Orient Dive Watch Questions

[tm3]

I'm interested in a blue dial dive watch and based on comments here am taking a close look at Orient. Quality and bang for the buck quotients are reportedly high, and higher than the Seiko 5, which gets my attention.

Who are some recommended vendors? There are of course a bunch on Amazon -- safe, or not?

Do all Orient divers have sapphire crystals, or just certain ones?

I want to use a NATO strap. If the watch comes with a metal bracelet, is it easily swapped out for a NATO?

Thanks for the help!

 

[MrSpeedy]

I'm interested in a blue dial dive watch and based on comments here am taking a close look at Orient. Quality and bang for the buck quotients are reportedly high, and higher than the Seiko 5, which gets my attention.

Who are some recommended vendors? There are of course a bunch on Amazon -- safe, or not? - Amazon should be fine, especially if you are buying from the Orient store on Amazon. You can also look at Long Island Watch, Teddy Baldassare, etc. Just look for a site that's an authorized dealer so you get the factory warranty.

Do all Orient divers have sapphire crystals, or just certain ones? - Probably all, but you'll need to verify with each model.

I want to use a NATO strap. If the watch comes with a metal bracelet, is it easily swapped out for a NATO? - Should be. You'll need a spring bar tool (get a Bergeron) and make sure you know what size the lug width is before ordering the NATO. Might want to grab a couple extra spring bars, just in case.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Multum in parvo]

There are a couple of blue dial divers most with a nickname that vendors use.

Ray and Mako - mineral glass
Kamasu, Triton, New Triton - sapphire

Swapping the steel bracelet is easy but the Best Buy’s are the ones with a rubber strap.

Ray

Kamasu

New Triton

 

[Multum in parvo]

Just a quick search on my (German) AZ

Blue Kamasu

 

[tm3]

There are a couple of blue dial divers most with a nickname that vendors use.

Ray and Mako - mineral glass
Kamasu, Triton, New Triton - sapphire

Swapping the steel bracelet is easy but the Best Buy’s are the ones with a rubber strap.

Ray


Kamasu



New Triton

Great, thanks! I'd prefer to buy with the rubber since I'll be removing it anyway but most vendors on AZ seem to have metal bands.

Just a quick search on my (German) AZ

Blue Kamasu

Beautiful watch!

 

[tm3]

Amazon should be fine, especially if you are buying from the Orient store on Amazon. You can also look at Long Island Watch, Teddy Baldassare, etc. Just look for a site that's an authorized dealer so you get the factory warranty.

Do all Orient divers have sapphire crystals, or just certain ones? - Probably all, but you'll need to verify with each model.

I want to use a NATO strap. If the watch comes with a metal bracelet, is it easily swapped out for a NATO? - Should be. You'll need a spring bar tool (get a Bergeron) and make sure you know what size the lug width is before ordering the NATO. Might want to grab a couple extra spring bars, just in case.


Great info -- thanks!

 

[Multum in parvo]

Great, thanks! I'd prefer to buy with the rubber since I'll be removing it anyway but most vendors on AZ seem to have metal bands.

Beautiful watch!

What is your preferred size? They seem to wear smaller then the specs would imply.

The New Triton RA-AC0K03L is 43.4mm for instance but doesn’t feel huge on my wrist.

Lug width is 22mm for all Divers.

 

[tm3]

I would say the size doesn't really matter to me. I want a nice deep blue color, sapphire crystal, and blue NATO strap. Beyond that, it looks like there is some choice in the style of the hour markers, whether the ring has a red accent, and whether it is day/date or just day. I'm not sure of my preferences there, yet.

Nice pics!

 

[Multum in parvo]

I would say the size doesn't really matter to me. I want a nice deep blue color, sapphire crystal, and blue NATO strap. Beyond that, it looks like there is some choice in the style of the hour markers, whether the ring has a red accent, and whether it is day/date or just day. I'm not sure of my preferences there, yet.

Nice pics!

The sunburst dials of the Ray and Kamasu really sparkle under the right light source. The blue on the New Triton is very dark so most of the time it looks close to black.

 

[Whiterook]

If you are in the US, there is a Mako US that has a sapphire crystal and is available on the Orient USA site. It's best to wait for a sale if buying from them. My standard Mako has a mineral crystal and is pretty inexpensive on Amazon.

 

[tm3]

The sunburst dials of the Ray and Kamasu really sparkle under the right light source. The blue on the New Triton is very dark so most of the time it looks close to black.

Great description! A blue dial that sparkles under the right light source is exactly what I have in mind. A very dark blue that looks black is a no-go.

 

[tm3]

If you are in the US, there is a Mako US that has a sapphire crystal and is available on the Orient USA site. It's best to wait for a sale if buying from them. My standard Mako has a mineral crystal and is pretty inexpensive on Amazon.

Sounds good! Do you have any idea when their sales occur? Obviously I've missed Black Friday this time around.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Great description! A blue dial that sparkles under the right light source is exactly what I have in mind. A very dark blue that looks black is a no-go.

So the Blue Kamasu which has the blue sunburst and a sapphire crystal.

 

[Whiterook]

Sounds good! Do you have any idea when their sales occur? Obviously I've missed Black Friday this time around.

Usually around holidays, Black Friday being the deepest discount as I recall. One year it was 50% off and I bought a Polaris GMT.

 

[Whiterook]

I just went to check their site, which I haven't been to for awhile. The discount is only 15% right now. I don't see much of the Mako and the Ray. Are they phasing them out? That would be a new coke kind of move!

 

[garyg]

My experience with Orient is only that - my experience - but I have read that my complaints aren't unique. It doesn't come at all well regulated, and the bezel fails quicker than others ,, kind of a more expensive Scooba Dood. Better packaging but then so what?

 

[Whiterook]

My three Orients seem to keep good time, but certainly not as good as my Omega Constellation. For the price range I am satisfied. As to the Mako, the bezel is painted, so does take scratches and scrapes.

 

[Multum in parvo]

8-12 secs/day when I tracked them so not too bad. No issues with bezels yet but they are fairly new.

 

[hairless wonder]

I have an original Mako (with the two crowns), an Orient Mako USA II, and an original Mako Triton. They can all take a NATO strap. That said, I only put my original Mako on a NATO because the bracelet design on the original Mako was horrible; over time, the bracelet bent the springbars and caused the watch to fall off. Switching out the bracelet out and replacing it with a strap was a way to save the watch.

Personally, I prefer wearing my dive watches on bracelets. But to each his own. Good luck!

 

[StillShaving]

If you are looking for a value dive watch you could take a look at Aragon's Divemaster 42 collection. I have a couple of their divers with the Swiss Ronda R150 movement and they have been accurate, keeping time within a second or two per day. I might have gotten lucky, but the timekeeping accuracy along with sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel, bracelet and okay lume (not great lume) has made for a good purchase. There is a holiday sale which may or may not be ending soon. Looks like their Navy Blue dial diver with the R150 movement is sold out, but a similar colored version is available with the Seiko NH36 movement at a lower price. This watch brand is best known by its large watches. This is one of their smallest watches, which I do not consider small but within the parameters of a diver even if I wish that a couple of MM were shaved off its height.

DIVEMASTER 42

A serious dive watch that’s so good-looking you’ll want to wear it all the time.

www.aragonwatch.com

That said Orient divers are very appealing, I was considering getting one when I stumbled upon the 42mm Aragon Diver.