OrientMen's 'Mako II' Japanese Automatic Stainless Steel Diving Watch

These days I am a pretty big watch collector with things at every value level, but I got my start—my first "real" watch purchase—with an original Orient Mako from Amazon a number of years ago.That original Mako was worn and beaten to within an inch of its life. I wore it everywhere, for all occasions and circumstances, and it showed by the time I gave it away to someone who badly needed a watch. It had been through the ringer, looked like a battlefield artifact, but kept on ticking and keeping very accurate from-the-factory time at about +3s/day.Well, I recently decided that it was time to get a Mako again now that the Mako II is out. Mako II keeps the unique dial styling, narrow bezel, serious water resistance, and basic feel while adding hacking and hand-winding.It was a joy to open this up and see a brand new Mako once again, and this one is also eerily accurate at about the same level, straight from the factory. And I liked it so much now that I am a more serious watch hobbyist that I have invested more in it—I have added a domed sapphire crystal and a high-end bracelet from Strapcode with screwed links, solid end links, and a forged chamfer clasp. It now competes in every way with much, much more expensive watches, while having that amazing "Mako look."All of which is to say that this watch is a modern classic and a fabulous value at this price. Stock, it keeps incredibly accurate time for a mechanical watch, swims with the best day-to-day divers out there, runs forever and holds up amazingly well, and looks unique, elegant, and also just a bit aggressive, all at the perfect size (41mm wearing a tad small—not too large, not to tiny for just about any wrist). And beyond stock, because of the popularity of the Orient Mako/Ray platform, it is now also a great base for a higher-end "project watch" if you want to go that route.If I was advising someone on a "first serious watch" to spend money on—a first watch purchase beyond a Timex—I think this would be my absolute strongest recommendation. "Get an Orient Mako II and wear it with joy—everywhere and in every circumstance. It'll serve you well."

I rarely write reviews and only do so when a product is more than I expected. This Orient watch fits the category. I've been collecting, buying and trading fine timepieces for 30 years and have all the usual suspects; Rolexes, Brietling, Hamilton, Baume Mercier, Omega, Vacheron, TAG, etc... a strong collection of vintage and modern. I was turned on to Orient as almost a cult brand to watch collectors. Shame on me for not researching them years ago! I found out this company has been around for over 50 years. As a collector At the price point, it was a no brainer to give it a shot. Very happy I did. The accuracy of this watch is pretty amazing. It keeps better time than watches that are signficanly more money (100x more in some cases). The weight of the watch is good too. It has just the right amount of heft without being too heavy on the wrist. The blue face looks good. However, if you inspect very closely, you are not going to find the fit and finish of a Rolex, Omega, Brietling etc... That said, to a non-watch collector, those details aren't particularly noticed. I really liked the smooth edges of the case and the bracelet. Typically with lower cost watches, you get sharp edges and flimsy bracelelts. Not here. The watch case and bracelet are finished nicely and the bracelet also has good heft to it. Overall, I am very pleased with this watch and it is my new daily wear. It will be particularly useful when going on vacation when you don't want to risk bringing a high end watch for either damage purposes or God forbid, theft. This watch looks great for casual wear and sports activities but is equally at home on your wrist out to dinner or with business casual dress. I'm glad I took the change on the Orient brand and will likely purchase another.

I bought this watch over a Seiko SKX as my “beater” watch. While it doesn’t quite have the character of and SKX, it does look classy and refined. It has become one of my favorite watches for the simple reason that it is an astounding value. Anyone should be able to make a great watch for $5,000. That doesn’t impress me much. But when you make something like this for under $150, that is special. First, the watch does not feel cheap. It has a healthy weight to it. The details on the dial are very good. Yes, the bezel is not easy to turn because the knurled edges are too smooth. But, really, who needs to turn the bezel on a dive watch other than a diver? The bigger issue is the crown. They really crapped the bed on this design. You WILL need to use fingernails to turn it. This is really an annoying oversight because the rest of the watch is so nice and this would be such an easy thing to address. Other than that, it a lovely looking watch and as you can see from my pictures, it does really well on NATO straps. It’s is also EXTREMELY accurate. Mine gains 3 seconds per day. To put that in perspective, my $2800 Tag Heuer Aquaracer gains 6 seconds per day and my $4500 Omega Speedmaster gains 4 seconds per day. How this watch is more accurate at $125 is beyond explanation. We will see how well it stands the test of time but, really, if I get two years out of it it will be the best watch purchase I ever made. Plus, although I enjoy it’s looks, I don’t worry about it when I wear it because it’s so inexpensive. That alone is a great weight lifted because with my nicer pieces I’m always conscious of the fact that I have thousands of dollars on my wrist and that leads to some anxiety. Not so with this watch. You really cannot go wrong with this. No it’s not a snooty brand that will get you oohs and ahs from the douchy watch snobs, but this is really what a watch should be- accurate, attractive, durable, and inexpensive.