This is an interesting one because we source this watch because many of you have asked us on Instagram whether the Orient Weekly Swimmer in my personal collection is up for sale. We know that you guys want it and here it is, we manage to source on in Japan in good condition and we hope to help lovers to get hold of one as sourcing an Orient Weekly in good condition is not an easy task.
Alright, let me talk about the watch. The example we have sourced is a Weekly Auto Orient Swimmer from the 1960s. The Swimmer term may be confusing to you as the watch only have a normal crown instead of the locking crown we see in most diving watch cases today. The reason behind this is because of the technical development on watches and the generally accepted standard on the word "Water Resistance". In the 1960s, most watch company will name their watch waterproof or water resistance as long as they have a rubber o-ring inside their watch crown and their case back, this is changed after the rise of the diving watch standard which requires a screw-down locking crown to prevent water from entering the watch movement. I believe it makes owning this watch much more interesting after knowing the history of the watch and when you look at the case back engraved with a diver, sometimes it will put a smile on your face on the marketing idea they use back in the 60s by Orient.
Besides the segment of the Orient Weekly Swimmer, the movement and the display of the dial on the watch is also interesting. The Orient Weekly Swimmer is fitted with a day-date display and unlike the usual day date where they putting side by side, the Orient is putting a long Kenji day wording at the 6 o'clock position of the watch. The Kenji day wheel is exclusively for the Japanese market and can easily distinguish itself as a JDM watch. The movement of the Orient operates in an interesting way as well, the movement does not offer any quick-set at the watch crown. The movement only offers a date quick set and you can operate the quick set by pressing firm on the button next to the watch crown to jump ahead of the date. In many examples we saw in the market, the quick set function has broken down, the example we found have a perfectly functioning quick set date function and is a rare find in the market.
More on the look of the watch, the Orient Weekly Swimmer are issued in many different dial and case variance. The example we have here today is fitted with a silver sunburst dial with an eye-catching Orient Applied log and Blue Swimmer text which is rare on a vintage watch. The big Kenji Day window is surely the more eye-catching area of the watch! With its 37mm case size, the Orient Weekly feels modern on the wrist and feels just like a modern dress watch nothing like a watch with 50 years of history. The watch is also fitted with a fluted bezel which I am sure will remind us of the most recognisable dress watch in the market the Rolex 1601.
Overall, the design and history of the watch is definitely a nice pick to add to your collection if you are looking for a dress watch with a day-date function.
Specification:
Maker: Orient
Model: Weekly Auto Orient M-2413-70
Era: 1960s
Case Diameter: 37 mm
Lug to Lug: 41 mm
Lug width: 18 mm
Case Condition: Unpolished case with brush finish at the lug of the watch
Dial Condition: The silver sunburst dial with a few dots of aging on the dial.
Crystal: Original Acrylic Crystal from 1970s the special thing is the edge of the crystal have the crystal shape inside which can only be seen on original crystal
Movement: Automatic winding movement (18,000 bph)
Overall Condition: This Orient Auto Weekly Swimmer is in a overall good condition and is surely a watch that you can wear in a casual or more formal occasion. If you are looking for a watch with day-date function, this will be a nice choice!
And of course, it comes with any colour of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Of course you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste. Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.
