The King of Affordable Automatic Watches Drops Its Best Daily-Wear Design

There is no shortage of affordable automatic Orient watches perfectly suited for daily wear. In fact, that is what the brand does best — maybe better than any other watchmaker.

But it is still worth mentioning an addition to the Japanese bargain brand’s lineup, especially because it is not another diver or Bambino.

Orient

Orient announced the Stretto back in August as part of the brand’s ongoing 75th anniversary celebration, and it just hit the American market.

The design is a bit of a crossover because it strongly resembles the M35 collection from parent company Orient Star. The Stretto also shows more historical influence from 1960s and 1970s designs by Orient’s cousin brand, Seiko.

That said, it is a refreshing addition to Orient’s expansive collection that departs from its typical design language.

Orient

The regular production Stretto collection launches with three references, with the broadest appeal coming from a radial blue dial with a brushed steel case and bracelet.

Rounding out the collection are a white dial with gold-tone detailing, a two-tone case and bracelet, and a brown dial with a rose gold-tone bezel and a brown leather strap.

A classic callback

The Stretto’s elliptical case shape was common among Japanese watches like Seiko and Citizen in the 1960s and 1970s. The dial also displays further ties to that era and region.

Orient

Obelisk hands, chamfered baton indices and inset date window frames were common in Japanese watchmaking during the back half of the twentieth century.

Vintage vibes are Orient’s specialty, but they mostly come from European influences, as seen in the flagship Bambino collection. The Stretto embraces the Epson-owned brand’s strong domestic horological heritage.

Orient

As usual, Orient offers those vintage vibes at a shockingly affordable price. The Stretto is currently selling on Orient’s American site for $395, roughly a quarter of the cost of an Orient Star M34.

A watch for all seasons

The Stretto offers the type of broad appeal paired with a respectable mechanical movement that Japanese watchmakers excel at creating. It joins the Citizen Tsuyosa as one of the best all-purpose, automatic daily watches priced under $500.

Orient

Crucially, the Stretto also follows the Tsuyosa 37’s perfectly proportioned case size, measuring one millimeter wider at 38mm. While this size isn’t for everyone, it casts the widest net in today’s market.

As part of Orient’s 75th Anniversary Collection, the Stratto also comes in three limited edition references with matching gray-blue radial brushed dials and red seconds hands.

Along with the standard time-and-date dial arrangement, there is a Sun-Moon borrowed from the Bambino collection and an open-heart dial. All three watches should be available in America later this year.

Orient

My first impression of the Stretto was that it looked so familiar, but in a good way. Orient occasionally offers wild and inventive designs, but the brand’s true strength is reinterpreting tried-and-true watches that almost anyone can afford.

The Stretto pulls that off as effectively as any design in the brand’s catalog.

Availability and price

The Orient Classic Stretto collection just hit the American market, priced at $535 for the blue and dials, and $605 for the two-tone with a white dial.

In typical Orient fashion, all three references are already discounted at 35 percent off and will likely always be available for around that price.

Orient

Orient Stretto

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	Orient claiber F6722 automatic and hand-wound
Water Resistance	50m

• $535 at Orient USA
  $395 (-35% off)

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