Do Orient Watches Have A Future? 

No, Orient doesn't make snotty $1k watches. What they are doing is making better watches than Seiko for half the price.

I have 3 Orient watches. All 3 were below $200. They keep just as good time as my higher end Swiss watches. I hope orient continues to grow in the watch world.

Orient is already the 3rd largest watch company in Japan and they're growing, not shrinking. They offer the best value proposition on the market and have increased sales for 7 years in a row with no end in sight. While Seiko mocks its customer base with unwanted "upgrades" and continued QC issues, Orient continues to grow by giving customers what they actually want at a much better price. I'm pretty sure they'll be fine.

I own one Orient, 52 years, still using it at this moment...

This video totally misses the role of Orient in the market today by focusing too heavily on movements which only enthusiasts care about. With the vacuum created by rising Seiko prices, Orient is left as the sole bargain, entry level automatic watches with a big brand name. Their future looks very bright. They can however, improve marketing and distribution as alluded to in the video. They have no presence in the US.

I have a completely different take. I see Orient filling the void created by Seiko dropping out of the entry level dive watch market. The pusher date function has been dropped by Orient and their movements have been improved. I predict Orient is going to thrive!

I have both Orient and Seiko watches amongst others and love both but must admit that Orient does have better attention to detail and less quality issues relating to alignment than others. Plus they have probably one of the best bezel actions on their divers than many more expensive brands. Orient have been around for 71 years and will be still around when many other brands will be nothing more than distant memories.

I own three Orient watches . An Orient Mforce Bravo, a Orient Triton and the new 2020 Orient Mforce watch . I love my Orient watches and in some ways puts Seiko mid tier watches to shame .

Orient is better than Seiko but people don't go to Orient cause of their "original" designs they go cause of the offering and bang x buck pieces, you go and get a Ray II (like I did) cause you need a sport watch that you can enjoy everyday and can really trust on, keeping a classic and eyecatching look...and yes..it is an in-house movement for under 170 usd I have great expectations for this brand in the future.

Watching this wearing my Orient Sun and Moon. The level of finishing on the dial is unreal for the price. And here in France, the distribution is not that bad, Orients are readily available.

With the designs of the new Seiko 5 sports seemingly targeting the fashion market and their enthusiast range ("Alpinist," Proxpex, etc) now costing upwards of £500; Orient seems to be filling the gap in the affordable £200-£300 enthusiast market. Seems almost deliberate by Seiko.

There's very little to agree with in this video. Orient is great! Their QC beats the crap out of Seiko's, and most of their watches are much more aesthetically pleasing. The fact that they can make them available at such a low cost is truly impressive-particularly since Seiko has recently tried (and largely failed) to go up-market. Seiko stopped being relevant with the discontinuation of the SARB and SKX lines and their subsequent (and ridiculous) price hikes.

What an absurd video. Seiko (excluding Grand Seiko) has made itself redundant. Orient has a large catalog of very reasonably priced automatic watches with a wide range of styles. The company makes stupid decisions sometimes, just as every company does. But its outlet in the US offers some very good sales, not to mention other retailers. Orient is what so-called fashion watches should be but are not. Orient's movements have been generally superior to Seiko's movements for years. These movements are work horses that support the watch designs. As for these designs, singling out the Bambinos, there are by now five or more "generations," all currently available, that look very different. But there are more than Bambinos. I have only two criticisms, after buying over 12 Orients. First, warranty repairs take way too long. Second, Orient's only true certified diver now in production looks hideous.

I have three orients, almost by accident. They always have something for every occasion and their quality/price combination are difficult to beat. I believe that because Seiko is starting to get more expensive, this creates a stronger segment for Orient to operate in.

I have 5 orients and they’ve all been fantastic in quality for the price, though I haven’t seen anything new I like since my red Kamasu. Hoping to see some real knocks outs in the future.

All the watches in my collection are Orient and Orient Star (except for one Credor) and couldn't be happier, I love all of them from the 3 Stars to the Orient Stars, one of the best brands for it's quality, humble and great watchmaking offer

I really like Orient. Hope they thrive for years to come.

Orient are taking the place of seiko in the lower tiers. Just look at the kamasu. What other brand can offer in-house, cheap to service movements, original designs (for the most part) good build quality and also have a decent heritage to boot.

I own a Bambino, blue Ray II and red Kamasu. All are accurate, reliable, and beautiful. If Orient keep putting out quality like this, and maintaining an affordable price point, they'll be around and relevant for a LONG time.

Orient definitely has a cult following. I've enjoyed owning a Kamasu and A Saturation Diver. I couldn't be happier with the unique and bonkers offerings. I hope they keep it up and work towards a future.

I love Orient, and hope they can refocus and rebrand with a positive outlook

I'm just getting into this watch thing, and will probably never afford a $1000+ watch. As such I've become a fan of Seiko. As my champagne taste doesn't match my beer budget, I can appreciate where Orient falls in the scheme of things. I think they're attractive, and people comment or ask what I'm wearing on my wrist, and I like that!

How someone can spend 13 minutes suggesting a watch is 'unimaginative' is completely beyond me.

This past Christmas season I embarked on a project. A 3 watch travel/vacation collection, diver, dressy and sporty. Within 2 weeks I ordered and received a Orient Kamasu Red Dial + Strapcode bracelet, found and bought a NOS Orient Star Classic with a Bespoke Croc strap replacement and the Orient Star Outdoor with a Oriental themed print on Bespoke Canvas/leather. It’s a knock out, and if stolen piss me off but ok, great great setup. Only thing is I’m not travelling yet, so they remain essentially unworn. So much bang per buck.

Have you taken a look at the Orient Mako II? Doesn’t look at all like the Rolex Submariner or the Omega Seamaster at all to me- pretty original design actually, and unlike many divers that replicate the two I mentioned until the last detail. Did you know that all of Orient’s automatic movements are in-house?

I personally love Orient watches. I own three - the Bambino 2 and 4 and the Kamasu. I must admit, the Bambino 4 doesn't appeal to me as much now as when I bought it, but I really love the Bambino 2. The Kamasu has a sapphire crystal which I think is a nice upgrade. I do realize these watches may be considered entry level; however, if you do not want to purchase a watch costing thousands of dollars, you absolutely cannot beat the price. I recently just got into watches. I am a woman who just learned large watches worn by women are all the rage! This opened up a whole new world for me as I always thought men's watches were nicer. I put on colored leather straps that give them a more feminine look. Men shouldn't be able to have all the fun! LOL!

With the new price positioning of Seiko, Orient gains more and more market shares and sympathy from the enthusiasts. Here I would normally say they should streamline their portfolio and concentrate on the bestsellers. But since it is an entry level brand, there are a lot of regions in this world where even a so called „non aesthetic“ watch can be their bestseller simply because of the pricing. At the end of the day: if a company can produce a Kamasu and sell it on the 200€/$ base with all boxes checked, this company is definitely doing something very much right. And I would even say that the strength of Orient, forces Seiko to look for a new price position which is way higher today than it was before. Orient stands there where Seiko was before with the SKX only with better portfolio.

Orient is affordable and reliable. True some of the designs are lacking particularly the hand style on many models but every so often they come up with a real winner. On a side note, I always liked the pusher and have several with this feature. Given the price point and overall quality they cannot be beat.

FYI, the Valjoux 7750 has sometimes been dismissed as a cheap, mass-produced movement from the 1970s.

I have a Orient Star Retrograde and I love the complications and finish of the watch. I don’t wear it as much as others but I wouldn’t part with it either!

I recently picked up a ray raven 2 and took it on vacation as my alternative beater watch, I actually ended up wearing it every day and by the time I was flying back home it had already become one of my favorite pieces.

orient are the new seiko. seiko take the piss

Orient is better than Seiko. I have never witnessed nor heard of the QC issues like Seiko has. It pretty sad that people have to be impressed when Seiko actually lines up a dial on a $1,000 plus watch. I used to really like Seiko, but I won’t pay more for less.

I have four Orients. You can feel the quality of the movement when you wind them. You never see them in UK. Accuracy is very good. Will buy another.

i own two Orient watches, they are both great :) hope they turn things around

Great video! Learned a lot about Orient. What was that square watch that almost looked like an old radio dial? Thank you!

I have owned two Orient watches. I still have one and I gifted the other. I bought a Citizen and traded it a week later. The only Seiko I have had is of the Grand variety.

The only thing I don’t like about the Orient divers is the crown is hard AF to screw down. Sometimes the bezel is hard to turn but don’t really use it anyways

I mean, I purchased one of their higher end orient star open heart sport watches recently and for price to cost ratio I'm actually pretty impressed. Paid about $500 on the Grey market and I get a nice design, solid end links and links, milled clasp, signed crown, sapphire crystal and really great finishing with an in house movement with a decent amount of decoration and made in Japan. It feels much better quality than most of my seikos for the same price and rivals some of my Swiss pieces in quality. They'll always have a market for people who value a good bargain imo

I recently bought a Orient Ray ll. I really like it! I plan on buying the Orient Kamasu next.

I just bought a orient with no name. Green orange bezel. I loved as soon as I pulled out of the box. Yes it’s not as refined as seiko but I paid $250 for it brand new out of the box.

If you buy an Orient from any retailer in the UK, including Amazon or another online company, its the retailer not the manufacturer to whom you should bring up quality issues. If it is not fit for purpose, the retailer is required to at the least refund you if it's not possible to address the problem (and at the price they sell for it probably isn't) so you can either try again with another purchase or decide against. I'd suggest that watches such as the Kamasu have taken the position of the SKX compared to the Seiko 5s in terms of great value automatic Japanese dive watches, design and bang for buck.

The Orient Ray II was the first proper automatic watch i ever bought. I was so impressed that I now own 3 Orients, and probably more in the future. They offer tremendous value for money, and are the perfect first watch for someone like me who are just starting out. You cant go wrong with an Orient watch IMO.

I think something that should be mentioned is that Orient Watch Co. is a fairly small company compared to their competitors and parent company (Seiko). They accomplish a lot for what they are and offer it at lower cost due to movements being somewhat older and less refined, but they manage to keep it in-house which is another interesting feat. I don't think they're going to disappear anytime soon. They have a fan base and their quality is above what I have seen on recent Timex automatics and other entry levels.

they sure do!!! the designs are much better than their parent company seiko. i got their SUN & MOON V3, BAMBOO GEN2 V2, SYMPHONY 3. very expensive great looking watches for the money!!!! also got their diver with killer lume and power reserve. TRITON/NEPTUNE. inhouse movements. cant go wrong.

I think Orient offer equal or better value than lower to mid range Seiko watches pound for pound. I would not be surprised if some parts are shared. Whilst it brings frustrations on some fronts there is something appealing about having a somewhat relatively exclusive imported watch i.e. not something that everyone can wonder down to the local high street and pick up during their lunch break.

At least they have their own movements rather than many of those Swiss counterparts

I just received my orient 3 star automatic watch. Wow what an gorgeous watch. Quality very good. Looks extremely expensive. 👌

Just watched a couple of your vids and enjoyed them… have you stopped making videos?

My first diver was an Orient. I got married wearing it. I love Orient. If a movement keeps good time, does it matter if it dates back 30 or 40 years? I think not. Miyota keeps cranking out rotors that only wind one way. They rattle and some have a dancing second hand. (Just ask "Watching James", man was he embarrassed!) I bought a Seiko 5 field watch 5 years ago that didn't hack or wind. It was $60. They upgraded the movement and now it is $260. Better for me or the company? Mineral crystal...unsigned crown... $60 was the better deal. Now you have to watch RU-vid reviews and shop AliExpress to find prices like that. And I do.

When you're looking for a Seiko, there's always a better, cheaper, Orient or Citizen alternative. Of course if has future. I love my Orient Vega.

In May of this year 2021, I was on a yacht delivery crossing the Gulf of Mexico at night. We got caught in a bad storm and the boat got struck by lightning. My Orient Divers watch didn't do to good during the storm. In the morning, I noticed that the watch dial was spinning around. Don't know if it's worth fixing. Owned that watch for a year before that mishap. Cheers !

Went to a Bic camera in kyoto in dec. The seiko section was nice, the grand seikos were exceptional as usual, but they all kind look the same... The orient section had all sorts of designs, and the orient star section was definitely punching upwards. Orient is doing big things, and I love their watches.

Dear RU-vidr, Is your assessment of Orient Watches based on objective findings and watch performance, or on personal preferences? Those who care nowadays on accuracy and reliability of movement are the domain of a few horologists, who dedicate their live to it, not to the average Joe, who is like most people, who cares about the design and its awesomeness. If I want time precision, I can simply rely on my smartphone. I invite you to challenge me on my perspective on wristwatches.

I own 3 Bambinos and a Sun and Moon. The red dial Kamasu is next on my list. For the price, you can't get a better dress watch in my opinion.. I also have 5 Vostoks that I love as much as my Orients and several Seikos. Inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean cheap.

Looked hard at many dive watches.. Finally ordered an Orient Triton in Green. Superb 👌

Orient movements antiquated? People are still buying Seiko 5’s with 7S movements to this day, which are inferior to Orient F69 which are offered at a similar price point 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

Great video of Orient and this is coming from an Orient Star collector. You are absolutely on the money that Epson should let Orient be, once again, an "Orient Watch Co." if it wants to flourish again. Let the watch people lead the company and step away from the mindset of an industrial parts / brand mindset. Fyi, Seiko actually gets many parts from Orient and Epson and not really the other way around.

What a load of crap. You are saying Orient should be more like Seiko or Citizen, with hundreds of different designs, most of which look extremely cheapish or ridiculous, and are clearly "borrowed" from some other watchmaker? Orient watches are instantly recognizable, because Orient sticks to it's own recognizable elegant design. That's why Orient is regarded so highly by so many watch enthusiasts, and that's why Orient is one of the watchmakers with a very bright future ahead of them. I'm afraid to say this, but the only problem I see here is that you sir, have no sense of style.

Not a fan of divers or Orient, I was nevertheless impressed with a Pepsi bezel Orient diver that a friend showed up wearing. Nicely finished, very solid, and a nice bracelet and clasp. Only niggle was a bezel that was so tight my friend thought I'd broken it when I finally got it to move. (I was beginning to wonder myself.) I don't mind their logo either, quite distinctive.

Interesting stuff. I've owned a stunning Orient Bambino small second which was one of the best designed watches in my collection, if a couple of mm too big. As a brand I see them slipping in under Seiko as Seiko moves upmarket to protect share and margin. SE's weapon to combat Chinese competition. But, I doubt there will be a significant Western/developed Asian 'very affordable mechanical' market in 5, 10 years time. Meaning Orient will be targeted at emerging markets, remaining an enthusiast niche in the West.

I never knew Orient was such a great brand until I got one, Thanks to RU-vidrs like you. I am absolutely in love with the open heart Orient I recently got. Beliebe me they are as beautiful, as classy, as well built as a watch that costs twice the Orient's price. Close your eyes and get one, nothing like Orient at that price range.

I have 3 Orients: a Kamasu, a Bambino, and the newest version of the Triton. The Kamasu cost me $190 and runs +1.5 seconds a day. I purchased a Strapcode bracelet for $86 which elevated it a few levels. The Bambino cost me $135 and runs 4.5 seconds a day. The new Triton cost me $205 and runs +5 seconds a day. I love them and they will remain in my collection for a long time.

Orient has always been one of my favorites when it come to elegance and aura. I just hope being seikos little brother can help on the upgrading of mechanics even if the old tractor engines seem to work long and accurate. If they go out of business soon, maybe their limited choice of models' will help the prices hit the skys for collectors. Hope they stay.

I think this video misses the point. First, why should I care that the movement is of an old design when my blue dial Kamasu has hacking, hand winding and is accurate to better than 1 second per day? All that means is they got it right a long time ago so why spend the money to mess with it. Where else can I get a well made, good looking dive watch with a good in house movement and sapphire crystal from a reputable brand with a history behind it for under $250? If they keep offerings like that, I'd say they could have a bright future *if they want to*. Where I agree is they have a problem with distribution and support, at least in the US. It's hard to find them for sale anywhere except the online shops in New York. And there's only 1 authorized supplier for parts so it was hard to track down a replacement stem when mine broke. I managed to get it for a reasonable price but it shouldn't be that hard. Any watch shop should be able to replace a stem but they don't want to because the part is hard to get. If Orient can get their watches in the stores next to the Seikos and Citizens, and make it easier and cheaper for repair shops to get parts, they could sell a lot more watches here.

Regular Orient left me a bit disappointed. Orient Star, however, is my daily watch and likely will remain so forever.

Orient is the new affordable king. You leave them be now

Just bought a ray 2, waiting for it to get here haha. Also looking forward to picking up a defender 2 and sun & moon in the future.

I would buy Orient diver instead of seiko 5, simply because it is made in Japan, not China.

i have Bambino 2, Raven Ray 2 and Defender 1, all my favorite watches for different occasion.

i have an orient automatic watch as a gift for my 10th birthday, still works i'm 37 now !

I just recently purchased my first Orient which is Mini Triton pepsi. I Must say, it's been very comfortable and pretty decent movement for the price. It's starting to become a favourite of mine.

I know do to restrictions, Orient Dealers like LIW can't sell many of their watches outside of North America.

I have the Ray II and adjusted the timing and get 0 to 2+ seconds a day. Used a Timegrapher, Atomic time and checked daily wear. Couldn't be happier.

Just bought a SK reissue and I love it. It looks fantastic and Orient definitely has a future. This video seems a bit harsh against Orient and I am grateful for their affordable and quality watches.

I've got Orient Defender 2 and I love it. It is stylish, accurate and very quality watch in good money. Definitely, I going to buy next Orient watch very soon, as I know that Orient has the best value for money proposition.

I sure hope so. I just bought a Neptune (the baby OSD) yesterday. It is NICE!

I absolutely love my two Orient watches and have no doubt that I will buy more.

The Orient website informs me that my closest dealer is in Lucky Plaza, Orchard Rd. Singapore. Unfortunately I'm in Sydney Australia. Still wear a Mako when diving, it's capable and fuss free.

I have The OSD 300M just great, pure quality and performance diver watch.. someone knows something negative about this model??

This perfectly insolent video misses the point of how Orient has become the go to watch for well informed watch geeks on a budget. Seiko's strategy of expanding markets to the West was not Orient's, they produced one of the most fully backward and forward intergrated companies in Japan, that is why they can produce an excellent automatic dress watch, with an in house movement, for around $150 USD; the Bambino is the Benchmark for value automatic watches. Orient believes in the concept of intelligent design may not be changed but the components should be improved and, there bye, value is achieved. For value in the watch world Orient is in it's own league.

I adore my blue dial kamasu and white dial captain chrono ..both are like a gems to me ..

I have an Orient Flight model and find it to have a consistent daily rate and a very quiet friction free self winding mechanism. No complaints.

Always present unique content, perspectives.

Despite their past history you really can't look at Orient as a separate company - you have to look at them in context of being part of Seiko-Epson. Also, sadly, we have to recognize that as the world becomes 'smaller' and more homogenized so too will watch designs ... many watch manufacturers will stick closely to what sells only occasionally venturing into completely different designs - in the future that may be the purview of luxury and micro-brands only .. others will merely follow what is successful. I thought that as Seiko repositions itself Orient fills one of those niches. Orient = entry value for money watches (what the old Seiko used to be think SKX), Seiko bumps up their prices and discontinues many older models becoming mid tier and of course there is Grand Seiko at the higher tier. (This is perhaps a bit simplistic since Seiko also has other brands as well). Therefore Orient is not becoming redundant in Seikos lineup just filling one of its pricing slots. That said they do have to watch the Aliexpress and micro-brands to make sure they are still relevant and competitive - but as we all know (regardless of who has better specs) the Seiko-Epson name carries some cachet - people will buy a worse spec'd and misaligned Seiko over another other brands with almost the exact same look, better specs but lesser known name (example Seiko Captain Willard re-issue vs. Steeldive or Heimdallr Captain Willard, another Long Island Watch reissue of SKX).

Where else you going to find a watch at the low price point with its own in house movements?

Thanks for the great video. Orient is always left aside and not much about it is out there.

i thought the Calibre F6922 in the kamasu was a new movement since 2016? i really hope Orient succeed in the future as the Kamasu was my first mechanical watch and i know for a fact that many people bought the bambino as their first proper watch also

I think the comments below seem to blow your theory out of the water Don't give up your day job👍

I just picked up an Orient Triton RA-AC0K01B10B, I love it, and by all accounts it is getting excellent reviews. I also own a Kanno and picked up a Three-Star King Master Diver WV0031AA that is only sold overseas (shipped in from Japan)... Here is my point... I just accidentally happened upon this King Master Diver on ebay because Orient has made no effort to market this model in the United States... The more I hear, Orient just does not take the US market very seriously... I'm not sure if Orient is even trying to compete. Anyways I am very happy with all three of my Orients because they are good quality, look great, and are tremendous value for Automatics.... Ultimately, Orient seems kind of Niche in the US which makes it a unique watch that I dont see everyone wearing, so that is cool.... Anyways I love my Orients and I consider myself a fan...

I suspect that Orient has as much of a future as they want to have. I like their dive watches enough to own a dozen or so. That includes a 70's throw-back that I find to both one of the strangest-looking yet oddly comfortable to wear. Don't get me wrong - I love Seiko's as well. Orient just does a better job at making entry and mid-market automatics. They are made for wearing - not for 'wrist candy' on some fashion snob. And if something untoward happens it isn't as though I'm out the cost of a new luxury car to get another one. (Looking at YOU uber-expensive Swiss brands.)

Orient certainly has no presence in the U.K. market, at least at the bricks and mortar retail level. Only watch enthusiasts would even be aware of the brand here.

I love orient watches for their somewhat understated, and vintage-esque design. But I do agree that their design choices are extremely limiting for their brand image.

Found myself here after a renewed interest in watches. Just received a Bambino 4, with the gray dial, rose gold hands, and seude straps. Beautiful. I feel Orient should keep much of what is discussed here. I am definitely new and uneducated with regards to watches, but it would seem to me that "outdated movements" is a contradiction or oxymoron? Obviously Orient is a quality watch, but if I need something more accurate than +25,-15 or whatever I'd just make sure I'm wearing a quartz. There's probably other negative qualities to being outdated that I'm not aware of yet. And with the all the new, glitzy, dizzying designs the other watchmakers are churning out it would seem to me that Orient is in an ideal position to quietly stand out with their traditional designs, unknown to most but respected by the few that do. I'm a fan of Orient now because of these qualities.

Nice video but Orient is a brand that have a price/quality market for sure; some of us like the designs like the bambino but the price is what really make their target market happy; all those details in their watches are well received and their movements are trusted so I see a long future of the brand.

Now that seiko is getting more expensive with not many improvements with their movement, Orient is what Seiko used to be which is great watches at incredible value. One issue I have is it is difficult to find in stores!

My fleiger B is an Orient, and is abso-tively wonderful! Best on the market!

I own a 1,000 dollar watch (Mako 2) And it retailed for under 200 bucks. It has everything I need in a watch, Screw down crown, 200m water resistance, modern automatic hacking movement, high intensity lume, fairly accurate and durable, So yes this brand has a very bright future. This watch has not left my wrist in over 4 years, 24/7 and still works flawlessly.

If Seiko Epson wants Seiko to be mid-market and Grand Seiko to be high-end then to me it makes complete sense to slim down the Orient catalog and position it as the entry level brand. Orient would be the Mercury to Seiko and Grand Seiko’s Ford and Lincoln.

Orient could realy take over a bigger market share if for 1 they sold spares and had reasonable service centers, stopped saving a few dollars by not having solid endlinks, having screws instead of pins and a milled clasp, puting on a little AR coating. Coming out with new or modified movements example a Gmt. Also if they made a new 28,800bhp for the Orient star that would be amazing. The biggest worry is realy parts, you cant buy movements and you can only buy bezels and straps from Orient. My JDM kamasu bezel click spring and bezel o ring broke, Orient wanted to change the case, it looks like the skz spring fits and I hope my watchmaker can make it work. They have no presence at all in the UK.