If you’ve ever thought of buying Japanese watches, you’ve probably come across brands such as Seiko or Citizen.
Even with their world-class watches and high-quality standard for modern timepieces, that doesn’t mean you should overlook all the other watch brands that Japanese technology has to offer.
One such brand is Orient.
Orient, now owned by Seiko Epson, is a Japanese watch brand and manufactures some of the best entry-level mechanical watches in the field.
This Orient Watch review will dive deep into everything you need to know and whether it’s worth buying one.

The History of Orient
The origins of Orient date back as far as 1901 when their founder began importing pocket watches.
The company produced its first watch in 1934 under the name Toyo Tokei Manufacturing. This solidified the groundwork for the future success of the watchmaking company.
Founded in 1950 by Shogoro Yoshida, Orient started as an independent company. In that same year, they released the Orient Star line, which has grown to be one of their most popular watch collections.
In the 1970s, when Seiko and Citizen began to shift towards quartz watches, Orient stayed true to manufacturing mechanical watches and continues to do so to this day.
According to their website, their mission is “to offer high-quality, attainable timepieces with enduring style.”
Said differently, they’re an affordable watch brand with quality watches.
They proudly state that their “heritage is rooted in craftsmanship, reliability, precision, and beauty that stand the test of time.”
The company prides itself on being at the forefront of mechanical watch production in Japan. They are one of the only watch brands to manufacture their mechanical movements in-house.
With their expertise, as stated on their website, they can distinguish the difference between mechanical and quartz watches as well as the different functions and advantages of having a mechanical watch.
Orient Manufacturing
Although all the parts of orient watches are manufactured in Japan, some are assembled in other countries, such as Hong Kong, where a Japanese official oversees them.
The more expensive line, Orient Star, however, is entirely made in Japan.
Even if the company is now a subsidiary of Seiko Epson, they continue to build their own movements, which allows them to maintain the quality of their products.
This independence from outside producers has saved them on costs. Orient has some of the most affordable watches on the market, offering quality timepieces in the $100 price range.
Orient Watch Movement
The mechanical movement of the watch, as mentioned, is made in-house, making them precise and lasting.
All the movements range in different capabilities from automatic, automatic with winding, fully hand-winding, or hacking enabled.
Automatic Orient watches need not even be wound; some simply require you to SHAKE THEM! For instance, the natural movements of the wrist during the day should be enough to wind up the watch.
According to the brand, all of their watch movements have over 40 hours of power reserve.
This means if you wear your timepiece daily, there’s no worry of watching it die on you when you’re out on a fancy date or when you’re showing it off at a cocktail party.
Orient also carries a few quartz-powered pieces, but these are mainly produced by Seiko.
Given that Seiko is one of the leading brands in quartz watches, it’s safe to assume the quality of these quartz pieces is reliable.
Orient Watch Quality and Performance Review: Worth the Price?
An Orient watch does not feel cheap or inexpensive.
Even if it is affordable, you can tell the manufacturers have not been scant with the quality of the products that they use.
In fact, the company GUARANTEES you can use the watch for at least ten years before ever needing to service it, and even then, it can be used for at least 30 years without being serviced at all.
However, the company is upfront about its watches being vulnerable to the elements.
Truth be told, nearly all timepieces are.
Unless the watch manufacturer stated that the watch has been reinforced for water resistance, shock resistance, and anti-magnetism, you must always be careful with where and how you are wearing your watch.
Orient clearly states that water and moisture are the most significant contributors to the deterioration of mechanical watches. Suffice to say that you should not shower while wearing the watch.
Drastic changes in moisture level and temperature can affect the watch seals, lubricants, and other internal components.
However, many customers reviewed and confirmed the watches perform exceptionally well. One collector compared his $200 Orient Dive watch to his $22,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
The brand creates its pieces with durable, anti-corrosive stainless steel with bands and straps that come in either leather, metal, or rubber, depending on your preference.
Can I Trust the Quality?
Overall, Orient watches perform better than one would expect from pieces that range from $100.
If you decide on a dress watch, a dive watch, or simply a timepiece for daily use, Orient has a wide variety of options from which to choose.
Orient Watch Style
Orient pieces have a distinguishable look from other watch manufacturers. One of their trademarks is their shaded dial, in either blue, black, or white.
Another distinguishable feature is the italic writing on the face to state the movement type or water resistance.
There are two major lines Orient is best known for: dive watches and dress watches.
Dive Watch
Orient is widely recognized as having some of the best dive timepieces by divers worldwide. Their functionality and accuracy, especially for their price, make them extremely popular.
An orient dive watch is practical and comes beautifully designed, and can be worn outside of diving occasions, which most divers appreciate.

Dress Watch
In contrast, Orient dress watches are made with absolute class in mind. Most pieces have simple and exquisite faces with their classic open-heart design.

With Orient pieces, you will find textured backgrounds and moon phase indicators, giving their dress watches a significant air of opulence at a reasonable price point.
Orient Watch Prices Review
Speaking of the price range, how much are orient watches anyway?
Orient watches come at around $100 to $300 and considering that they all come with automatic mechanical movement, that price is pretty hard to beat.
Although they do have more expensive pieces, their high-end line timepieces, Orient Star, usually start at around $500, with some of their more complicated pieces going well over $3000.
They are still the most affordable, high-quality automatic watch provider globally, even more than Seiko.
You might like: Orient vs. Seiko
How Do Orient Watches Compare to Other Brands?
In all fairness, Orient is not as well known as other watch brands on the market. That said, it does make sense to compare them to other pieces in the field to understand better what you’re dealing with.
Orient is most closely comparable in design and quality to Seiko. Given that they are owned by Seiko Epson, this is not particularly surprising.
Although Seiko and Citizen are often compared against each other because they are more established and share similar technologies, Orient is often left out of these discussions, except when it comes to dive wristwear.
Some of the brands’ diving watches function and look are similar to Seiko watches. They also come very close to each other in the price range.
For occasions such as this, it is usually up to the customer which manufacturer they appreciate more.
The regular Orient line timepieces do not compare to better-known premium and luxury brands in terms of more expensive and durable materials.
However, Orient Star, their luxury line, is an exception and maintains equal quality standards.
On the other hand, comparing them with fashion watch brands, such as Stuhrling, Vincero, and Invicta, would be somewhat out of place.
Considering that they are more comparable to Seiko and Citizen watches, they are obviously of much higher quality than fashion watches.
To put this into perspective, Orient pieces rank well above fashion watches but below luxury watches while still offering very high-quality products.
The company’s goal was to provide quality watches at affordable prices, and it is safe to say that they have done this.
Okay, but are Orient Watches Good?
Fair enough, it can be easy to sing praises about a watch and a watch brand; easy to look up different reviews and even check on the company’s own website.
Orient pieces are labeled as quality, precise, accurate, and reliable but, you can never really be sure, even when all of these articles tell you that the product is good if you’ve never tried one yourself.
Rest assured, these pieces actually do meet the standards that they hold themselves up to.
With pieces varying from dress to sports watches, these automatic watches offer great versatility and options.
According to the people who wear them, they perform just as well as other well-known brands while having that edge of affordability.
Given the accessible price point, it wouldn’t be too much of a risk to try one out for yourself.
The Best Orient Watches
After having discussed the Orient pieces so much, where do we go from here?
This section of the review will look over the most famous and sought-after watches to get you started on which models you can consider.
Orient Sport
Some of the best Orient watches are found in their sports line.
Highly lauded and widely recognized for the affordability and functionality of their diving pieces, Orient prides itself on creating quality wristwear for the modern diver.
Orient Mako II

- Case Diameter: 41,5 mm
- Case Thickness: 13 mm
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Crystal: Mineral
- Movement: F6922 Caliber Automatic, Hand-winding, Hacking Movement
- Water Resistance: 200 m/ 660 ft
As previously mentioned above, Orient is highly recognized as a manufacturer of top-notch diving watches, and the Mako II is no exception.
This line is one of the brand’s most well-known models, and one of the best diving watches on the market. It’s considered a dress dive watch, mixing both style and functionality in one timepiece.
Price
It comes in at under $150, and you can be assured of excellence and value for your money. The fact that it compares to more expensive and established diving watches is a feat in and of itself.
What About the Design?
It is also highly durable and can withstand even the most extreme conditions underwater. Any experienced diver can attest to the performance of this watch.
With its versatile design, this watch looks great not only with diving gear but even regular clothes. It suits most if not all occasions, so it can take you from diving straight to a day date out with friends.
The Orient Mako II is one the most highly sought-out diving watches and rates 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon, with over a thousand verified reviews and buyers.
The most recent version of this Orient piece features a shaded blue dial and is water-resistant up to 220 meters.
Mako features a 41mm stainless steel case, which holds inside an F6922 hand-windable and hackable automatic caliber with a 40+ hour power reserve.
Who Would Enjoy This Timepiece?
It is made for serious diving activities and has a 120-click unidirectional bezel and screw-down crown.
The Orient Mako II is a solid choice for a diver who wants a versatile watch that works for several different occasions.
Another version of the Mako, called the Orient Mako USA II, features a 45mm case and is covered in premium sapphire crystal rather than mineral, and comes with solid end links.
Orient Ray II

- Case Diameter: 41,5 mm
- Case Thickness: 13 mm
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Crystal: Mineral
- Movement: F6922 Caliber Automatic, Hand-winding, Hacking Movement
- Water Resistance: 200 m/ 660 ft
The Orient Ray II is yet another diving watch that exceeds all expectations of affordable diving wristwear.
Design and Movement
Where this version differs from the original Orient Ray is in the improved F6922 mechanical movements. This movement features hand-winding and hacking capabilities that were not present in the first Orient Ray model.
Fast Facts: Hand-winding means that you can wind the watch without continually wearing it, while hacking gives it the ability to correct the time on a charged and running timepiece.
The Ray II is known, among the community, as the New Mako because it is a more recent model. Still, there is so much similarity between the two making them reasonably comparable.
You might like: Orient Ray vs. Mako
Price and Who Would Enjoy This Timepiece?
Where the Orient Mako II is considered as a dress dive watch for its sleek design, the Ray II has more of a tactical and purposive design, making it fit for diving and dive gear.
This watch is Orient’s more affordable take on the Rolex Submariner and the Seiko SKX 007, matching the designs with a black 200-meter dive, circular hour markers, and demarcated bezel.
Orient Triton

- Case Diameter: 41,5 mm
- Case Thickness: 13 mm
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Crystal: Mineral
- Movement: F6922 Caliber Automatic, Hand-winding, Hacking Movement
- Water Resistance: 200 m/ 660 ft
The Orient Triton is one of the best dive watches offered on the market.
Quality and Appeal
Above Seiko or even other Swiss diving watches, the Triton, made with stainless steel, is durable, functional, and unique.
It has a sapphire crystal face, in keeping with most Orient pieces, meaning that you don’t have to worry about scratching it while out on a dive.
Is It Worth Buying?
For one, this watch is the best value for money among all the pieces in the brand because it is a fully professional 200-meter diving watch that comes in at under $500.
It also includes a power reserve indicator at the top right, which is a handy feature for some.
Orient Bambino
If we are talking about easy-to-wear, simple, and classic, you will be hard-pressed to find a better entry-level mechanical dress watch on the market than the Orient Bambino.
The Affordable Dress Watch You’ve Been Looking For
The Bambino may be the company’s most famous watch, and it is Orient’s answer to the need for highly affordable, top-notch, traditional automatic dress watches.
Their Bambino collections include over 50 models across five generations that differ in dials and nuances in every model.
In any Orient Bambino model, you will find a clean and simple aesthetic, classic design, and highly elegant appeal.
Some of the more well-known models of the collection include:
Bambino Open-Heart. This model has, as stated, an open-heart dial and is water-resistant up to 50 meters. This Bambino watch features a polished caliber F6T22, an automatic movement they developed specifically for the open-heart design. It also includes hand-winding and hacking capabilities.
Bambino Version 5. Introduces a fresh design face with Arabic numbers instead of their usual Roman numerals. This version of the Bambino also includes hand-windable and automatic movements with 40+ hours of power reserve.
Who Will Enjoy This Timepiece?
You will find all Bambino watches with a leather strap and a domed mineral crystal, which is unique from the other collections in the brand. This feature also protects the watch from easily shattering.
What makes the Bambino watch line one of the best on the market its price. These highly affordable yet stunning pieces usually come in under $200, which is a genuine bargain for a reliable dress watch.
Orient Star
Although the brand boasts accessibility and affordability, Orient has also created a higher-end line, Orient Star, for those looking for a more expensive piece.
High-Quality Craftsmanship
The Orient Star line is the collection that made Orient watches as famous as they are today.
These models are usually harder to find, so they are not recommended for people looking for an entry-level automatic watch.
An Orient Star piece is often bought by those who appreciate that the watch is entirely made in Japan.
This is a significant factor for people who appreciate Japanese craftsmanship, watchmaking, and mechanical movement in a watch.
Furthermore, these pieces come in several elegant designs, such as skeleton and retrograde dials.
Orient Star watches also feature power reserve indicators and GMT windows.
True to its claim, this Orient Star model also includes a power reserve indicator which is seen under the 12 o’clock mark.
Many people appreciate this feature because, with it, you can easily tell when the piece needs to be wound up again, either manually or automatically with the crown.
Most Orient Star pieces also offer an extended reserve feature, meaning that the power lasts up to 50 hours, which is significantly longer than regular Orient watches.
Price
The most expensive Orient Star pieces with mechanical moon phase calibers are priced at around $3000, while their cheaper moon phase caliber watches are about $1000.
Older Orient pieces, such as the Orient Star RE-AU0004B00B, can be found on Amazon for under $600. This Orient watch features a sapphire crystal, transparent case back with 100-meter water resistance.
Is It Worth Buying?
Orient Star timepieces look expensive and have that air of elegance without breaking the bank. It has a refined aesthetic and will work well for day to night occasions.
Conclusion
Altogether, Orient watches are of outstanding quality for their price. Rest assured, you get good value for your money.
With their assured in-house mechanical movements, Orient can boast about the reliability and accuracy of their watches.
Because they didn’t go with the quartz-powered watch trend and kept on with what they do best, developing not only the regular line but also Star, Orient brand has solidified itself as a leading brand in mechanical movement timepieces.
Hopefully, this review has given a little more insight into why Orient is one of the best manufacturers in the field, as well as highlighting that Japanese watches are not just made up by Seiko and Citizen.