Orient Mako 40mm review

Smaller watches have returned to popularity in the last few years and Orient has finally given us the budget diver that we’ve all been waiting for, the Orient Mako 40mm (39.9mm to be exact), and I couldn’t be more thrilled to tell you all about it.

Specs
Case size: 39.9mm
Lug to lug: 46.5mm
Lug width: 20mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case material: Stainless steel
Glass: Sapphire Crystal
Caseback: Screw caseback
Movement: Orient Calibre F6722 (Automatic, Hand winding, Hacking)
Complications: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Date
Power Reserve: 40 hours
VPH: 21,600
Jewels: 22
Water Resistance: 200m (Not ISO)
RRP: US$340 / S$359
Reference: RA-AC0Q05P

Overview
The Orient diver models have traditionally been at least 41.5mm in diameter or larger which isn’t a bad size for a dive watch at all. However there are many of us who simply find smaller watches more comfortable and that demand has really shown a resurgence in recent years.

Orient hasn’t been the quickest to respond to the shift back to smaller watches but at least we’re already seeing their intentions with the recent 38mm Bambino and now with the 39.9mm Orient Mako. 

This new model comes in 5 dial colour variations, we have black, navy and white on a steel bracelet and apricot and lilac on a colour-matched calfskin nato strap.

Here I have my own apricot version for this review.

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
Now as far as I can tell, this 39.9mm case is completely new as I can’t think of any recent models with a similar case size. The 46.5mm lug to lug distance fits my 6.25” wrist really nicely even on a nato strap which tends to protrude out the sides more than most bracelets.

The finishing is also really nice with mirror polished sides extending up to the beveling and a brushed finish on top of the lugs. There are also no crown guards giving very easy access to the signed crown which on a watch this size, I think is the right way to go.

The rotating bezel also appears to be a single piece of steel with the markings machined out of it rather than having the usual aluminium insert like their other dive watches. The markings are filled with black paint and there is no lume pip but this isn’t an ISO dive watch and I think it looks better without one anyway.

On the top we thankfully have a flat sapphire glass crystal that is flush with the bezel and on the back is Orient’s signature solid screwdown caseback with the dolphin icon etched onto it.

Dial
As this is a smaller watch compared to the conventional Mako and Kamasu, the dial has been simplified with simple bar indices and just a single framed date window at the 3 o’clock position. The hour and minute hands are a simple baton design with an arrow tipped seconds hand.

Orient calls the dial colour “Apricot” but it feels closer to a “Salmon” colour to me. It has a nice and clean sunburst finish to it and features the usual applied Orient logo and printed text.

This dial did cause some degree of controversy when it was first released due to the printed minute scale around the edge of the dial. Early adopters were quick to notice a flaw in the distance between the 26 and 27 minute mark. Some early reviews even called out Orient for not spotting such an obvious mistake. 

Orient quickly responded with a recall to replace the dial on affected pieces, which was pretty much the entire first batch of these watches. I myself did feel something was off when I first got the watch but it never really bothered me.

Unsurprisingly, the flawed dial has now become a collectors item and is even being sought after now that it has been corrected. I’m told that owners of affected pieces aren’t even sending their watches in due to its sudden collectability. I’m definitely holding on to mine.

The lume is pretty standard, good and reliable. It covers the bar indices, hands and seconds tip giving it a very elegant look which suits the size of the watch very well.

Movement
The movement in the back is Orient’s in-house workhorse Caliber F6722. It is an automatic movement that hacks, hand-winds, and is accurate to -15/+25spd. It is very similar to the movement used in the current Mako’s, Ray’s and Kamasu, the only difference is that it omits the date complication to accomodate the smaller dial.

These Orient movements have been out for several years now and are proving to be solid and reliable. Don’t be fooled by the spec sheet as more often than not these tend to run well within the spec, and can be easily regulated if needed.

Strap
While most of the other models come on a steel bracelet, the nato strap that comes on this is really quite nice. The calfskin leather has a textured surface on the top and a suede like surface underneath. It is also very supple once broken in making it very comfortable to wear throughout the day.

The strap features stainless steel hardware and a signed buckle. As it is a 20mm lug width, you’ll have no shortage of options if you decide to swap it out for something else.

Final thoughts
So to conclude this review, the Mako 40 represents a fresh addition to the Orient line up. Especially for smaller wristed people like myself or simply those who prefer smaller watches, this is an interesting budget option to consider. It is very elegantly styled compared to their typically sporty looking dive watches while still retaining a casual feel suitable for almost any occasion.

It is also very affordably priced and coming from a longstanding brand like Orient, is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a casual, understated, yet durable watch on a budget.