I don't usually like skeletons
By Kenji Watanabe, Osaka ยท
Skeleton dials often look busy and cheap to me, like a machine with its clothes taken off for no reason. The Orient Star Skeleton Classic is one of the few I enjoy.
It shows the F8B63 movement through a silver open dial, with a power reserve indicator and 50 hours of reserve. The case is 39.3 by 11.9 mm, which is a good size, with sapphire crystal and an open caseback, on a leather strap. 30 m water resistance.
The finishing is not Grand Seiko, of course, but for 600 to 750 dollars it is tidy and well considered. Orient Star is the premium line of Orient, now under Seiko Epson, and it is often overlooked outside Japan.
The obvious drawback: it is harder to read the time than on a plain dial, especially on a cloudy day. Not a watch for people who want legibility first. For people who like to look at their movement during a slow meeting, very nice.