Orient Star has begun its celebrations of its 65th anniversary with a new M34 F8 automatic watch with a dial made from meteorite.
Priced at £2,800 and limited to 255 examples, the watch will be available later in February.
Japanese watchmaker, Orient Star celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, just a year after its close relative Orient marked the same milestone.
To celebrate three-quarters of a century, you can expect a number of special watches from Orient Star through the rest of 2026 – just as Orient did with its range of celebratory Bambino watches in 2025. Since Orient Star sits above Orient in terms of materials, design, price and exclusivity, these watches should be something extra special.
The first is called the M34 F8 Date Meteorite Dial. Before I get to the exciting bit, some housekeeping for those unfamiliar with Orient Star’s nomenclature. Each of its M watches is linked to a star constellation, and for the M34 it’s the Perseus Star Cluster.
To make that link even stronger, the new watch nods to that cluster’s annual Perseid Meteor Shower – and so that’s where the inspiration for the dial comes from. It’s a real piece of iron-based meteorite, with its unique pattern formed under extreme temperature in outer space before arriving on Earth.
The pattern tells a story of the harsh environment in which it was formed, while also being totally unique – so the dial of each watch will be different, giving owners reason enough to part with its £2,800 price tag. Further aiding that desire is exclusivity, since Orient Star is only producing 255 of these watches, which is a tiny number compared to the company’s normal output.
The rest of the watch is recognisably part of the M34 family, with its 40 mm stainless steel case, simple dial layout with date window at three o’clock and a power reserve dial at 12. Turn it around, and you’ll be greeted by its in-house calibre F8N64 automatic mechanical movement with 22 jewels and 60 hours of power reserve, visible through a sapphire exhibition case back.
A stainless steel bracelet is included, while water resistance is 100 metres. Limited to just 255 examples, the Orient Star M34 F8 Date Meteorite Dial is priced at £2,800 and available to order later this month.
