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Orient RA-AR0008E30B Contemporary Automatic Bracelet Watch - W2968
Ref. RA-AR0008E30B
Sits in Orient’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Orient watches we list, which start at £185.
Price range £185 to £440 across 38 Orient watches in stock.Orient has been making its own movements in Japan for decades, and the F6S22 sits at the dependable core of that output — hand-windable, hacking, 24 jewels, running at a pace that prioritises longevity over spectacle. It is not the movement you buy to impress; it is the one you buy because it will still be running correctly in fifteen years. The open-heart aperture at nine o'clock puts the balance wheel on view against a deep green dial, with the small seconds running separately at six — two complications that give the face a layered quality without crowding it. At 10.9mm the case is slender enough to pass under a shirt cuff, and the 48mm lug-to-lug keeps it from riding too high on a medium wrist. The exhibition caseback extends the view through to the full movement, so the watch reads differently depending on which side you are looking at.
- Reference
- RA-AR0008E30B
- Brand
- Orient
- Collection
- Contemporary
- Case size
- 40.8mm
- Case thickness
- 10.9mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- F6S22
- Functions
- Small seconds, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48mm
- Power reserve
- 40 hours
Learn more about Orient
Orient began in 1950 as Tama Keiki, successor to a Tokyo watch business Shogoro Yoshida had started in 1901. It became Orient Watch Company the following year and set out to do something few companies attempt: build complete mechanical movements in-house, at prices aimed at ordinary buyers.
That is still the point of the brand. Orient designs and manufactures its own calibres rather than buying Swiss ébauches, which is why an Orient automatic can cost less than a quartz watch from a fashion label while containing a movement the company made itself.
The Bambino made the case to a wider audience — a domed-crystal dress automatic at a price that embarrassed a lot of more expensive watches — and the Kamasu and Mako divers did the same for tool watches.
Orient Star sits above the main line, with higher finishing, power-reserve indicators and in-house calibres of greater complexity.
The company became a subsidiary of Seiko Epson in 2009 and remains one, which gives it manufacturing depth while leaving the identity distinct from Seiko's own.
- 1901
- Shogoro Yoshida opens a watch business in Tokyo.
- 1950
- The company is refounded as Tama Keiki.
- 1951
- Renamed Orient Watch Company.
- 1964
- Orient Star establishes the upper collection.
- 2009
- Becomes a subsidiary of Seiko Epson.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Orient Contemporary range (14), Back in Stock (4,683), Stainless Steel Watches (3,109), Automatic Watches (1,756), Green Dial Watches (415), Automatic Watches Under £500 (324) and Skeleton Watches (307).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 48mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40.8mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Orient's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Orient RA-AR0008E30B Contemporary alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | RA-AR0008E30B | SRPB41J1 | 98A291 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £365 | £370 | £359 |
| Case size | 40.8mm | 40.5mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Ceramic bracelet |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 41 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 48mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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