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For those of us without deep pockets, Orient watches present an incredible value. With their solid built quality, reliable workhorse movements (in-house, I might add), and often pleasing designs, they are hard to argue against, and they’re often on the short list when people ask us to point them in the direction of affordable and well-built mechanical watches.
One thing that Orient does exceptionally well is dress pieces. The ever-popular Bambino series is a great case in point, as are numerous watches across their Star and Classic collections. Today, we’re going hands-on with a new member to the latter–the Monarch.
Introduced in early Fall 2015, the Monarch is a unique vintage-inspired addition to the Orient family. I say unique because it is one of the few manual winders in the brand’s catalogue. Beyond that, it also features a domed sapphire crystal, a power-reserve indicator, and an exhibition case back–elements not often seen on a watch priced at a MSRP of $335, but even less so in a watch costing $234.50, which is the price after coupon. Let’s take a closer look.
