The folding construction is even more evident when viewed from the bottom. The use of stamped sheet metal for the bridge as well as the very thin looking clasp makes it feel cheap.
 |  |  |
The bracelet tapers from 18 mm at the lugs to 15 mm at the clasp. The clasp has a simple double push button lock with two micro-adjustment points provided.
The Illumination
The watch has poor illumination in the dark.
The Wearing Experience
The size is just a nice fit to my 6.75 inch wrist. The choice of an 18 mm wide strap that tapers down to just 15 mm at the clasp balanced the whole package nicely. A pity that the bracelet is not made with more quality but I suppose that may put it on a higher price point.
For a short run production re-issue, the Orient SK Retro is very affordable. With a MSRP in Japan of just YEN30,000 (excluding taxes) and in Malaysia of just RM1,100, you get a lot of watch for what you pay.
The other two issues worth mentioning which I hope the designers at Orient take note is the poor illumination and the pathetic water rating for the watch. Orient definitely can do better.
Overall, I am happy with this watch. It definitely has the vintage look and its asymmetric casing is definitely a conversation starter.
The Purchase
I bought the watch from Solar Time Watch in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. Although the discounted price was slightly higher than what I could get from an online merchant, I did get a free gift as well as gotten the bracelet resized by a professional.
Specifications
Movement: ORIENT Cal. F6922 Automatic, Hand-winding and Hacking Movement
Jewels: 22
Frequency: 21,600 BPH; 3 Hertz
Accuracy: -15 second +25 seconds per day
Power Reserve: Approximately 40 hours
Crystal: Mineral
Clasp: Fold-over with Double Push Button
Water Resistance: 50 m
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Case Diameter: 41.7 mm without crown
Case Thickness: 12.6 mm
Lug-to-Lug: 46 mm
Lug Width: 18 mm
Dial Color: Blue
Bezel Material: Stainless Steel
Weight: 105 gm
Calendar: Day and Date
Band Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty Type: 1 Year International Warranty
MSRP: YEN30,000; RM1,100
Release Date: June 2019
MSRP: RM1,100; YEN30,000
Purchase Date: 13 August 2019
Purchase Price: RM825
Photo Gallery
Nice review bro. Agreed with you Orient should make WR to 100m or more. They can upgrade King Diver's re-issue to 200m why can't they do the same with this SK.
ReplyDelete