“Those who so far watched the skeleton designs starry eyed and sighed at the attached six or more figures shall be pleasantly surprised. The new Orient Star Skeletons excite nothing less than their Swiss counterparts. In short, these two are far more beautiful than what you would expect.”
That’s how a co-worker rates it. But a glance at these two and oh my God! Am I tempted! Luxury is about feeling it around; these have plenty to make you do that!
It’s not the hand-winding movement that caught my attention first but its dual-layer dial structure. Precision doesn’t apply only to movement engineering; its exquisitely detailed style a cogent evidence. It makes most of the creatively crafted 48E50 movement clearly visible, from top and from other different angles. Overall, it’s a broader perspective that’s offered by the dial with some aid from the sapphire glass surface above it.
Invariably, your next question will be:”So what’s great about the 48E50?” One is that it comes with these two skeletonized Orient Star models; that’s quite an honor! From technical viewpoints, well it’s hackable manual winding with an old charm and you have to wind it less often than most. The extra 10-hour (50 hours in total) power reserve is impressive, which means you have to wind it once every two days if you are going to wear it regularly. With 23 jewels and a 21,600 bph, this movement is incredibly rich on esthetics. Flip it over to see more decorations in top-end finish. The meticulous craftsmanship easily rivals many fine Swiss pieces.
Overall construction radiates a very elegant aura and the 40mm/9.2mm case is a big reason behind. It’s unique in the sense that it marks its prominence despite its slim form; the high-polish finish plays a large role in it. Next, it’s the exuberant blued hands and the sight of the balance wheel; its back-and-forth bouncing assuring there’s life around even at the dead of the night.
Esthetics without sense is a pain and I have seen that in too many watches. 
Orient is a sensible brand, though it’s better to call the implementation of the unique crown shape brilliant. It makes winding possible without taking it off the wrist.
One thing about transparent casebacks is there’s no midway about it – either you like it or you don’t. I find it matched to the crown, intriguing and unique.
Now, I’m bit inclined towards leather straps for dress watches but if you are into power dressing, go ahead with steel; I’m into relax dressing so leather suits me more. Besides, it will develop scars if you grind calf leather for hours on your laptop’s keypad. That and scratches on a highly polished clasp shall look very odd, at best.
