Description
ORIENT vintage mechanical watch
MADE IN JAPAN
“Orient” (オリエント) draws its name from the Latin word “Oriens,” meaning “the East” or “the rising sun.”
The name reflects the company’s Japanese origins and its aspiration to bring the finest Eastern craftsmanship to the world stage.
Founded in 1950 as Tama Keiki Company in Tokyo and renamed Orient Watch Company (オリエント時計株式会社) in April 1951, the brand grew into Japan’s third-largest watchmaker alongside Seiko and Citizen. Orient distinguished itself with innovative in-house automatic movements, bold designs, and exceptional value — building every caliber in its own factory rather than relying on outside suppliers.
The brand name literally connects to the idea of Eastern excellence — a fitting identity for a company whose mechanical watches have earned devoted collectors worldwide.
About the Weekly Auto AAA Line
The Weekly Auto Orient AAA was Orient’s day-date dress watch of the mid-1960s. “AAA” was the top of Orient’s own grading scale, marked by the three stars printed on the dial below the day window.
The Weekly Auto line borrowed its look from Rolex: a fluted coin-edge bezel and a beveled, framed date window at 3 o’clock, with the day display — here rendered in Japanese kanji — set at 6 o’clock rather than the Rolex Day-Date’s 12 o’clock position. The “Swimmer” sub-designation indicated 40-meter water resistance with a screw-notched case-back, making these watches practical for daily wear despite their dressy appearance.
Powered by Orient’s own 21-jewel automatic caliber, the Weekly Auto AAA offered the quick-set date function via a push button at 2 o’clock — a convenience feature that was far from standard in the era. Production ran through the mid-to-late 1960s.
About This Watch
This Orient Weekly Auto AAA Swimmer (case-back no. 0104913) is a stainless steel day-date automatic from the mid-1960s. The silver sunburst dial carries applied faceted baton markers, slim blackened baton hands, and the three-star AAA marking below the kanji day window. “SWIMMER” is printed in blue with “21 JEWELS” in black beneath it, left of centre, and the Orient lion crest sits at 12 o’clock.
The watch is fitted with a vintage stainless steel expansion bracelet, and the fluted coin-edge bezel remains sharp and well-defined. The notched case-back is engraved “WATERPROOF · STAINLESS STEEL · ANTISHOCK” around case number 0104913; the raised emblem at its centre is worn too smooth to read.
Inside, the Orient 21-jewel automatic movement features a signed rotor reading “21 JEWELS / ORIENT AUTOMATIC” and has been recently serviced by a professional watchmaker.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Orient
- Line: Weekly Auto AAA Swimmer
- Case-back Number: 0104913
- Movement: Orient automatic, 21 jewels
- Production Date: Mid-1960s
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: ~38mm (without crown)
- Dial: Silver sunburst with applied indices, day-date
- Crystal: Acrylic crystal
- Bezel: Fluted coin-edge, stainless steel
- Case-back: Notched steel, engraved “WATERPROOF · STAINLESS STEEL · ANTISHOCK”, central emblem worn smooth
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
The silver sunburst dial is in good vintage condition with light patina consistent with its age — all printing remains legible and the applied indices are intact. The fluted bezel shows normal wear but retains its definition. The stainless steel case has typical light scratches from decades of use but no deep gouges or dents. The crown operates smoothly with the date quick-set push button at 2 o’clock functioning properly. The vintage stainless steel expansion bracelet shows honest wear with some stretch but remains fully functional; it is unsigned, not an original Orient bracelet. The crystal has some light surface marks.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with vintage steel bracelet*.
(*)Note: Stock bracelets are often shortened by previous owners and may not fit you(see bracelet size in the product images). We match the strap to this watch’s lug width, so there is nothing for you to measure — just pick a padded leather strap for Orient from the options at the top of the page.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦 Ukraine with tracking number
Why Collectors Want This Watch Today
The Orient Weekly Auto AAA Swimmer occupies a unique niche in vintage Japanese watchmaking. While Seiko’s day-date models from the same era — the Seikomatic Weekdater and Business-A — are well known to collectors, the Orient Weekly Auto AAA remains less widely recognized despite offering comparable quality and its own in-house movement. The Datejust-inspired fluted bezel design gives it immediate wrist presence, and the Japanese kanji day wheel adds a distinctly Eastern character that resonates with collectors who appreciate watches that wear their heritage openly.
Orient built these in quantity and they are not rare; what separates a good example from a tired one is a clean dial and a date pusher that still works. For collectors drawn to the golden era of Japanese mechanical watchmaking, the Weekly Auto AAA Swimmer represents genuine craftsmanship at a fraction of what comparable Swiss day-date watches command.
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We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.
Lug width matched leather straps: 18mm - 19mm - 20mm
About the watch factory
Orient Watch Company (オリエント時計株式会社, Oriento Tokei kabushiki gaisha), commonly known as Orient, is a Japanese watchmaker founded in 1950 in Tokyo. Orient became Japan’s third-largest watch manufacturer, alongside Seiko and Citizen, and earned a reputation for producing high-quality mechanical watches with in-house movements at accessible prices.
Orient’s greatest distinction in the watch industry has been its commitment to manufacturing its own movements entirely in-house — a practice shared by very few watchmakers worldwide. From the beginning, Orient designed, produced, and assembled every caliber in its own factory, giving the brand complete control over quality and innovation.
Throughout the decades, Orient produced iconic lines including the Weekly Auto (day-date dress watches), King Diver (robust sports watches), Orient Star (premium mechanical pieces), and the modern Kamasu and Bambino series that have introduced a new generation to mechanical watchmaking. The brand’s vintage pieces from the 1960s and 1970s — particularly the AAA-graded models — are increasingly prized by collectors for their distinctive designs, reliable movements, and the sheer quality they delivered at their price point.
In 2009, Orient became a subsidiary of the Seiko Epson Corporation, though it continues to operate as a distinct brand with its own identity and movement production. Today, Orient watches are sold worldwide and remain one of the best values in mechanical watchmaking.
