The Best Orient Watches for Men: 15 Of Our Favorites

Orient is Japan’s largest producer of mechanical watches. And while everyone loves their Makos and Rays, this beloved brand offers far more than excellent dive homages — though they are excellent!

Today we’re rounding up, in our opinion, the 15 best Orient watches for men.

Since they’re so low priced though, you may be wondering…

 

Is Orient a Good Watch?

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Orient is a popular brand for affordable mechanical timepieces. They’re also known for manufacturing their movements in-house, which is super impressive.

Watch complications can really snowball prices. Orient, however, serves up multi-year calendars, GMTs, and power indicators for a fraction of the price you’ll find with a Swiss brand. Since so many watch collectors love complications, this definitely contributes to Orient’s popularity.

People love their top-notch homages and dives. I also think they make beautiful dress watches. The Orient Bambino is one of their most popular lines, after all!

Orient is a trusted brand partly due to a combination of their horological roots and contemporary professionalism. Their founder, Shogoro Yoshida, had been selling watches since the turn of the century and manufacturing gold wristwatches since 1912. By 1920, he even established a company that produced clocks and gauges. 

Today, the Orient Watch Company is in the same corporate family as Seiko. This is also great because in-house Orient movements are now equipped with Diashock, a Seiko-built shock-resistance system that keeps watches precise! 

Is Orient a High-end / Luxury Watch?

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Due to their affordability, Orient wouldn’t be considered a luxury brand. However, they’re lauded for their quality movements and designs.

The Orient Pro Saturation Diver (SEL02002B0), if you can find it, is over a grand. But this has more to do with the fact it’s a genuinely good tool watch with a lot of features, rather than it being super fancy. It’s even ISO-certified.

Are Orient Watches Good Quality?

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From cars to electronics, Japanese craftsmanship is acclaimed. Orient watches are no different.   

Every part in an Orient watch is built by a single manufacturer. So they have the luxury of consistent, well-tested quality-control. 

Orient’s current in-house F6 calibre series operates at six beats per second and often guarantees an accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day. However, most Mako II owners will tell you that they’ll gain anywhere from 2-5 seconds a day. That’s not too shabby for an affordable mechanical watch!

How Much Are Orient Watches? 

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The average Orient watch won’t surpass $300, and their classic dives (Ray II, Mako II, Kamasu) are usually below $150. 

Timepieces in Orient’s Star Collection can get into the upper $700s bracket. Very rarely will any Orient watch get higher than this.

Orient watches are truly affordable.

What is the Best Orient Watch? 

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There are so many Orient watches out there, and it all depends on what you’re looking for!

Let’s get to the roundup and find the right watch, or watches, for you. Here are our picks for the best Orient watches for men!

Orient Ray II 

Considered one of the best Rolex Sub homages out there, the Orient Ray II is a highly esteemed classic on its own. It features the quintessential bubbly indices and sword hands that Rolex often employs, but the Ray II has a slimmer bezel than the Sub.

Performance-wise, the lume is excellent, even with limited sun exposure. The Ray II also often gets compared to the Seiko SKX. Those who prefer the Ray II often attribute it to the hacking feature that the SKX lacks.

If the slimmer bezel is too dressy for you, try it with a rubber strap for a more rugged style!

ORIENT RAY II features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	41.5mm
Bezel Function	Unidirectional
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Mako II

Like the Ray II, the Mako II is a classic dive with an automatic movement and similarities to the Submariner. The Mako II is the Ray II’s more modern cousin, with a cleaner aesthetic.

Its face is less ornate and features thin indices and large Arabic numerals for 12, 9, and 6, which makes this watch exceedingly legible. The bezel is also cleaner with much smaller numbers compared to the Ray II.

Its original bracelet features smooth links, again, for a more modern and clean look, that’s still versatile. 

ORIENT RAY II features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	41.5mm
Bezel Function	Unidirectional
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Bambino 38mm

The Bambino is one of Orient’s most popular watches and in 2022, they responded to a lot of fan requests by creating this 7th version with a 38mm case. This is more inline with the proper dress watch sizing, and isn’t too small for bigger wrists.

Bambino “Generations” refer to movement upgrades.

The 2nd Generation category means that this Bambino features Orient’s F6722 calibre, which is an automatic hacking movement. The Versions refer to the dial design, which ranges from the more ornate Version II to the more modern Version III.

This variation features flawless applications, elegant sword hands, and a domed crystal which provides a charming distortion on the very edges.

I also love the push/pull crown because you can set the date and time with just a pull — such a time saver!

Overall, this watch is the perfect combo of antique design and modern simplicity.

ORIENT BAMBINO 38MM features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	38mm
Water Resistance	30m
Band Material	Leather strap

Orient Triton Dive, aka Neptune

This is a super fun diver that’s just a touch tactical. One of the design highlights is the power reserve complication on its face, which even features lume. This is a nice touch for this price point, as are the gold-colored coin edging and sapphire crystal.

It features drilled lugs, which make strap changes simple and easy. I think this watch is playful enough to go with different watch bands, especially a NATO or a rubber strap.

This Triton is a great option for you if you want a classic dive that’s just a little off the beaten path.

ORIENT TRITON features:

Movement	Automatic
Bezel Function	Unidirectional
Crystal	Sapphire
Case Size	43mm
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Esteem II Open Heart

The Orient Esteem II uses the Bambino template, with its sword hands and gem-like metal indices, but adds a circular open heart at the 9 o’clock area.

Through this window we get a glimpse into calibre F6T22, a 22-jewel automatic hand-winding and hacking movement.

This is perfect for you horologically curious gents and for those of you who love a touch of steampunk.

Personal style aside, the open heart works visually because the elegant jewels are an aesthetic match to the overall dressy look of the dial face. The exposed gears just add some muscle to it.

ORIENT ESTEEM II OPEN HEART FEATURES:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	41mm
Water Resistance	50m
Band Material	Leather strap

Orient Kamasu Dive

Along with the Ray II and Mako II, the Kamasu rounds out Orient’s classic dive trifecta. The Kamasu, however, is the most leveled up. 

It’s 120-click unidirectional bezel is crisp, and unlike the other two dives it features a sapphire crystal.

Design-wise, it’s the most grown-up looking, with slimmer, more polygonic indices and a slender hands on top of a beautiful, shiny dial.

ORIENT KAMASU features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	42mm
Bezel Function	Unidirectional
Crystal	Sapphire
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Sun and Moon 

Another eye-catching dress watch, this classy timepiece is appropriate for grown men and their sons. It’s sophisticated, but with a playful story to tell. 

Again, Orient gives us features that you’d expect at a much higher price point, like the sapphire crystal and the glimmery sun and moon complication. The characters of this complication chase each other beautifully on the dial.

The watch’s face features six layers, which adds aesthetic depth that really impresses.

ORIENT SUN AND MOON features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	42.5mm
Crystal	Sapphire
Water Resistance	50m
Band Material	Embossed leather band

Orient Defender II

I love how Orient has fun with reinvigorating traditional designs. The Defender II has a more detailed, sleek aesthetic than the average field watch.

For example, it forgoes Arabic hour markers and opts for clean rectangles that go well with a stainless steel bracelet.

However classy, it still features tried and true military designs including a 24-hour time indicator, a forest green dial, and a day of the week indicator. 

ORIENT DEFENDER II features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	42mm
Indicator	24-hour
Water Resistance	100m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Pilot RA-AC0H01L10B

This Pilot is an upgrade of a fan-favorite classic, the Flieger Type-B design. It features an updated mechanical movement and a fun yet legible face with hours in the smaller center circle.

The hands and markers are coated with the exceedingly bright lume, so this watch scores extra points for legibility even in low light. 

It’s a minimal design piece that adds a pop of aviator adventure to casual looks, particularly if you’re fond of bomber jackets.

Orient Pilot RA-AC0H01L10B features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	43mm
Water Resistance	100m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Neo Classic Sports

Another unique model from the Orient archives, this Neo Classic Sports Watch features a ‘60s-esque rainbow palette, but only in the form of accents via its dimensional indices.

The rest of the watch has a robust, highly topographical sport aesthetic. It combines the frenetic multi-track dial of a racing watch with the (almost) monotone build of an authoritative black-ops military model.

Suffice to say, all of this tempers the lively indices, balancing fun with brawn, which is also seen in the cushion case.

If you’re looking for a statement piece that’s fun but not gaudy, this guy is a good way to go. It’s limited to only 2000 pieces worldwide, but isn’t difficult to find on Amazon or other similar online markets.

Orient Neo Classic Sports features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	43.5mm
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Leather strap

ORIENT STAR: Classic

ORIENT STAR is Orient’s premier line, which has timeless dress watches at reasonable prices. This option is the line’s classic conservative timepiece, a sort of flagship watch, and is featured at a classic size.

The elegant aesthetic includes a clean white dial, a sophisticated power reserve sundial, and a croco-embossed leather strap.

Even the box it comes in is beautiful. It’s a stark matte black with a classy suede interior, perfect as a showcase box.

ORIENT STAR CLASSIC features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	38.5mm
Water Resistance	50m
Band Material	Embossed Leather band

Orient Neo 70s Panda Chronograph

I actually like the design of this panda chronograph more than the Omega Speedmaster panda style. It features a raised black chapter ring and applied indices, which makes it look more stepped. I personally love a lot of layers on a chronograph. 

The smooth bezel also makes for a sleeker, but still sporty, chronograph that’s just a tad more unique. The movement is a solar-powered quartz, which is of course super accurate.

This is definitely one of the best low-priced chronographs out there!

ORIENT NEO 70S PANDA CHRONOGRAPH features:

Movement	Solar-powered quartz
Case Size	42mm
Water Resistance	100m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

ORIENT STAR Diver

If you’re looking for a dive watch that’s unique without being controversial, I highly recommend this diver from the ORIENT STAR line. It’s kind of an exotic timepiece anywhere outside of Japan, where it’s most popular. 

Style-wise, it features a unique black coin bezeling that gives it an edge, and gorgeous light-saber shaped hands that are part cut-out and part opaque. The dial and bezel are an impressive high-shine blue.

Performance-wise, this Orient Star has all of the classic dive features and includes a sapphire crystal, a power reserve complication, and an automatic movement with a 50-hour power reserve.

ORIENT STAR DIVE WATCH features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	43.6m
Crystal	Sapphire
Power Reserve	50-hour
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel bracelet

Orient Flight FUNG2004F Green

In many ways, this Flight is an affordable version of the RA-AC0H (or a more affordable version, since the RA-AC0H won’t break the bank either!), however its difference in style and features make it desirable for reasons other than its price.

Style-wise, it’s more rugged. The face doesn’t feature a middle circle like the RA-AC0H for a more frenetic look, and the canvas strap has a cool military aesthetic.

The black PVD-coating on the fixed bezel adds to the robust look and its actual durability. And of course, this flight features an accurate quartz movement.

ORIENT FLIGHT FUNG2004F features:

Movement	Quartz
Case Size	42mm
Bezel Coating	PVD
Water Resistance	50m
Band Material	Stainless steel

ORIENT STAR Netto

Another distinct model from Orient Star, the Netto watch somehow manages to take the concept of the open heart, which usually adds a fanciful quality, and gives it a seriously sophisticated look.

Part of the reason is that every detail is immaculately finished, from the gold outline of the open heart window (which cleverly matches the cardinal indices) to the slim Roman hours. 

For the Netto, Orient Star takes elements that are usually used to create an ornate, baroque watch, and sharpens them. The result is an exquisite timepiece that fills the gap between understated professional and fancy evening wear.

ORIENT STAR netto features:

Movement	Automatic
Case Size	40mm
Water Resistance	50m
Band Material	Leather strap

Bonus: Orient Kamasu Black-Ion Plated

I know that this is just a different variation of the Kamasu. However, in a perfect world, I’d add fan-favorite Orient Nami to a roundup of available Orient watches.

Since it’s so elusive, this version of the Kamasu, with a rubber strap, is just as cool looking! I particularly love the gold coin bezel!

ORIENT KAMASU BLACK ION-PLATED features:

Movement	Automatic
Plated	Black-Ion
Case Size	42mm
Bezel Function	Unidirectional
Water Resistance	200m
Band Material	Stainless steel

The Best Orient Watch For You

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Whether you’re looking for a dive homage like the Ray II or something that really stands out like the Disc Rainbow, Orient is really a fun brand to experiment with since everything is so affordable!

We hope this was helpful in helping you find your Orient watch. Got any questions? Feel free to DM us on Instagram.