A Guide of Orient Watches
Welcome to another one of our many buyer’s guides. In these guides, you’ll find comprehensive, easy to digest reviews and histories of your favourite brands, and even those you may not know much about. For this one, we’re looking at a brand that is known by many enthusiasts around but is still a bit of an unknown to the general public--today we’re taking a look at Orient watches.
Orient’s catalogue is massive, with a wide global reach and an unrivalled diversity, their watches occupy almost every price point. From the reliable and dependable tool watches that you can get for a hundred dollars at your local retailer, to some housing properly impressive complications worth several thousands, it suffices to say there’s an Orient out there for everyone. Some of the tastiest Orients sit smack in the middle, particularly the ones that offer the most bang for your buck, specifically, the Orient Mako (sports/dive watch) line, the Orient Star (complication/dress) line, Bambino (affordable/dressy) and the Defender (field watch) line.
Despite Orient’s diversity, there are still a few foundational qualities and factors that tie all of their watches together.
Value
Whether you’re looking to spend a few hundred dollars or willing to drop a few Gs on a much more complex and artsy piece, you can expect an immaculate level of fit, finish and thought that far surpasses the price you’ve paid for.
Quality
There’s no getting around the fact that you’re paying for a proper high-quality watch when you’re buying an Orient. Even their entry-level pieces will typically outlast and outperform their competitors in the same price range.
In-house manufacture movements
From top to bottom, Orient manufactures and develops all of their movements in house. Granted, telling people that your sub $500 wristwatch has an in-house movement might make you look a little silly, but the truth’s the truth.
Credibility
Orient’s credibility as a proper watchmaker is undisputed, if you’re at a horological event with an Orient Star, even the snobbiest would acknowledge the value and craftsmanship of your timepiece.
Drop by a diving spot with a Mako or Kamasu diver and you’d certainly get an approving nod from your fellow divers, or just flash a refined and budget-friendly Bambino at mom and she’ll likely approve of your frugality and good taste.
Today we’ll be looking at Orient watches from all price ranges. From the affordable everyday Bambinos and Defenders to the entry level luxury Stars, and we’re giving you the insight on what’s the best (in our opinion, of course) watch to get from the range. Right now, with that out of the way, let’s get started, shall we?
ORIENT SPORT KAMASU MAKO III MEN’S WATCH RA-AA0004E19B
Ask any enthusiast what the best value Japanese dive watch is and more often than not, you’ll hear a resounding “Seiko Prospex”. While this reputation is well earned on Seiko’s part, sometimes its nice to have something that’s a bit more interesting and isn’t in the norm.
Enter the Orient Kamasu, with a hacking and hand-winding movement, 200 meters of water resistance, a screw-down crown, and a sapphire crystal, the Orient Kamasu is a killer value proposition that has all of the specifications many hoped for in Seiko’s entry level Prospex line.
The Kamasu has essentially the same case as Orient’s popular Ray II model. A crowd-pleasing middle of the road size, this affordable dive watch is going to be right at home on a wide range of wrists. While there is nothing too fancy about the case finishing, it is well executed with a combination of brushed surfaces on the top and high polish surfaces on the sides. The lugs curve down gently which helps with the overall comfort of the watch on the wrist. The crystal is a flat sapphire, and this is where the value over Seiko really starts to shine. You won’t find a sapphire crystal in any Seiko diver at this price.
The dial of the Orient Kamasu is amazing. A stunning oceanic blue that reveals an aquatic sunburst in direct light. The applied indices seem to float above the dial, in part due to the lack of a chapter ring. The handset is nicely legible too, with a very long minute and second hand that reach all the way out to the dashed minute markings. The lume on this watch can go toe to toe with any performance diver out there. Not only is it flashlight bright, it is also exceptionally responsive. Powering the watch is an Orient automatic movement, caliber F6922, with 40 hours of power-reserve, hacking and hand-winding too. While this may be a new movement, I have no doubts that it’ll be as reliable as any movements made in Japan.
I think the Orient Kamasu is one of the best dive watches you can buy for the price. It is an absolute spec monster for its price bracket. You will be hard pressed to find another dive watch with a sapphire crystal, an in-house hacking and hand-winding movement, a screw down crown, 200 meters water resistance, killer lume, and a bracelet as good as this too.
ORIENT AUTOMATIC POWER RESERVE RETROGRADE ROSE GOLD MEN’S WATCH SDE00003B0
If you’re looking for a versatile yet stylish timepiece with a classic design and at an affordable price, the Orient Star Retrograde may be your best choice. Orient is especially known for making stylish, dressy, and versatile automatic timepieces, and that is exactly what this watch offers.
In terms of price, the Orient Star collection is priced higher than most other Orient watches. In fact, some Orient Star watches are priced at more than 1000 dollars, which is not what most people associate Orient with. But looking at this watch in detail will reveal why it is priced higher than most other Orient watches because the improvements in quality and finishing are really evident.
This watch is presented with a stainless-steel case with a diameter of 39.5mm and a thickness of 14.25mm. This is a relatively classic and reasonable size that should fit many different men’s wrists. On top of the case sits a sapphire crystal which has an anti-reflective coating on the inside to prevent glare and help give better legibility in bright conditions.
The dial is certainly the highlight of this watch, which Orient proves with its case design. The dial has beautiful, applied metal hour markers with a polished finish with a rounded rectangular design. The hands have a beautiful dauphine shape and a polished finish which gives a classic and traditional appearance. The dial features three key functions, which are a power reserve, a date indicator, and a day indicator. At 12 o’clock, we find the power-reserve, at 9 o’clock, we find the date indicator, and at 6 o’clock, we find the retrograde day indicator. A nice detail is that all of these are recessed, which provides depth to the dial and gives a greater impression of attention to detail.
Powering this watch is an in-house automatic caliber, namely the Orient caliber 40A50. This movement has a power reserve of 40 hours, a power reserve indicator, pointer date and retrograde day functions too.
All in all, the Orient Star Retrograde is a watch that offers great value for money. Yes, this watch is much more expensive than most other Orient watches, and higher-priced than you expect an Orient to be. But it’s great to see that this increase in price is well-reflected in the quality and the finishing of this timepiece.
ORIENT AUTOMATIC 22 JEWEL SILVER STAINLESS STEEL BRACELET MEN’S WATCH RA-AA0B01G19B
The SK Automatic diver’s reissue is undoubtedly one of Orient’s most polarizing designs to date, looking unlike any dive watch out there. A bold asymmetrical stainless-steel case, with an unconventional polished silver finishing and a stunning dark champagne gradient dial with golden applied markers, hands and an internal rotating bezel too. The watch features an integrated bracelet too, perfectly matching the vintage theme that the brand was going for as well. Powering the watch is Orient’s own F6922 with 22 jewels, 40 hours of power reserve and an improved accuracy of -15/+25 seconds a day.
The design of the SK Automatic diver’s reissue is certainly one of the most polarizing things about it, but that’s something’s that’s rather more subjective. What you really might want to take note of before buying this watch is that it is in fact, not a diver like its name suggests. With only 50m of water resistance and no threaded crown, its more suited for a splash in the pool rather than a proper dive out in the sea.
But, functionality aside, I think this watch is a rather daring and brilliant release from Orient. It shows that they’re not just going to rest on what already works for them, like the modern and timeless Kamasu/Mako designs when it comes to their sports watches. They’re willing to make daring moves that may cause controversy and potential uproar within the community and that’s exactly why I like this SK diver so much.
ORIENT 2ND GENERATION BAMBINO CLASSIC AUTOMATIC FAC00009N0 MEN’S WATCH
Take a short trip to Google and search ‘best affordable dress watches’ and you’re probably gonna see a lot of Orient Bambinos in the results. For good reason too, the Bambino has been the quintessential affordable dress watch for aficionados and newbies alike. Today, we’ll be taking a look at my personal favourite of the lot, the 2nd generation with a gorgeous cream dial.
As has already been revealed, and which is also noticed at first glance, it is a classy and elegant dress watch which is perfect for formal occasions. The Orient Bambino generation 2 is presented with a simple and elegant stainless-steel case with a diameter of 40.5mm. With a thickness of 11.8mm, it may not be the slimmest watch out there but most of that size comes from the highly domed mineral glass. The actual case thickness, minus the crystal, is in fact quite a bit thinner. Having said this, this Bambino will still easily slide under any cuff without any issues.
The dial is where the watch’s stunning design comes into play, in a stunning and crisp cream white, with applied roman numerals and blued hands. It gives off a refined and elegant vintage charm that you just can’t really get anywhere else for the price. Its neatly executed and sharply finished too as you would expect from a watch of its caliber.
The Orient Bambino 2nd Generation is powered by the in-house Orient caliber F6722. An automatic movement that has both manual winding function and hacking seconds. Both of these are functions that are often not found in affordable automatic movements, so this is a really great value proposition from Orient.
All in all, if you are looking for a classy and affordable dress watch, the Orient Bambino version 2 is definitely a watch to consider. In addition to this one, you also have several models to choose from, so you should be able to find one that suits your taste and preference.
ORIENT DEFENDER II AUTOMATIC MEN’S WATCH RA-AK0402E10B
The Orient Defender 2 is the upgraded, second generation of the Orient defender. The name itself reveals that we can expect something sporty and versatile, and that’s exactly what this watch is. In fact, it is built and designed as a field watch, which means it is meant for the outdoors. And it features more or less all of the classic design traits and features that you would expect in one.
Starting off with the case, the Orient Defender 2’s stainless-steel case is satin finished all around to emphasize its sportier look, with a comfortably sporty diameter of 42mm too. On top of the case sits a mineral crystal, and whilst it would be nice with a sapphire crystal, it’s not something we can expect considering its price. A good thing about the crystal, however, is that it has an anti-reflective coating which does a great job in keeping the legibility excellent and the glare down to a minimum, even in bright environments.
The water resistance of 100m/330 feet is what we can expect from this type of timepiece. It can handle water splashes and short periods of swimming but is not ideal for diving.
In terms of design, Orient has opted for a rather interesting dial layout and design with an asymmetrical dial layout with two sub-dials positioned at 12 o’clock and 5 o’clock. The one at 12 displays the day and the one at 5 is the 24-hour indicator. Some may complain about the fact that the dial isn’t symmetrical, but in some way, Orient has made it work really well. At least from our point of view, the asymmetrical dial design is not something that harms its overall appearance. The hour markers are quite large and have a generous amount of luminescent material applied to them. With that said, the watch ticks all the boxes in terms of legibility. The hands are also large to provide excellent legibility (a crucial aspect in a field watch) and are also skeletonized at the center. They are sword shaped and also feature applied luminescence to help with the legibility in the dark. And whilst we are on the topic of luminescence, the lume is strong and glows for a long time. Thanks to the generous amount that Orient has added, this is a lume that you can count on.
Like all Orient watches, it is powered by an in-house movement. This time, specifically the automatic Orient caliber F6B22 which is equipped with 22 jewels and has a power reserve of 40 hours. The power reserve is not the best, but it’s still quite good if you consider the complexity and different functions of the movement.
All in all, the Orient Defender 2 is a great choice if you’re looking for a stylish yet versatile field watch with a sporty appearance. The watch has a utilitarian appearance which works great on outdoor activities, and it is built to handle more demanding conditions but is simple and elegant enough to also work for everyday wear.
And that’s a wrap
We hope that you’ve managed to get more insight into Orient’s vast catalogue of watches from our first-ever buyer’s guide and whether you agree with us or not, we hope you’ll be very happy with whatever watch you get.
If you do plan on getting one of the watches we mentioned on this list, we’re more than willing to go out on a limb and say that you’ll certainly enjoy it for a very long time to come.
