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Orient RA-AR0012N30B Stretto Automatic Watch - Limited Edition - W29101
Ref. RA-AR0012N30B
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Stepping up in Orient's range
Orient has been making watches since 1950, and this limited edition — one of 2,800 produced worldwide — marks seventy-five years by reaching back to the beginning. The cursive Orient logo on the dial is drawn from the brand's 1950s lettering, and the caseback carries a commemorative engraving alongside each watch's individual serial number, making the anniversary something the owner can actually read rather than merely infer. The open aperture at nine o'clock sits close enough to the small-seconds subdial at six that the two feel composed together, with the orange seconds hand providing the only colour against the grey dial. At 10.9mm, the case is genuinely slim for an automatic with a skeleton complication, and the 48mm lug-to-lug means it will sit within the wrist rather than across it on most people. The F6S22 calibre is made in Japan by Orient's own facility — it hacks and hand-winds, which puts precise time-setting and easy winding within reach in a movement that asks little in return.
- Reference
- RA-AR0012N30B
- Brand
- Orient
- Collection
- Stretto Semi Skeleton
- Case size
- 40.8mm
- Case thickness
- 10.9mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- F6S22
- Functions
- Small seconds, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570), Skeleton Watches (251), Automatic Watches Under £500 (229) and Grey Dial Watches (197).
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
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Orient RA-AR0012N30B Stretto alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | RA-AR0012N30B | NJ0150-56X | 010-02665-00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £309 | £299 | £280 |
| Case size | 40.8mm | 40mm | 40.4mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | — | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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 wristCheapest 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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