The Orient Kamasu, also known as Mako III, is the continuation of one of the most well-known and recognized dive watch series from the brand.
It is the worthy successor to the Orient Mako II, a watch that already stood out for its good value for money and has now been significantly improved.
With the Kamasu, Orient has decided to slightly tweak the design and introduce new colors, while still retaining the same movement, a reliable F6922 with manual winding and hacking seconds.
In this article, we thoroughly analyze the Orient Kamasu and compare it to its predecessor, the Mako II, taking into account their features and the opinions they generate.
- Analógico en acero inoxidable para hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Verde y metálico
- Wr 200mt
Índice de contenidos
✚ Orient Kamasu – Technical Specifications
| Brand | Orient |
|---|---|
| Model | Mako III (aka Kamasu) |
| Model Year | 2018 |
| Crystal Type | Sapphire crystal |
| Materials | 316L stainless steel |
| Diameter | 41.8 mm |
| Thickness | 12.8 mm |
| Strap Width | 22 mm |
| Movement | Japanese automatic |
| Caliber | Orient F6922 |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Precision | – 15 / + 25 seconds per day |
| Water Resistance | 20 bar (200 meters) |
| Bezel | 120-click unidirectional rotating |
| Special Functions | Hacking seconds and manual winding |
✚ The Origin
The Orient Kamasu has been available in the Japanese market since late 2018, although its official presentation in Europe was at Baselworld 2019.
![Orient Kamasu Watch](http://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/U990a7542d92844a4980ddd1be7f816bb7.jpg_350x350.jpg")
Due to its similarity to the Mako series, enthusiasts have also quickly nicknamed it the Mako III, although its official denomination is Sports Diver Style RA-AA000xxxx.
In fact, Mako is not the official name for Orient’s divers, although it is more or less accepted by the brand in certain markets.
However, Orient USA has gone their own way and decided to name it Kamasu, which is the most commonly used nickname worldwide.
While Mako is a type of shark (the mako shark), Kamasu means barracuda in Japanese, both names being very appropriate for a watch whose natural environment is also water.
✚ Design and Features
In general, the Orient Kamasu follows the design lineage of the Mako series, but it has some design changes worth noting. Let’s examine them in detail.
➤ The Case
With its 41.8 mm diameter (excluding the crown), the Kamasu maintains the compact dimensions that make the Mako watches suitable for a wide variety of wrists.
The thickness is 12.8 mm, making it relatively slim, and it is slightly curved at the lugs for better comfort. The strap width is 22 mm.
If you’re looking for something similar but with a more substantial size, you can take a look at the Orient Kano, which is also slightly more affordable.
The case is entirely made of 316L stainless steel, and the case back is screw-down to ensure maximum water resistance.
The case back is solid, meaning it doesn’t allow a view of the movement, but instead, it is engraved with a maritime motif and the watch’s specifications.
The Epson logo stands out, which is a new feature that clearly indicates Orient’s affiliation with the Seiko Epson subsidiary.
As many may already know, Orient was acquired by Seiko many years ago, although they continue to manufacture their watches independently and usually don’t make any references to the owning company, except in this case.
➤ Crystal and Dial
The crystal is anti-reflective sapphire, offering excellent visibility from any angle and being highly resistant to scratches.
This is a material that is not commonly found in watches in this price range, and it’s a feature that sets the Orient Kamasu apart from its Mako siblings.
As for the dial, we have the classic design of dive watches with broad hands and large hour markers, allowing for a good amount of fluorescent lume.
The design primarily prioritizes legibility in underwater conditions where seeing the watch is challenging due to lack of light.
The background color on the dial has some depth and shines when exposed to light. The date is located at 3 o’clock in a beveled window that also includes the day of the week.
➤ Bezel and Crown
The bezel, being a proper diver’s watch, is a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with a coin edge.
The visible part is made of aluminum with markings to calculate the minutes of immersion and a large dot of fluorescent lume at the top.
On the other hand, the crown is screw-down to the case to prevent water ingress and is engraved with the brand’s logo on its outer side.
It is protected by two protrusions extending from the case’s sides, which can make gripping a bit more challenging, although being an automatic watch, it doesn’t pose a significant problem.
➤ The Strap
The strap is entirely made of stainless steel, although there are models with a more sporty rubber bracelet available as well.
It is a design that does not have a dive extension but is flexible and relatively easy to articulate. The clasp is secure and has the brand’s logo engraved.
Perhaps the only weak point of the bracelet is that the end links are not solid, although this does not necessarily mean it is less secure and it reduces weight.
➤ The Movement
The Kamasu is powered by the Orient F6922 caliber, a relatively new automatic mechanical movement launched in 2016 to update the previous Mako II.
It is a 22-jewel mechanism with a bidirectional rotor that operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour (vph) and incorporates the requested features of hacking seconds and manual winding.
The power reserve of the F6922 is estimated to be around 40 hours, while the accuracy, according to the manufacturer, is approximately -15 / +25 seconds per day.
It’s worth noting that accuracy ranges are purely indicative, as manufacturers classify their movements within these ranges, and in practice, they often tend to be more precise.
In any case, its accuracy rating is higher than other affordable, great movements such as the Seiko NH35, for example.
✚ Available Versions
The new Mako III or Kamasu is available in four different dial colors: blue, black, green, and red. All of them are similarly priced and relatively easy to find.
- Analógico en acero inoxidable para hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Verde y metálico
- Wr 200mt
- Analógico en acero inoxidable para hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Amaranto y metálico
- Wr 200mt
- Analógico en acero inoxidable para hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Azul y metálico
- Wr 200mt
- Analógico en acero inoxidable para hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Negro y metálico
- Wr 200mt
There are also two special editions with gold-accented bezels, one with a black dial and the other with a textured blue dial, although the latter is limited to around 2000 units.
- Analógico en Caucho para Hombre
- Automático
- Deportivo
- Negro y Negro
- WR 200mt
✚ Orient Kamasu vs. Mako II
In general, these are two very similar watches, but the Kamasu has some standout features.
The first is the sapphire crystal, which is much more durable and costly compared to the mineral crystal used in the Mako II. Additionally, it offers better visibility from any angle.
Then there’s the dial design, with larger markers and thicker hands on the Kamasu, allowing for more fluorescent lume and improved visibility.
Another notable detail is that the numbers indicating certain hours on the previous Mako have been removed, resulting in a cleaner and more minimalist design.
Otherwise, as shown in the table, they are practically identical, with very similar measurements and the same Orient automatic movement.
| Model | Mako II | Kamasu |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 2016 | 2018 |
| Crystal Type | Mineral | Sapphire |
| Caliber | Orient F6922 | Orient F6922 |
| Materials | 316L stainless steel | 316L stainless steel |
| Diameter | 41.5 mm | 41.8 mm |
| Thickness | 13 mm | 12.8 mm |
| Bezel | 120-click unidirectional | 120-click unidirectional |
| Water Resistance | 20 bar (200 meters) | 20 bar (200 meters) |
✚ Price and Reviews
Since its introduction, the Mako series has always been known for offering some of the best dive watches in terms of value for money.
An affordable automatic diver that, in the case of the Mako III or Kamasu, has been significantly improved by including a sapphire crystal, a feature not commonly found in watches at this price range.
Orient, in general, is a great Japanese brand that has been producing mechanically driven watches at very competitive prices for decades. Even more so than its parent company, Seiko.
Just looking at the hundreds of positive reviews that the entire series of watches has accumulated, it’s clear that it is a watch that delivers on its promises.
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Last update of links and images on 2024-05-03.
