Orient Kamasu II Limited Edition review
- Posted by Shaun Seah
- On 28/12/2021
- 1
So I had previously posted my review of the standard grey dial Kamasu II. Long story short, its introduction caused me to further expand my dive watch collection against my better judgement. Bugger me.
So while I’ve not regretted getting the Kamasu II one bit, all this while I’d been torn between the standard grey dial and the limited edition burgundy dial. I eventually settled on the grey dial due to versatility and didn’t look back. But Dad decided to one up me and pick up one of these. And that’s why we are able to have this review today.
Specs
Case size: 41.8mm
Lug to lug: 46.8mm
Lug width: 22mm
Case material: Stainless steel
Glass: Sapphire Crystal
Caseback: Screw down, Stainless steel
Movement: F6922 (Automatic, Hacking, Hand-winding)
Complications: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Day, Date
Power Reserve: 40 hours
VPH: 21600
Jewels: 22
Water Resistance: 200m
RRP: S$479 (S$429 for the standard models)
Reference: RA-AA00813R
Overview
I reiterate that I’ve already reviewed the standard model here, hence I shall not bore you by repeating(or ctrl+c, ctrl+v-ing) my essay again since these two models are virtually identical apart from the dial colour, case colour and leather strap.
In summary this range is what the Mako/Ray wished they were, a sapphire glass version of themselves. The original Kamasu was released in 2019 and this new line is effectively a refresh of the 2019 Kamasu that adopts vintage-inspired style cues and round indices similar to the Orient Ray(or some would say Submariner).
The standard models come in 3 dial colours: grey, blue-green and green, all in a stainless steel case and metal bracelet. The limited edition piece we are reviewing today has a burgundy dial and comes in a copper plated stainless steel case and a vintage style leather strap. Only 2000 pieces are available so you better be quick if you want one.
Case
Like the grey Kamasu, the case is also brushed on the top and side with a polished beveled edge in between. The main standout is the copper plating which gives it a more vintage styling. There is a screw down crown flanked by compact crown guards but as I mentioned before, this crown is on the small side and does make operating it a tad trickier than usual. Grip issues aside, it does feel sturdy and smooth to operate.
On the back is a polished screw down case back that is not copper plated, probably to save cost but that’s the right place to do it. This helps give it a 200m or 20bar water resistance but I stress that this is not an ISO dive watch. It wears very comfortably on my 6.25” wrist, in fact even more so than the Mako/Ray in my opinion. I believe this is likely due to the lug design making it feel more spread out.
The 120-click bezel is smooth to operate and is copper plated to match the case. The insert is a two tone aluminium insert in matte brown and a red 15 minute section. It is a beautiful colour pairing with the burgundy dial that some people may even describe as root beer like. I’m happy to report that the bezel on this piece perfectly lines up with the markers on the dial.
Dial
The dial comes in a beautiful burgundy gradation on a textured finish. All the other features are the same as the rest of the range such as the day/date cutout that is surrounded by a polished frame as well as the hands and indices.
The Orient logo and text on the dial are also rather minimal giving it an uncluttered look that is easy to read at a glance. Faux patina lume generously applied on all markers and much of the hands complete the vintage-styled look.
Movement
The watch features the same Orient calibre F6922 movement that was found on the original Kamasu as well as many of their other modern sports watches. It is a movement that I’ve constantly raved about as there’s frankly not much I can criticise about it at this price point. It hacks, hand winds, self-winds, has quickset day and date function and is accurate to -15/+25spd.
I don’t religiously record the performance of the movement on a daily basis but I have spent enough time with quite a few of these and can tell you that I am getting a pretty good accuracy of between +6 to +12spd across the board on these movements.
Strap
While the rest of the range comes on the original Kamsau steel bracelet, this one comes on a vintage style leather strap. While I’m not always a fan of leather straps on divers, this one is definitely a standout to me. The texture and colour of both the leather and the hardware is very well matched to the case and really rounds up the vintage look. We have a simple pin and signed buckle, also copper plated to match the case.
Like most other orient leather straps, this one is a little bit stiff out of the box but it does soften with a bit of breaking in. I am finding it very comfortable to wear on my small 6.25” wrist but if you do wish to swap it out for something else, you’ll have no lack of options as this is a 22mm lug width.
Final thoughts
On the Orient side of things, this is undoubtedly one of the standouts for 2021. The original Kamasu was already a winner and the second generation refresh brings a whole new aesthetic to the line which is popular among many. This limited edition piece in particular really sets itself apart from the rest of the line style wise and really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated.
Thanks to what I hear was a relatively generous allocation to the Singapore market, there are still some pieces available so you can check out BigTimeSGP and their dealers if you’d like to secure one for yourself.
Shop this watch on:
Lazada Singapore (Not an affiliate link, I don’t earn any commission)
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