Orient Star presented two watches for its Contemporary Collection—these watches use new methods to create their faces. The M34 F8 Date models take inspiration from the Perseid meteor shower and showcase innovative techniques, bringing ideas from electronics into watchmaking.
The black dial version stands out. The company made only 160 of this limited watch, and it sells for about $3,656. This watch represents a true first in watchmaking—it applies nanoparticle metal layering to create the dial. This new process, adapted from electronics manufacturing, deposits layers of nanoparticle metal ink onto the dial multiple times. This gives the dial a sense of depth and captures the feel of deep space.
The watch face looks different from others. It has a unique texture and a rich appearance that shifts subtly as light hits it. Shiny markers contrast with the dark surface. A date window, cut with a diamond, serves its purpose without disrupting the overall look.
Orient Star’s second M34 F8 Date model sells for about $3,216. It highlights the company’s skill with optical multilayer film technology in a green color. This precise method controls how light interacts with the dial, creating a shifting effect that brings the space theme to life. The colors and patterns evoke meteors streaking through space.
Orient Star’s F8N64 automatic movement powers both watches. It uses a silicon escape wheel for better accuracy and reliability. The movement performs well, losing or gaining only 15 seconds per day, and runs for 60 hours when fully wound.
Each stainless steel case measures 40mm and is water resistant to 10 bar. Dual-curved sapphire glass with an anti-reflective coating ensures the time is easy to read. The dials are made by hand at Orient Star’s Dial Studio in Nagano, Japan, where traditional craftsmanship meets new technology.
The caseback is clear sapphire, revealing the F8N64 movement decorated with Geneva stripes that fit the space theme. These M34 F8 Date models show how watchmaking can evolve. The company uses technology from other fields, like nanoparticle metal layering, to create watches that bring the wonder of space to your wrist.
