Customer Reviews

'Great price and quality' Review by Roger

Rating

Bought this watch wanting a nice affordable automatic watch.

Really such a nice watch you will not be disappointed.

Looks great, feels great and is built like a tank.

Thanks Orient!


(Posted on 1/21/12)

'Amazing value!' Review by Matt

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Bought this watch for my dad as a Christmas present. Now I wish I would've bought two--one for him and one for me! I don't believe you could find a better automatic diver at this price point. Cheers to Orient!
(Posted on 12/1/11)

'Excellent Quality, Great Price' Review by D. C. M.

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I've been waiting until I've had this watch a few months before submitting a review. I have now had it more than 3 months, and it is a truly excellent watch. I own and regularly wear 6 different automatic watches, including some very nice and expensive Swiss watches. This Orient Mako keeps excellent time and is a great rugged, handsome watch.

I particularly got this watch because I wanted something waterproof for sea kayaking, but also good looking enough for everyday wear. This watch fits the bill.

I have two minor quibbles with it. Because I regularly rotate watches I often need to re-set it. The Orient Mako is easy to set but it's of course hard to set the exact time without the ability to stop the second hand. I know that hacking is found on more expensive watches, but it's still a feature I miss. The second quibble is the lack of a power reserve indicator. Sometimes It's nice to know how long you can let it sit before it stops.

Still, those are minor, and for a watch in this price range, it is really great.

Aesthetically, I think its pretty handsome without being too blingy. I've had a number of compliments on "my Rolex" which is too bad because I also say "no, my Orient".
(Posted on 11/8/11)

'Unbeatable value' Review by Jeffrey Duncan

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Looks great, has solid stainless steel bracelet, 1yr warrantee with purchase info, serial number handwritten in book.

While it may not seem intuitive to have the separate button for the day, the big benefit is it prevents you from accidently changing the day when all you need to do is change the date with the main crown...big plus. I had a Seiko which I would always forget which way to turn for the date and which way for the day. Just change the date in the morning...then you wont have to mess with the time as well...simple.

The watch that I got had the day button unscrewed, and black oil all around the crown and on the bezel, like a car mechanic had been looking at it or something. whatever...it works.
(Posted on 9/27/11)

'Best bang for the buck' Review by Logica10

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This is an impressive watch, given the price. Solid case and right dimensions, and great look. I have purchased mine after read many reviews online, and Orient Mako emerged as the clearest winner in this price range. Unfortunately, there wasn't an unit in stock with steel bracelet, and I had to stick with a rubber strap. Anyway, overall quality of this set is amazing for the price. The case is well polished, and sports one screwed crown (for hour and date day adjustment) and one screwed button (for day of week adjustment), which comes in english and in spanish. This ensured hermeticity and reinforces the 20-bar certification for this case, which in real-world should translate to reach a 50-60 metres diving depth flawlessly. The glass outstands for 0.5 millimiter over the metal bezel, so it's more exposed to scratches than other models which have the glass under the level of the outer rim of the bezel, however, as stated by the seller, this feature is commonplace in diving watches. Strictly, this is not a ISO-compliance diver watch, due to lack of lume in the indicator of seconds. Nevertheless, given the price, this is not a major failure at all. I would recommend this watch to everyone looking for a great looking unit, excellent hermeticity, great precision and unmatched price-features ratio, with a 100% made-in-Japan mechanical caliber . Perhaps Orient brand lacks glamour of their swiss counterparts, but certainly they produce the best mechanical watches for your money. Please forgive my english, since it's not my native language.
(Posted on 9/8/11)

'Great watch' Review by Fernando Nunes

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Highly recommended. Watch is very solid and well built. Thanks Orient watch USA for the smooth transaction and fast shipping.
(Posted on 7/2/11)

'I usually don't review products' Review by Clover

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I usually don't review products, although with the Orient Mako I felt it an obligation. The watch is superbly made and has a very solid feel. Accuracy is excellent, I have had the watch for several months. Usually needs adjusting once a month by a minute or two which is far better then many other automatic watches. The rotating bezel is solid and once you turn it a few times it has just the right amount of tension. I own several watches and for the dollar value the Orient Mako would have to be the best. It is easily in the same caliber as watches valued at 5-10 times the price. Did I mention the watch looks great for any occasion. Although not perfect, the watch is certainly worth its quality for the price and then some. As attested by many others this definitely won't be the last Orient watch I own.

Now for some constructive criticism, the band seems to be a little tight and occasionally will pinch the hair on my arm. The links could be separated just slightly to eliminate this. The crown is a little loose when in the pulled adjustment setting. Also I would add the commonly requested sapphire crystal, solid end links and maybe threaded link pins instead of the standard push type. All these points combined are merely minor nuisances compared to the overall value and quality and should not deter anyone from owning this fine watch. Although with the adjustments mentioned the Orient Mako would be as close to perfect in a watch as I can define.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Great Watch' Review by Watchman

I looked at all types of watches for a couple of weeks, needed a clean, sporty, submariner looking watch for work and casual nights out. This watch is everything I had hoped for. The fit is fantastic, the look is exactly what I wanted. As far as keeping accurate time, I have owned this watch for 8 days, I am gaining 3 seconds a day.. Incredible.. if you are looking for a classic submariner type automatic watch for a great price, your search is over..
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Highly recommended bargain watch buyers' Review by T J M

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My primary watch is an Omega Speedmaster Date and I've been eyeing a Planet Ocean, but just can't pull the trigger on spending $4,000 on it yet. I'd purchase an Invicta diver and immediately returned it. The build quality was bad, the bracelet was cheap, and worse of all it stopped working after a few hours. After coming across some youtube videos from Orient USA, the Black Mako caught my eye. The looks were similar to a Planet Ocean without seeming too much like a replica. After reading about the company's history and quality of the watches, I decided to buy it, and at these prices it seemed like a great bargain.

First impressions: The boxing is nothing spectacular, but that's not what I'm paying for. The bezel and face look really clean and the crown looks and feels sturdy when you are setting the time. The bracelet is much better than Invicta's, but not as good as my Omega. It is on the wider side at 22mm. There's a little squeeking when the links move around, but not a deal breaker for a $100 watch. I can certainly live with it, but I will probably switch it out with a leather band or a better stainless steel one. Removing links was fairly easy using my links removal kit. One thing I don't like so much is the folding metal pieces that are attached to the clasp. If it were more curved, it would feel more comfortable on the bottom of your wrist.

I've only owned it a few days, but have not had issues with the time being significantly off. If you are buying an automatic or mechanical watch, you should expect to have to make adjustments every few weeks or so. I'm completely happy with the purchase, but looking forward to customizing and improving the watch by switching out the band.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Watch for the money' Review by Pluto

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This watch is very solid and good-looking, especially considering it's entry-level price point. The supplied metal bracelet is very sturdy and is easily adjustable, and while the one-way bezel is tough to turn at first, it soon loosens up. There is little play between the watch body and the bracelet. All in all, this is an excellent first automatic watch for a person on a budget.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Great Watch Great Price' Review by Scott

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I don't normally write reviews, but this watch has been great. The case size is perfect and very well built, the dial is nice / not too busy, and it keeps good time. The bracelet is a little cheap, but it looks good and after a few adjustments fits perfectly. The best part is the price, I can enjoy this watch every day guilt free knowing how much it cost. I've been keeping an eye out for other Orient watches after my experience with this watch, but most are too flashy for my tastes. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Good Value!' Review by Ming

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This watch is certainly very good value for it's price.
I am already impressed when I opened the box. Very solid and finishing is superb. For this price, definitely no complaints but lots of compliments.
Bracelet is solid and I like the clasp- very secured.
Watch movement is smooth.
Just buy it for you will not get another quality watch at this price.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'smart purchase' Review by Joe

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Keeps time very well for an automatic watch. I am using this watch more than my Breitling and Omega. Good fit, great style and weight...why pay $$$ this is a sharp watch
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'5.0 out of 5 stars Classy looking and solidly built!' Review by Chris

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Just received today, and I gotta say the pictures do it no justice. Great finish on the case, flawless dial, and crown functions beautifully. That Orient movement is keeping great time so far! The dial is more of a charcoal than a true black. I've seen better bracelets but then again this is a hundred dollar watch. The fancy day pusher functions smoothly. It shines better than expected in the dark and the bezel lines up with the indices perfectly. However, speaking of the bezel, if you are the type that actually uses your bezel like I do, you will be frustrated with the amount of effort it takes to turn it. It's a b#%*h! But I did know that before I bought it. Well that's the short and sweet of it..bottom line..for the price you cant go wrong. If you like the style and can appreciate and live with an automatic movement..pull the trigger on one. It's really impressive.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Great Watch. Great Price' Review by MR

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Have been wearing it non stop for a month. Very pleased with the performance, looks, and quality. I have not encountered any of the problems described by some other reviews. As accurate as my Seiko that it replaced. Have been a loyal Seiko quartz/ kinetic user for 31 years. This watch cost about 1/4 of what any of my previous watches cost. I wear a watch for function rather than fashion but I kind of like the comments that people make about the watch, and the other colors of the Mako would be pretty cool to have. Mechanical watches make a statement in this world of quartz and fakes. No complaints so far.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Try hard to beat this Orient 200M Auto Diver' Review by Angelis

Rating

This is the Orient CEM65001B (Black on Black), there's a Blue on Blue version as well: CEM65002D

This watch is a solid masterpiece. It is so solid, and so well-made, you won't believe how little you paid for it---a comparable Swiss piece would have cost at least $350.00 more.

It has proven itself reliable to me, and it's a dressy dive watch. Let me tell you about the lume--very bright green.

It's one of Orient's best, and so so affordable.

I am sure you will love it, and it makes the perfect gift.

SPECS:

Movement Calibur: In-house 469
Case material: Brushed solid stainless steel casing
Case dimensions: 40mm in diameter without the crown, 43mm in diameter with crown; 13mm in thickness
Bezel: Stainless steel
Crystal type: Scratch resistant mineral crystal
Crown: Screw in crown, screw in date pusher
Water resistant: 200 meters
Face color: Black
Lug size: 20mm
Band type: Brushed solid stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp with push button
Band length: 8.75 inches including the watch, sizable down to 6 inches
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Meet the Invicta Kille' Review by CK

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The Orient Mako has a great reputation among watch fans and it deserves to be a more widely known brand to the public at large. This watch, the "entry level" Orient, does many things well and is a wonderful introduction to the brand.

Orient is a small Japanese company that is partially owned by Seiko. They've been around for more than 50 years, and their claim to fame is that they are a mechanical watch producer that designs and makes 100% of their movements in-house. The in-house designation is significant as it means the company does more than just buy off the shelf designs but rather is directly involved in creating and tuning the mechanical heart of their product. Rolex is know for their in-house work, but even such costly brands as Omega, TAG Heuer, and Breitling have most of their movements made for them by other companies (ETA for the most part). To have a finely crafted automatic watch in this price range that has been designed and manufactured by the seller is rare to say the least. The watches are also hand made, and in Japan as well.

As mentioned this is an automatic watch. The watch cannot be hand wound so you need to shake it to start it, and then it winds itself as you move your arm during the day - no batteries needed. The timekeeping is a tad less precise than a quartz, and for this movement (Orient's 469) the manufacturer states you can normally expect to lose up to to 20 seconds slow or fast each day. (More on this later.) Two related points: if you want to keep reasonably accurate time, you need to reset your watch every week or so, and if you are utterly sedentary during the day (i.e. drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home, sit in front of the TV) the watch may not get enough winding to stay working. You hardly need to run a marathon, maybe 15 minutes of walking total throughout the day will probably keep your watch (and yourself!) functioning well. The power reserve for this movement is roughly 40 hours, which I believe is accurate based on my own tests. (This is the time the watch will take to stop after you take it off when it is fully wound up.) The watch has a day and date complication, with weekday available in Spanish and English. The date complication is not "quick adjusting" so the day and date should not be adjusted from the hours of 9 PM to 4 AM as the gears are in the process of slowly rotating both day and date dials in that time frame.

Minor annoyance for precisonists: the second hand cannot be "hacked" - that is, when you set the time by pulling the crown out, the second hand continues to turn. That means getting an exact time sync is a challenge, as you will be always be fast or slow by however many seconds the third hand is away from 12 o'clock when you push the crown in. Unless you are leading a commando team on a raid, this probably will not be a major issue, but more expensive Swiss movements like those by ETA do offer the hacking feature as do some pricier Seikos. This and the accuracy issue is the biggest negative differences between quartz ownership and owning an automatic.

As to accuracy --- Orient avoids building your hopes up as the manual tells you to expect +25 to -15 seconds of time loss of gain per day. However, over 3 weeks of testing, my Mako keeps time to within +5 seconds per day. This is phenomenal and is within the realm of COSC standards (the expensive and prestigious Swiss timekeeping standard that watches that cost twenty or more times as much as the Mako are tested to). For a watch costing less than a cell phone to meet this standard over time is pretty amazing! You may or may not get this accuracy - anecdotally, many other web reviewers seem to have encountered this level of accuracy in their tests, so I think Orient is on to something here...

As for durability --- the face of the watch is mineral crystal, not sapphire. The bracelet is solid filled links, and feels and looks costly. The watch itself is water resistant to 200 meters, and features two screw down crowns (one for time setting, one for setting the weekday.) The bezel is steel, and turns relatively easily; it is scalloped, not coin-edged (i.e. needs your thumb not your fingernail to turn). Lume is on the dial numbers, the hour and minute hands, and at the 12 o'clock position of the bezel. The lume is decent, but not as good as say the Seiko Monster series - it will last for maybe 4-6 hours of light after sustained exposure to bright light. Warranty is one year through the manufacturer. Packaging is mundane, the manual barely adequate. The watch will probably need a lube and tune up once every 3-5 years, my estimate.

The watch is attractive and understated in style, especially with its black face. Unlike other inexpensive mechanical watches in its price range (cough, Invicta) the Mako does not strive to slavishly imitate the Rolex Submariner, but instead has its own aesthetic going on. The watch case is 41 mm, and the face of the watch itself is the standard 30mm diameter. On my 7.5 inch wrist, this sizing is adequate, but if the watch were slightly bigger it would probably look nicer, at least according to current fashion. (The newer and pricier Mako II aka "Hogrider" is indeed bigger by 5 mm but for roughly 33% higher cost). The neatest thing about this (or any other good automatic) is watching the sweep of the second hand. The watch mainspring beats 6 times per second (21,600 bph), and the second hand has 6 distinct stops between each marked second on the face. This slow majestic sweep is far more elegant that the clunk-ka-chunk precise once per second movement of a quartz analog. The back of the watch is a solid screw-down design, enhancing durability but without showing the movement inside as "exhibtion" casebacks would. (This is the one point I prefer about the Invicta 8926, though arguably looking at the blah Citizen Miyota movement on the 8926 has pretty limited appeal...)

The watch itself is superbly made. Everything feels solid, from the bracelet to the crown to the bezel. There is an Orient logo on the face and on the bracelet that is not problematic due to its subtlety. This doesn't look like a Rolex, but the level of quality is immensely impressive given the price and few observers will think this is a cheap watch by just looking at it.

All in all, for a dressy though sporty office watch, you can't go wrong with the Mako in black. As a stylish "beater", this would also be a good choice, as it is sturdy, handsome, and yet inexpensive enough that if you somehow did damage it, you wouldn't be crying the same tears that you would if you mashed up your $4,000 Omega Planet Ocean. If you were actually using this for diving, you would probably want either a different color face on your Mako or probably something with ISO Diver certification like the more expensive and less accurate Seiko Orange Monster.

The Orient Mako is a great watch, and hopefully at its low price point and high quality will help Orient establish itself firmly in the US market. Try one and see!
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'Solid Watch!' Review by M.T.Nino

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I love Orient watches because they are 100% Japanese. They are not made in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, or China. Nothing wrong with that, but a product from Japan is top notch quality. The Orient 200m is Automatic (In-house movement). Has a nice finish. Mineral crystal. Day-date. Day only push button changer. Honestly, this push button doesn't make any sense. In any case, the push botton should be made to change the date, not the day. As you know some months carry 28, 30, and 31 days. If I wear the watch all the time, I will not have any need to change days, but the date you need to making you unscrew the crown, just like any other automatic watch. Solid bracelet without extension. OD: 40mm x 13.5mm. Weight: 168-grams. This watch is a dressy sub and in black looks serious. Nice luminous hands and markers. All I can say is that, I can't wait to purchase my next Orient.
(Posted on 5/19/11)

'FIFTH ORIENT' Review by JAROBERTSON

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This is my fourth Orient I have purchased from Orient Watch USA. Always a first rate transaction and this is my second Mako Diver.
My first Mako was the blue dial with the Pepsi bezel. I gave that watch to my brother and he loves it. I decided that I wanted another Mako and purchased the black dial. The watch is big by my standards, 42mm and 13mm thick. The bezel on this diver turns much better than my fist Mako. I was surprised how easy it turns,the blue dial eased up after a while. The lume on these divers is first rate and shames all of my Swiss watches. Orient divers are the best divers you can find at this price, bar none. I've owned Invicta, and Orient is, in my opinion a better diver. The rotor spins smooth and the bracelet is not as noisy as the the bracelet on my Orient Star Explorer. All Orients have in-house movements and this is something most watch brands can't claim today. I highly recommend Orient and most especially this site if you want to own a Orient watch.
(Posted on 5/14/11)