The Orion Hellcat has been a Watch Clicker staff favorite since its release in 2019 (review here). Everett and I own one, and we’ve exchanged numerous text messages every time we wear it and discuss how great a watch it is. From the thin case to the comfortable bracelet and how legible the dial is, it seems like the perfect modern field watch. That is until Orion decided to celebrate one of their original watches and the Hellcat by releasing a limited run of the Field Standard.
The Orion Field Standard was one of Orion’s first watches, and while Orion has come a long way since its release, it remains a great watch. The Field Standard’s dial has been injected into the watch Everett, and I love so much by using the Hellcat’s case. This review will be shorter than usual, and I encourage you to read my review of the Hellcat to understand more what makes the Field Standard such a good watch.
On the Wrist
You’re missing out if you’ve never had the chance to try on a Hellcat. I won’t rehash everything I said in my review of that watch; instead, I will highlight some of the design of this case that makes it so great. The case is extremely thin at almost 8mm wrist-to-crystal, which makes the Field Standard nearly disappear on the wrist. The curved caseback allows the watch to conform to the wrist, and while a lot of watches claim to conform to your wrist, this is one of the few watches that actually does.
I didn’t have the bracelet available when I reviewed the Hellcat and when I finally got my hands on the bracelet, I didn’t realize what I was missing. The unique bracelet design articulates about the same as a quality oyster-style bracelet. The rounded look the links have complements the case design and adds the flair needed for a contemporary field watch.
Orion Field Standard Specs | |
Case Width 39mm | Lug-to-Lug 47mm |
Case Thickness 10.5mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 100m | Strap Bracelet |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Super-LumiNova BGW9 |
Movement Miyota 9039 | Price $725 |
Dial Details
The original Field Standard perfectly balanced the spartan utility needed for a functional field watch and avoided a dull dial. All the elements of a classic field watch are present: Arabic numerals for the 12 and 24-hour tracks, a legible handset, and an uncluttered dial. Orion kept the text to an absolute minimum with only the word Orion at 12 o’clock.
The Field Standard is dressed up with applied markers flanking the numerals. The small triangle markers add just enough bling to the dial to keep it looking modern without overwhelming the dial with polish. While I love the Hellcat’s dial, these markers are just the right detail that is needed to make this a stunning dial.
Orion is using a proprietary typeface for all text on the dial. They’ve been putting this font on various elements of their watches since they introduced it. It has a subtle aggressiveness but manages to remain approachable and versatile.
Case and Bracelet
I’ve hit on the case and bracelet design above, but there are still a few subtle elements that may not be noticed in photos. The polished bezel is concave and was one of my favorite design elements of the Hellcat. The brushed case highlights the shape of the bezel more than the blasted case on the Hellcat. It is a perfect example of how case finishing can drastically change the look of a watch.
The bracelet design is perfect for this watch. It breaks away from the standard oyster-style bracelets or nylon straps on most field watches. It falls off the watch immediately, thanks to the female endlinks. If I had to make one quibble about the bracelet, it would be that a more aggressive taper would help balance the watch. The watch head is light enough that it doesn’t need a substantial clasp to balance it.
Final Thoughts
Creating a versatile case that can accommodate different dial designs is challenging, and Orion has managed to do that with the Hellcat case. They created a traditional field/pilot watch with the Hellcat, a dress watch with the Tesseract, and now a contemporary field watch with the Field Standard.
Orion released this watch to celebrate its origins and fill a gap in the market for a modern field watch. The Hellcat is my favorite watch from Orion, but after getting my hands on the Field Standard, that may have changed. The Field Standard is also a watch that showcases Orion’s ability to do an iterative design and give us the fresh looks we’re all always after.
Check out more Orion reviews at The Watch Clicker here
Check out the Orion website here
