The M-Force series has been a hallmark of Orient’s heritage since 1997. Short for “mechanical force”, the line has always been associated with ruggedness. These watches were meant to be tossed around and time after time they would still be ticking. Aside from a robust build, the M-Force was also recognized for its complicated movements. While other “tough” watches had just a date feature, (or no date at all), the M-Force usually featured a power reserve indicator, with a weekly calendar on the EX01 in ’97 and a World Time GMT in 2000.

In 2011, Orient unveiled the M-Force EL03 line, which paved the way for the M-Force watches that have been released since then. You see, the M-Force EL03 was the first M-Force to be ISO certified. It also featured a self-winding, hand winding and hacking movement. The 2011 M-Force was also the first to possess Orient’s own special structure, which ensured shock resistance, water resistance and antimagnetic properties. This made it compliant with ISO standards 764 (for antimagnetic watches), ISO 6425 (water resistance) and ISO 1413 (for shock-resistance). The M-Force EL03 also featured a stainless steel, 120 click unidirectional bezel, a screwed down crown, lumed hour indexes, three lumed hands and 200m water resistance. The power reserve indicator was uniquely placed at the two o’clock position and the date at nine o’clock. What’s more is that it is offered in three distinct colors: Black (SEL03001B0), Blue (SEL03001D0), and Orange (SEL03002M0). Let’s get to the size: A watch with such a complex structure is going to have to be big. At 46mm across and 13.3mm thick, the M-Force is fairly large. But at this size, and considering the build quality of the M-Force, you know it can take a beating day in and day out and still run just fine.

The 2011 M-Force is priced at $715, but can be had for about $500 with code ‘summer2013’.

[gallery ids="2560,2561,2564,2559,2563,2566,2562,2565"]