Orient Mako Sapphire review

My first automatic watch was a first generation Orient Mako that my Dad bought for me. All I knew about watches back then was that it looked like that Rolex all the rich guys had and I wanted one in blue. I mean, what did I know, right? And while it did cost more than the casual quartz or Casio watches that I was used to wearing, it was hardly as expensive as I would have expected a “luxury” watch would be. Soon I would end up getting another one in black, and then another Orient Ray in PVD, and then.. Well you get the idea.

So as my interest and knowledge about watches grew, I started to understand more things like the difference between mineral and sapphire glass, automatic vs manual and so on. I then came to know about the Orient Kamasu which although slightly more expensive, came with a sapphire crystal unlike the less scratch-resistant mineral crystal on the Mako. I was never really a fan of the first generation Kamasu dial either and always wished I could pay just a bit more for a Mako with a sapphire glass without having to resort to third party modifications. I know I probably wasn’t the only one that wanted that as well.

Well, now we can.

Specs
Case size: 41.8mm
Lug to lug: 46.8mm
Lug width: 22mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case material: Stainless steel
Glass: Sapphire Crystal
Caseback: Screw caseback
Movement: Orient Calibre F6922 (Automatic, Hand winding, Hacking)
Complications: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Day, Date
Power Reserve: 40 hours
VPH: 21,600
Jewels: 22
Water Resistance: 200m
RRP: US$340 / S$459
Reference: RA-AA0821S

Overview
In the past if you wanted a budget dive style watch from Orient but also wanted the scratch resistance of sapphire glass, you’d be forced to look at the Kamasu or perhaps the larger sized Triton line. Although the Kamasu is one of Orient’s best selling models, if you wanted Arabic numerals on the dial you’d have to settle for the mineral glass crystal on the Orient Mako. Some would even go out of their way to have their Mako’s modified and fitted with aftermarket sapphire crystals. Thankfully this is no longer necessary.

The new Mako Sapphire or Mako III is basically a Kamasu with a Mako dial. You get all the benefits of the Kamasu especially the sapphire crystal along with the fun and casual design of the Mako dial. It is currently offered in 4 colour styles, each with a unique two tone bezel and 2 different colours on the tip of the seconds hand.

The new Mako comes in either a blue, or an ivory dial paired with a light blue/blue and a beige/green bezel respectively, supposedly depicting beach views during the day. It also comes in a bordeaux, or a grey dial paired with a light grey/grey and a bordeaux/brown bezel respectively, meant to depict beach views in the twilight. Going further to suggest the sun’s rays in the various colour settings are a yellow tip on the seconds hand of the blue and bordeaux dial models, and an orange tip on the seconds hand of the ivory and grey dial models.

The model that I am reviewing today is the ivory dial version which I personally bought for myself.

Case
At 41.8mm in diameter, this is actually the same case as the Orient Kamasu and not the original 2nd gen. Orient Mako. With the same 46.8mm lug to lug distance, it gives the same comfortable fit on my 6.25” wrist. A nice touch that I observed is how they decided to recreate the simpler case finish of the Mako line instead of using the slightly more defined bevelling found on the Kamasu line. I suppose it’s probably cheaper to do so as well.

Another nice touch is the use of a larger crown which has been one of the biggest criticisms of the Kamasu line. The new screw down crown that’s been paired with the case has an excellent grip and is much easier to operate compared to what is offered on the first two generations of Kamasu.

Those details aside, the rest of the case is practically the same with a solid screw down caseback, 200m of water resistance, a 120 click bezel with aluminium insert, and of course a flat sapphire glass crystal which sits ever so slightly beneath the rotating bezel.

Dial
Apart from the new colours, the layout and design of the dial is practically the same as the Mako’s that came before it with a couple of small and one notable exception. We still get the 12, 6 and 9 o’clock arabic numerals with pointed bar indices for the remaining hours. We also still get the framed day and date windows at the 3 o’clock position along with the same applied Orient logo and printed dial text, the only difference being that instead of 200m it now writes 20 bar.

The major design change from the previous Mako’s is the removal of the beveled chapter ring in favour of a flat one-piece dial. This is similar to that of the Kamasu dial which I suppose makes sense as it is now using the Kamasu case instead of the Mako 2 case. I think this is a really good move though as it really helps the dial to stand out more compared to the beveled chapter ring design.

While some of the other colour ways appear to have a matt finished dial, my ivory dial receives a very subtle sunburst finish that really gives a unique vibrance to it. Apart from that, the sword minute and hour hands are the same as the previous generation while the seconds hand receives an ever so slightly longer counterbalance.

The lume applied on the hands and hour markers is very similar to other budget Orient divers, while nothing to shout about, it is definitely very good and usable for the price especially when compared to some other major brands that cost several times more.

Movement
Powering the watch we have Orient’s in-house workhorse, the Caliber F6922 which is automatic, hand-winds, hacks and is accurate to -15/+25spd. This is the same movement used in the Kamasu as well as many of the latest Orient day/date dive watches in the lower price range.

This movement has been out for several years now and is proving to be a solid and reliable one. Don’t be fooled by the spec sheet as more often than not these tend to run well within the spec, and if you happen to get one that is very close to the limit or out of the spec it can be easily regulated.

Bracelet
Because this is basically the same case as the Kamasu, we also get the same bracelet which isn’t a bad thing considering the price. Yes it may have a stamped clasp and hollow end links but it works well and is surprisingly comfortable. To expect more at this price would be quite an ask honestly.

The good thing is there are readily available aftermarket options including ones with solid end links and milled clasps for those of you willing to pay for it. It also pairs very well with NATO and rubber straps as well as leather for those who can accept leather on a diver. I personally haven’t found a strong enough reason to replace the stock bracelet yet though.

Final thoughts
So this is quite literally the watch that many of us have been waiting for. Traditional Orient Mako looks in an updated yet barely noticeably different body. The new range of colours are also fun and refreshing without being over the top. This is a great everyday watch for a lot of people as it could probably blend in to almost any situation, and at a price that is very reasonable for a solid beater watch.