Orient Black Mako

[AzPaul]

Not having anything large to put on my wrist, it occured to me that the time had arrived for a diver. And since my price range was sowewhere between a Steinhart and a Cracker Jack box (leaning more towards the Cracker Jack box) it was hard not to be intrigued by the Orient 'Mako'.

So here are a few after purchase observations:

Feel: The watch is quite heavy. Whether that's good or bad is up to the individual but if you're not used to wearing such a hefty piece, it does take some getting used to. On the plus side, the weight distributes very nicely across the wrist. On the minus side, the bracelet does have a few blind spots in how you can size it. In my case, I'd like to snug it up just a tick more but the next available position is a little too tight. Still, the issue is a tiny one and overall I'm impressed with the quality of the bracelet at that price point.

Styling: What can you say, it's a great looking watch. The day/date quinella wasn't a huge selling point for me, I usually know what day it is, but it's easy enough to set and certainly doesn't dominate the dial. The bezel is quite sharp with a deep luster and I found it turned rather easily (in spite of some complaints I'd read about this in many reviews). The crystal is flat, which I like, not really a fan of the magnifier bubble, and this helps keep the profile of the watch in check. The dial itself isn't actually black, more of a slate color, but the slight difference only makes the bezel jump more while adding some additional depth to the watch's overall appearance.

Function: Here's where this watch is really amazing. It's mechanical. I know there's nothing 'wrong' with a quartz movement but to find a solid mechanical piece in this dollar ballpark is pretty amazing. Mine runs a little fast, about 13 seconds a day thus far, but I'm not gonna complain about that. In this price range, some concessions have to be made. The watch doesn't have a manual wind but again, what does one expect for $120. To wind it, you simply wear it and thus far, it hasn't stopped running since I first put it on. I'm not a diver so the lume isn't really essential to me but from what I've seen, it's fairly bright. As to its duration, I haven't checked.

Overall opinion: So far so good. What's important to remember is just what exactly you have in the Mako. If you're going to compare it to a Sub or a Seamaster, then obviously you're going to be disappointed but in its price range, matched against similarly priced pieces from Seiko, Bulova or Invicta, can't imagine anyone wouldn't be impressed.

[2th Dr]

For the price, it's a KILLER watch! I had the blue dial and it looked like a much more expensive watch. Can't go wrong with Orient. I wish I hadn't sold it.

[arezzo66]

Very Nice Review, your watch is known as the Orient "Ray", the Mako and Mako XL have Arabic Numerals, I own the Ray in Black and Blue, for the money you can't go wrong with them, just amazing watches, plus the lack of polished surfaces means its more of a tool watch vs. the newer blingier Rolexes, has that Vintage something to them plus if they were to get damaged or smashed or stolen you're like whatever, go out and buy another one :-), thats serious Peace of Mind.

S

[AzPaul]

You're exactly right about it being the 'Ray'. Seems it's called the 'new' Mako on a number of sites but that doesn't excuse my sloppiness.

To be more specific, the watch pictured above is the EM65008B.

The good folks at Orient have a little YouTube video that shows it off rather nicely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=of3Ow_nDcag