The 40N5A inside the Beast

Sounds pretty sci-fi, eh? Some biotech blunder behind the scene…no wait, things are really not that violent. Lots been asking lately on their newfound interest on pro-grade diver watches stripped off all sorts of bells and whistles – the minimalist thing – and the queries are too many to answer separately. A general layout is less troublesome and hopefully, answers all.

With that said, the M-FORCE sensation is going a bit hyper recently after someone discovered the caliber 40N5A made way into the best ones. The new Orient fans are running at it. much like older fans who behaved almost the same way before. I don’t know if there’s something alluring in the name so philosophizing on the caliber’s mechanism seems to be an easier task. Abstract is endless; material is not.

Coming back to the name M-FORCE (or mechanical force), Orient succeeded in putting a great deal of forcefulness into these by multiplying their initial models’ several folds. It took 9 years for them to bring it to this point and the newer releases hold strongly to the concept of their predecessors. Get it if you want a smart and rugged watch, not just a smart and rugged design. The icing on this cake are the essential functions; that you choose as they tickle your fancy.

The highly coveted Orient M-force, IMHO, other than the Pro-Saturation Diver, is the Air Diver. A part of the rich M-Force heritage, it has an excellent readability and lume, even on the power-reserve indicator. The legibility of the bezel is enhanced with its stark black-and-white contrast and the whole thing makes its presence felt on the wrist but not in an obtrusive way. Three ISO certifications (water resistance, shock resistance and anti-magnetism) say a lot about it. This is also one of the few Orient watches that can be hand wound and hacked and offers a lot offor flexibility and comfort.

Now to the movement; the cryptic sequence that got you irked at first or maybe, now. Whatever, the movement running the Orient M-Force Automatic Air Diver got 22-jewels inside, beating at 21,600 bph. It’s plus points are:

• It’s produced in-house, so perfectly Japanese and not belonging to elsewhere.
• Human intervention is a large part of the making of the Orient movements.
• Orient watches house only Orient movements; no stock movements like many of the Swiss-makes.
• The 40N5A scores high on efficiency.

A defining point about this movement is its near instantaneous start from a dead stop. It’s the magic-lever design responsible; it transfers kinetic energy to the main springs as soon as the rotor swings, without any lag in between. This is definitely trumping over the Swiss ETA e.g. 2824.

Make it your rough use, everyday watch. Don’t baby it; that won’t suit. I mean it.