One of Japan’s Original Dive Watches from the 1960s Is Back. It’s Not a Seiko
Dive into the past.
Orient Star
Published February 4, 2026
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The iconic Seiko 62MAS, which debuted in 1965, is generally credited as the first Japanese dive watch.
However, there were a handful of watches launched before the 62MAS that, while not quite as robust, generally fit the definition of what we would consider a dive watch thanks to their elevated water-resistance ratings, rotating timing bezels and luminous markers.
Most notable was perhaps Seiko’s own Silverwave, which first arrived in 1961, but Seiko wasn’t the only Japanese brand to create a dive watch in the early ’60s. Orient was also an early adopter of the then-nascent format, launching the Olympia Calendar Diver in 1964.
Now, this pre-62MAS Japanese diver is back in elevated modern form thanks to Orient’s higher-end sub-brand, Orient Star.
Orient Star
When I’m ’64
The original Olympia Calendar Diver is, frankly, a vastly underrated vintage diver. While it lacked the accolades and depth rating of more famous Swiss contemporaries like the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms —its water-resistance rating was just 40m — the watch was nevertheless a serious looker, with an Omega-like broad-arrow handset, symmetrical markings on its coin-edge stainless steel bezel, and faceted lugs and indices.
Orient Star previously recreated the Olympia Calendar Diver back in 2022 with a limited-edition black-dial version that recreated much of the look of the 1964 original —the steel bezel with the same black markings, the broad-arrow handset (with the addition of a lollipop seconds hand) and, best of all, the same case design with no crown guards and those nicely detailed, faceted straight lugs.
The premium brand followed up that reissued diver with another limited-edition version in 2023, this time with a silver dial. Now, Orient Star has again brought back the Olympia Calendar Diver as part of the sub-brand’s 75th-anniversary celebration, and it’s the best-looking version yet.
Orient Star
The new watch, the name of which is the Orient Star M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition F6 Date 200m, keeps the same design as the two previous versions.
That means everything good was carried over, along with what I would consider a couple of questionable changes: Losing the fancy, faceted applied indices at 12, 6 and 9 for standardized applied rectangles, and adding a power-reserve indicator under 12:00. I know the latter is an Orient Star signature, but I feel like their watches would almost always look better without it.
The only real change is the dial color, which, for the first time, has been given a gradient treatment. Blue-gray in the center and transitioning to black at the edges, the new dial is inspired by the ocean reflecting the night sky, and it looks quite attractive, adding a contemporary edge to an otherwise very vintage-styled diver.
Orient Star
The other upgrades to the watch remain unchanged from the previous reissues: upgraded lume, including an added luminescent pearl to the bezel, a domed sapphire crystal with inner AR coating, a screw-down crown and caseback, a modernized automatic movement in the Orient Caliber F6N47 and, perhaps most importantly, a much-improved 200m water-resistance rating and compliance with the ISO 6425 standard for diver’s watches.
Availability and pricing
Like the two previous reissues of the Olympia Calendar Diver, Orient Star has limited production of the new Orient Star M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition F6 Date 200m. In this case, the watch is limited to just 700 pieces. That number falls exactly in between the 500 units produced of the original black version and the 900 pieces made of the silver sequel.
The watch is sold on a jubilee-style bracelet that lacks the stylized faceted links found on the ’60s bracelet, but it’s still a nice aesthetic match for the diver. Pricing information for the new version is not yet available, but should be live by the time the watch launches at Orient Star dealers in March.
Orient Star M42 Diver 1964 1st Edition F6 Date 200m
Specs
Case Size 41mm
Movement Orient Cal. F6N47 automatic
Water Resistance 200m
About the Author:
Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.
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