Watchmaking in Japan


Watchmaking in Japan

Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

Español

Press release
October 2020


Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

Orient is bringing back its popular M-Force model, a much-loved member of the Orient Sports Collection. The first four models of the new third generation series will be ISO-standard divers’ watches plus one limited-edition to commemorate Orient’s 70th anniversary this year. The new M-Force retains many of the same features of earlier generations, while introducing the latest industrial design trends.

T

he tough and functional M-Force adventure watch has captured the hearts of fans worldwide, from its first-generation series (1997–2002) to the second-generation series (2011–2015).

The “M” of M-Force stands for 3 things:
- Mechanical - a watch that keeps time without batteries or solar power.
- Massive - a durable watch equipped with shock-resistant exterior and internal structures.
- Maverick - for its original design that is both refined and daringly different.

Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

The new M-Force models are ISO-standard air divers’ 200-m watches that pursue the functionality expected of a true adventure watch, featuring the modified in-house caliber F6727. They also include a large screw-down crown at the 3 o’clock position and uni-directional rotating bezel. New for these models is a striking case protection shield with a powerful round form, protecting the screw-down crown and the bezel from external pressure or shock.

Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

The tough uni-directional rotating bezel is black, like the protection shield, and is engraved with new numeric fonts re-designed to match the new M-Force logo. The dial, seen through sapphire crystal glass with an anti-reflective coating, has embossed indices for a three-dimensional look, coated with strong Luminous Light to ensure excellent visibility, an essential feature of any diver’s watch. Also new is the metal bracelet. Its solid and sturdy end links tightly connect to the powerful shaped lugs to integrate seamlessly with the case. The links are arranged at shorter pitch for additional comfort.

Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

There will be four regular models in the new modern designed M-Force lineup. In addition to the basic black dial, it is also available in renowned Orient colours such as red, green gradation, as well as matte black unifying the case, protection shield, and dial. A limited-edition, 70th Anniversary commemorative model of just 1,600 pieces with a gold gradation dial completes the current M-Force line up. The gold gradation dial takes its inspiration from the Orient Jaguar Focus model which gained numerous fans back in the 1970s. It combines a bronze colour case and protection shield to provide a vintage element to the newest M-Force.

EXPLORE ALL OUR EDITIONS SINCE THE 1930s ONLINE Orient revives the M-Force Sports collection

WATCH FILES
Watchmaking in Japan  

The essence of Citizen in 100 watches

October 2024
A series of exhibitions has been taking place around the world to commemorate the centenary of the first model to bear the Citizen name. The last one, (...)

Tokyoflash Museum

GALLERY

July 2024
Tokyoflash was established in 2000 in Tokyo by Brent Car, CEO. Tokyoflash designers use the company blog to interact with their market audiences by (...)

控えめ “humble” in Japanese

GUEST COLUMN

July 2024
I am thinking to myself, why on earth did Serge ask us to write for Europa Star on a regular basis? We at heist-out are the self-proclaimed “outcasts” of (...)

When Japan inspires Swiss watches

GALLERY

July 2024
Urushi combination techniques, enamel miniaturisations of heritage artworks, architectural theory, comic influences, origami, engraving and motifs from (...)

Urushi: rise and shine

July 2024
For 9,000 years, the durable urushi lacquer – a natural sap from the urushi tree – has been used in Japan. It is an exquisite and challenging material that (...)

Otsuka Lotec: a retro touch

July 2024
With 1950s engineering design cues, Jiro Katayama and his Otsuka Lotec brand, which makes around 180 pieces per year, have recently started receiving (...)

Hajime Asaoka: a multifaceted contribution to Japanese watchmaking

July 2024
Hajime Asaoka is arguably the most famous among the growing number of independent Japanese watchmakers. Alongside an extremely individual and subjective (...)

Japanese ephemeral papers

July 2024
In Japan, it is often said that the packaging is more important than what’s inside. In a gift – or simply with the food one brings home from the market – (...)

Daizoh Makihara: horological delicacies

July 2024
This former cook made a radical career change in the mid 2000s. In a process that is the horological equivalent of slow cooking, he makes one watch per (...)

Knot: the Japanese champion of customisation

July 2024
Knot watches range from solar- and quartz-powered fashion-oriented models to premium automatic timepieces incorporating Japanese artisanship, including (...)

Masahiro Kikuno: time is anything but linear

July 2024
Masahiro Kikuno made his mark on the horological map with the Wadokei, back in 2011. Since then, he has produced no more than one or two watches a year, (...)

Minase: windows on rare crafts

July 2024
The growing Japanese brand specialises in unique case-in-case designs, Sallaz polishing and the inclusion of artisanal crafts.

Casio: calculating time

July 2024
Exactly 50 years ago, in 1974, Casio, the leading name in calculators, launched the Casiotron – a completely novel concept of time measurement not as gears (...)

Citizen: en route for the next 100 years

July 2024
In 1924 the Shokosha Institute brought out its first entirely Japanese-made pocket watch and named it Citizen. A century later, Citizen is a heavyweight in (...)

Iconic japanese calibres

July 2024
Our thanks to Hirota Masayuki (Chronos Japan) for this selection.

Credor: 50 years of understated sophistication

July 2024
Founded in 1974, Credor is both the most understated and the most sophisticated brand in the Seiko galaxy.

Grand Seiko Dô: the way of precision and elegance

July 2024
Travellers to Japan in the 2000s discovered that Seiko offered a collection of beautifully made, fine quality mechanical watches. This range, named Grand (...)

100 years of the Seiko wristwatch

July 2024
A century ago saw the first wristwatch bearing the Seiko name on the dial – the start of a new endeavour that would change the global horological landscape. (...)

“Japanese brands have all come to the same conclusion: move upmarket”

June 2024
Hirota Masayuki has been the face of Chronos Japan magazine for two decades. He is also one of Japan’s leading watch market specialists. We asked him about (...)

A year of symbols for Japan

EDITORIAL

June 2024
An interesting development, perhaps even a major shift, is taking place in Japanese watchmaking. The Japanese watch industry has long set itself up to be (...)

Naoya Hida: Japan’s handcrafted watches for vintage lovers

February 2024
Naoya Hida, a Japanese watch sales professional for several decades, was able to develop a hobby brand into a solid brand and a full-time profession. Since (...)

Orient Star is rising

February 2024
Orient Star denotes the top range of mechanical watches from Orient, a watchmaker with a history dating back to 1901 but fully integrated into the Seiko (...)

Miyota: from movement-maker to brand name

October 2023
Miyota is on a mission to convince the global mid-range segment of the virtues and importance of mechanical calibres. In other words, to put the movement (...)

Watch Q&A with... Akio Naito – Seiko, Grand Seiko

June 2023
“A unique sense of beauty rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics – sublime, yet understated and restrained”

Grand Seiko unveils its first mechanical complication

April 2022
Grand Seiko’s new Constant-Force Tourbillon Kodo combines a constant-force mechanism and a tourbillon as one unit on a single (...)

King Seiko: a 1965 classic is re-born!

December 2020
Never before in the company’s history had there been a period of such creativity and achievement. From the first Grand Seiko in 1960 to the automatic (...)

Citizen Super TitaniumTM

WHEN INNOVATION MEANS MATERIALS

October 2020
As illustrated on the cover of the lastest edition of Europa Star, in 2020 Citizen is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the first titanium (...)

Grand Seiko’s new addition to the 60th anniversary collection

October 2020
The revolutionary automatic caliber 9SA5 and a powerful new look are completing the Japanese brand’s celebration. Discover the three innovations that set (...)

Grand Seiko’s chronometric quest

INNOVATION AS A CONSTANT FORCE

October 2020
To widespread surprise, in September Grand Seiko presented a wholly unprecedented concept movement, the T0 (T-Zero) Constant-force Tourbillon. Its (...)

Grand Seiko’s special relationship with nature

September 2020
The brilliant blue sky over Mt. Iwate at dawn that greets the watchmakers and technicians of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi inspires a new limited (...)

Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series

September 2020
Sharp, angular and refined: a new Presage series features a Japanese Asanoha or hemp leaf pattern, familiar in Japanese culture for its use in design since (...)

Seiko Prospex LX line Limited Edition

August 2020
The LX line was introduced in 2019 from the Prospex collection as the pinnacle of Seiko sports watches. The line’s name, LX, hints at the Latin word for (...)

The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi opens its doors

July 2020
A new chapter in the 60-year history of Grand Seiko opens with the inauguration of an entirely new studio dedicated to the production of Grand Seiko’s (...)

Grand Seiko celebrates its 60th Anniversary

BRAND FOCUS

July 2020
This year, Grand Seiko is celebrating 60 years of existence. Called “kanreki”, this anniversary is especially important in the Japanese culture. To mark the (...)

Citizen: the titan of titanium

COVER STORY

July 2020
Exactly fifty years ago, in the golden age of the Apollo missions, Japanese brand Citizen introduced a new material into watchmaking that had hitherto been (...)
Europa Star

Citizen sets its sights on the moon

SPACE

August 2019
The world’s first commercial lunar exploration program, HAKUTO-R, will be equipped with Citizen’s Super Titanium™ on components used in the lunar lander and (...)

A history of sports timekeeping

1964: A TURNING POINT FOR SEIKO

August 2019
The Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964 changed Seiko for ever. That edition, the first ‘technological’ Olympics, brought the Japanese company into the (...)

Seiko: “We want to go beyond functionality”

JAPANESE BRANDS

August 2019
How to convey not only the functional aspect of Seiko’s and Grand Seiko’s collections, but also the Japanese sense of beauty found in these timepieces? An (...)

The secret calendars of Japanese prints

HISTORY

July 2019
To circumvent the state monopoly on calendars, ingenious Japanese craftsmen designed prints that revealed – to initiates only – the alternation of short and (...)

Visiting Seiko Dream Square in Tokyo

CONCEPT STORES

July 2019
Last December, Seiko inaugurated this space, which differs greatly from a traditional boutique. Rather than simply displaying watches, the Japanese giant (...)

In the world’s largest movement factory

REPORT

July 2019
A quartz calibre is produced every second at the Saku factory operated by Miyota. The Citizen Group’s movement manufacturer equips a plethora of entry-level (...)

Orient: the watch brand of Epson

JAPANESE BRANDS

July 2019
Orient, which specialises in automatic watches, wants to take advantage of Epson’s global infrastructure to make itself better known (...)

Minase: Japan’s best-kept horological secret

REPORT

July 2019
Minase is a good example of how technological innovation in Japan can also be an ode to nature. We paid a visit to this family company in Akita, in the (...)

Visiting Tissot’s new boutique in Tokyo

CONCEPT STORES

July 2019
This year, the Swiss brand opened a new boutique in the Daikanyama district, which is popular with designers and has many art galleries, bookstores and (...)

Casio: “We must do better in the metal analogue watch”

JAPANESE BRANDS

July 2019
The first generation of G-Shock used plastics, the second one incorporated metal, and the new one is made of carbon. Simultaneously, the brand intends to (...)

Citizen: “Reaping the benefits of our acquisitions”

JAPANESE BRANDS

July 2019
The Japanese giant is active on a number of fronts: developing record accuracy with the Caliber 0100, moving towards the connected world with the Eco-Drive (...)

Japanese watchmaking wants to change its image

ANALYSIS

July 2019
Seiko, Citizen and Casio now offer models at prices that were unthinkable a few years ago. Japanese companies intend to move from a highly technological (...)

Master of the swords

PORTRAIT

July 2019
Swordsmith Sadanobu Gassan works with Casio to craft watches for a dedicated MR-G line. The heir to six generations of artisans, he explains how he works (...)

The enigma of Japanese youth

ANALYSIS

July 2019
Japanese people aged 20 to 40 are much less into luxury than their parents, who experienced the country’s industrial boom. They prefer to save for their (...)
Europa Star

A new era for Japanese watchmaking?

EDITORIAL

July 2019
As demand for Japanese quartz movements continues to fall, due to declining interest in the fashion watch, and as the arrival of the smartwatch causes (...)

An introduction to the latest King Seiko

Minase introduces the Uruga Collection

New Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronographs

ABOUT JAPANESE WATCHMAKERS

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube

The Europa Star Newsletter

© 2024 EUROPA STAR - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.