There is currently a wide variety of Orient automatic watches available, ranging from classic antique models to modern ones. However, they all share one common characteristic: their affordable price compared to the quality they offer.
In fact, Orient is one of the leading brands of Japanese watches, surpassed only by Citizen and Seiko in terms of production volume, and the first in automatic watches.
They have made significant advancements in watchmaking worldwide, such as introducing the first watch with a power reserve indicator to display the remaining energy on the dial.
Although Orient was acquired by Seiko in 2009, the company continues to focus exclusively on the production of affordable automatic watches, especially in classic dress styles, such as the legendary Orient Bambino and some diving watches.
In this article, we will discover the most appreciated and highly rated Orient automatic watches by watch enthusiasts, along with all their details, including the price.
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Japanese Automatic |
| Caliber | Orient F6722 |
| Case Diameter | 41 mm |
| Case Thickness | 12 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel Case and Leather Strap |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
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✚ Antique and Classic Orient Automatic Watches
There are numerous antique or vintage Orient automatic watches available, as the company focuses a significant part of its production on these types of timepieces. Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.
➤ Orient 3 Star
The Orient 3 Star automatic watches are the most affordable models from the brand (and possibly in the market), but they are not of inferior quality.
These watches have a vintage or classic style and come in a medium size. The case measures 39 mm, and the strap width is 22 mm, both made of stainless steel.
The dial is protected by a flat mineral crystal, and inside it, there is an Orient 469 caliber with 21 jewels, providing a power reserve of 40 hours.
The 469 movement is a simple but economical and reliable movement. In fact, Orient has been using it in their collections since 1970. However, it lacks hacking and manual winding, but given its affordable price, much more cannot be expected.
For those who are new to the world of watches, hacking seconds allows you to stop the second hand without affecting the other hands, making it easier to set the time accurately.
On the other hand, manual winding allows you to power the mechanism by rotating the crown, without the need to wear the watch on the wrist. This can be useful to keep the watch running even when it’s not being worn.
- Stainless Steel
- Mineral Crystal
- Orient 469 Caliber
- 21 Jewels
- 40 Hours Power Reserve
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Case Diameter: 38mm
- Strap Width: 19mm
➤ Orient Charlene
The Orient Charlene series consists of different dress watches for women, characterized mainly by their white dial with silver or gold markers and numbers, depending on the model.
With a diameter of 31 mm, these watches are small and designed for women’s wrists. They are also durable, thanks to their stainless steel case with a solid screw-down case back.
Internally, they are powered by an automatic Orient 55741 mechanism with 21 jewels and 40 hours of power reserve, including manual winding.
- Stainless Steel
- Convex Mineral Crystal
- Orient 55741 Caliber
- 21 Jewels with Manual Winding
- 40 Hours Power Reserve
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Case Diameter: 31mm
- Strap Width: 22mm
➤ Orient Bambino 4
Possibly, the Orient Bambino series is the most well-known classic Orient automatic watches from the Japanese manufacturer. In fact, the Orient Bambino series is so popular among collectors that it has reached its fourth edition.
These watches are elegant dress watches, characterized by a clean and traditional design with a domed crystal and leather strap. Each edition has different styles.
Specifically, the fourth-generation Bambino watches are known for their larger size, measuring 42 mm in diameter, and a striking gradient dial.
They are powered by an Orient F6724 caliber, which is more modern than previous generations. It includes hacking seconds and the ability to manually wind the watch.
- Stainless Steel with Leather Strap
- Domed Mineral Crystal
- Orient F6724 Caliber
- 22 Jewels with Hacking Seconds and Manual Winding
- 40 Hours Power Reserve
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Case Diameter: 42mm
- Strap Width: 22mm
➤ Orient Sun and Moon v3
The Orient Sun and Moon automatic watches combine the classic style of a dress watch with various functional watch complications.
One of the notable features is the eye-catching moon phase display, which is useful for determining the current phase of the day.
The watch also displays the days of the week and the date on the subdials, making it a timepiece with three complications that will captivate your attention. The transparent case back allows a view of the movement.
The stainless steel case has a diameter of 42.5 mm and features a sapphire crystal, which is not commonly found in affordable watches. The strap is made of leather.
The Sun and Moon v3 houses the Orient F6B24 caliber, a 21-jewel movement with 40 hours of power reserve.
- Stainless Steel with Leather Strap
- Sapphire Crystal
- Orient F6B24 Caliber
- 21 Jewels
- 40 Hours Power Reserve
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Case Diameter: 42.5mm
- Strap Width: 22mm
➤ Orient Howard
Another classic design that remains highly sought-after is the Orient Howard, based on the late 19th-century Art Deco trend, evident in its gold-tone Arabic numerals.
In this case, we have a more substantial watch, with a diameter of 40.5 mm, still within acceptable limits to fit any wrist.
Although these watches have an antique appearance, they incorporate updated movements. The Howard watches feature the recently developed F6722 caliber.
The F6722 caliber is a 22-jewel automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve. It is highly appreciated by enthusiasts as it includes hacking seconds and manual winding.
- Stainless Steel
- Hardened Mineral Crystal
- Orient F6722 Caliber
- 22 Jewels with Hacking Seconds and Manual Winding
- 42 Hours Power Reserve
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Case Diameter: 40.5mm
- Strap Width: 22mm
✚ Modern Automatic Orient Watches
The modern automatic Orient watches currently available on the market are generally diving and sports models, although there are some rare exceptions as we will see below.
➤ Orient Defender 2
The Orient Defender watches are military-style watches, not only in terms of their appearance but also in terms of their functions and enhanced durability.
These watches feature a 42mm stainless steel case with a screw-down back and a hardened mineral crystal dial that can withstand up to 100 meters of water resistance.
Furthermore, the high-contrast dial provides additional information, such as a 24-hour marker, the days of the week, and a seconds scale on the outer ring.
As for the internal mechanism, it features an Orient F6B22 caliber capable of providing 40 hours of power reserve, a robust movement with hacking seconds and manual winding.
- Stainless steel
- Leather strap
- Hardened mineral crystal
- Orient F6B22 caliber
- 40 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Case diameter: 42 mm
- Strap width: 22 mm
➤ Orient Multi Calendar
One of the most curious automatic Orient watches from the Japanese manufacturer is probably the Multi Calendar, a watch capable of displaying the complete calendar on its dial, including all days, months, and years.
The printed calendar on the modern version is updated until 2036, after which we will have to look for matching years based on the displayed ones, taking advantage of the cyclical nature of calendars.
There are different models, all with a 43mm stainless steel case with a screw-down back, mineral crystal, and water resistance of up to 50 meters. The only difference is the dial colors and the strap, which can be stainless steel or leather.
In terms of the internal mechanism, the current Multi Calendar watches are powered by an Orient F6D22 caliber with 21 jewels, providing 40 hours of power reserve. This movement does not feature hacking or manual winding.
- Stainless steel
- Mineral crystal
- Orient F6D22 caliber
- 21 jewels
- 40 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance: 50 m
- Case diameter: 43 mm
- Strap width: 22 mm
➤ Orient Mako II
The Orient Mako II could be considered the logical evolution of the Mako I, as it largely corrects the flaws of the first version in terms of functionality and durability.
It offers improved durability by featuring only one crown to set the time and date. The screw-down crown has multiple positions instead of adding an extra button that could be a weak point underwater.
While some collectors prefer the first version for the design touch provided by the crown and top button, the truth is that in practical diving terms, fewer buttons mean fewer potential entry points for water.
In terms of functionality, it also improves by incorporating a more advanced Orient F6922 caliber with hacking seconds and manual winding. It features a 21-jewel movement with 40 hours of power reserve.
- Stainless steel
- Hardened mineral crystal
- Orient F6922 caliber
- 21 jewels with hacking seconds and manual winding
- 40 hours of power reserve
- Screw-down crown and case back
- Water resistance: 200 m
- Case diameter: 41.5 mm
- Strap width: 22 mm
➤ Orient Ray II
Another favorite among collectors who are starting their journey into the world of divers’ watches is the Orient Ray II.
It is a watch with similar characteristics to the Mako II but with a slightly different design, more in line with Seiko’s SKX009.
In the Ray II, the dial is more eye-catching with rounded markers and thicker hands that provide more luminescent material, resulting in better visibility at greater depths.
Other features remain the same, with a 41.5mm stainless steel case, screw-down crown and case back, mineral crystal, and water resistance of 200 meters.
Internally, it also features an Orient F6922 caliber, offering hacking seconds and manual winding.
- Stainless steel
- Hardened mineral crystal
- Orient F6922 caliber
- 21 jewels with hacking seconds and manual winding
- 40 hours of power reserve
- Screw-down crown and case back
- Water resistance: 200 m
- Case diameter: 41.5 mm
- Strap width: 22 mm
➤ Orient Mako XL
The Orient Mako XL is a larger version of the famous Mako, offering one of the best quality-to-price ratios among diving watches available today.
Compared to its smaller sibling, the Mako XL increases its diameter to 46mm, resulting in a larger unidirectional bezel with more visible numbers and easier-to-read hour markers.
The strap is also more robust, going from 20mm in the regular Mako version to 22mm in the XL version.
In common with other watches in this category, it features a water resistance of 200 meters and an automatic movement, specifically the Orient 46943, which is quite reliable but lacks hacking seconds and manual winding, improvements found in the Mako II.
In summary, the Orient Mako XL is one of the most affordable modern automatic Orient watches, although it doesn’t incorporate a very updated caliber.
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Last update of links and images on 2024-04-29.
