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The Orient M-Force is quite a niche watch, yet popular amongst die-hard Orient fans. First released in 1997, the M-Force has had quite a few releases, followed by being shelved and then re-released at a later date. M-Force is shorthand for “mechanical force”. M-Force watches are typically higher-end Orient ISO certified dive watches made with a variety of different color dials using either steel or titanium for the case material.
Overall, there have been 3 series of M-Force watches. It can be quite difficult to get your hands on specific older models since each batch was only produced for a limited amount of time. For example, you’re unlikely to be able to find the second generation Orient M-Force in orange, since this was a very popular model when released. It’s possible that you can pick it up second hand on the grey market, however, you may find yourself paying over list price for this watch since it sold out very fast and there aren’t too many out there for sale right now.
As for the most recent batch of M-Force, these were released in 2020 and are referred to as the Orient M-Force 70th anniversary edition.
The 3 series release years are:
Orient M-Force 1st Generation (1997-2001)
Orient M-Force 2nd Generation (2011-2015)
Orient M-Force 3rd Generation (2020)
Table of Contents
Orient M Force 1st Generation
The Orient M-Force 1st generation watch comes in two different styles and is often referred to as the M-Force Beast. The first is the titanium model pictured above which is a pretty standard ISO standard divers watch that is submersible up to 200m.
Another variation of the M-Force beast is the slightly more popular stainless steel model which features a left-handed-sided crown as well as a power reserve indicator in the lower part of the dial.
Both styles feature an indented bezel that pops upwards for each 10 minute marker. The case size is 46mm and the thickness is 13mm, which makes the watch quite large, but as this is now 20 years old, not too large by modern-day standards.
The beast is made in Japan and uses a 40N5A 22 jewel movement (which has approximately a 40-hour power reserve). This coincidentally is the exact same movement used in the uber-popular Orient saturation diver.
One point worth noting is that the bracelet has an unusual 23mm width. This size is tricky to replace with another stainless steel bracelet as they typically are made in both 22 and 24mm widths. Annoyingly this sits in the middle of both of these ranges.
Secondly, you will have a hard time finding a new/old stock version of this watch. It’s not impossible, but you may have to scour eBay for a few hours to find exactly what you want.
Orient M Force 2nd Generation
The second generation of M-Force is not too dissimilar from the first. There are a few alterations to the overall structure of the watch, as well as the dials being made available in various different colors.
To start with the moderations, the minute hand has been made different colors which is a useful feature if you’re actually going to use this for diving. The hour hand barely has any practicality at all whilst underwater, so it is a good thing to be able to immediately differentiate between the two.
The bezel of the watch has also been adjusted and is smooth the entire way around. Depending on the model, some of the bezels are colored for the first 20 minutes, whereas others are plain white.
Two of the variations within the M-Force 2nd generation are the M-Force Delta and the M-Force Bravo. The Bravo is available in black, blue and orange (although good luck finding it). Whereas the delta comes in red, black or blue. The good news is that you’re still able to find 2nd gen M-Forces all over the internet (specifically Amazon) as they weren’t popular enough to sell out everywhere.
If you ever wish to resize the bracelet on a 2nd generation version of the M-Force, please be aware that it uses pins and collars to hold the links together. This is something you should be aware of before attempting any repinning, as collars can be very easy to lose.
Orient M Force 3rd Generation (Newest)
As you can see, the 3rd generation of M-Force has evolved quite considerably. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that this model was a chronograph by simply looking at the case, but these are in fact giant crown guards.
You will often hear this model referred to as “acol” or “AC0L”. This is because it’s much more of a mouthful to say Orient 70th Anniversary edition than simply Orient M-Force Ac0l.
The newer models have been upgraded with a new F6727 movement which just makes the watch even better value for money than it was already. The 40 hour power reserve has been kept, although for some reason the gauge on the front of the dial has been dropped for a more simple look.
There are 4 different dial colors as well as the special edition model (pictured). These are red, black and blue as well as an alternative darker dial with a silicon strap.
Once again, although the M-Force is popular with enthusiasts, it has never really caught on with the general public, which is likely why it was discontinued twice already. As a result of this, The 2020 edition of the M-Force can be purchased for well under list price. This may change as the stock begins to run out.
