Orient has a pretty fascinating history in the dive watch category that many people frustratingly ignore as they laud other Japanese watchmakers instead (albeit sometimes understandably so). Before the legendary Seiko 62MAS landed in 1965 and rewrote history, Orient had already released the Olympia Calendar Diver in 1964, a proper tool watch with a rotating bezel, lume, and a broad-arrow handset. However, it still never really got the credit it deserved.
Now, as Orient Star marks its 75th anniversary, the premium sub-brand is finally giving it the spotlight it was always owed, reviving the legendary diver with modern specs.
The Best of the Trilogy
Orient Star isn’t new to this reissue game. The Olympia Calendar Diver was first revived in 2022 with a black dial limited to 500 pieces, then again in 2023 in silver. This third chapter is possibly the best-looking of the bunch with a blue-gray gradation that bleeds to black at the edges. Evoking an ocean surface that mirrors the night sky, the dial nails the homage and even appears to feature a cluster of white-glowing stars at the center over the blue. Named after the Orion Nebula (since Orion was the son of Poseidon in Greek mythology), the M42 takes its celestial inspiration to beautiful measures. Green-glowing lume is given to the hands, hour markers, and bezel pip as well.
What the Redesign Gets Right
The case leans into vintage styling as its 41mm SUS316L steel case wears the same coin-edge unidirectional bezel, faceted straight lugs, and no-crown-guard profile as the original. The engraved and ink-filled five-minute bezel markers are cleaner than printed alternatives and compliant with ISO 6425 standards.
Inside, the in-house F6N47 automatic runs at 21,600vph with a 50-hour power reserve and hacking seconds. That reserve is tracked right on the dial via Orient Star’s signature power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, a brand fixture that’s somewhat divisive, but still offers meaningful function.
At 14.5mm thick, this one won’t be the thinnest 200m diver around; watches like the Tudor Black Bay 58 has shown it’s possible to go thinner at this depth rating. That said, this is also a fraction of the price, and still ISO-certified. Lastly, the watch is adorned with a five-row steel bracelet with push-button deployant, security latch, and diver’s extension.
Spec Sheet
Model: Orient Star M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition F6 Date 200m
Case Material: Stainless steel
Case Size: 41mm
Case Thickness: 14.5mm
Lug-to-Lug: 49.6mm lug-to-lug
Crystal: Dual-curved sapphire with AR coating
Movement: In-house F6N47 automatic w/ manual wind
Water Resistance: 200m (ISO 6425 compliant)
Strap: Five-row steel bracelet, trifold deployant with security latch and diver’s extension
Limited Edition: 700 pieces, individually numbered caseback engraved “75th Anniversary”
Origin: Japan
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 700 pieces, the M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition is available soon for €1,299.99 (~$1,510) through Orient Star’s website.
Recap
Orient Star M42 Diver 75th Anniversary Model
Orient Star’s M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition is a 75th-anniversary limited edition that resurrects the brand’s overlooked 1964 Olympia Calendar Diver with a new gradient blue-grey dial, ISO 6425 certification, and an in-house automatic movement. It’s the third and best iteration of the reissue that nails the night sky influence.
