Orient '2nd Gen Bambino Version III' Japanese Automatic Stainless Steel and Leather Dress Watch

Recovering automatic watch addict here. I sold off my many watches recently and downsized to a more sensible three watch collection consisting of a 9-5'er (a Citizen Eco-Drive atomic time watch I've had for years), a casual weekender (Casioak blackout), and an automatic dress watch. For the dress watch It was down to the Orient Bambino or the Timex Marlin. I went with the Bambino. I am very pleased with my choice. Bambino is a simply stunning modern automatic dress watch line by Orient. I chose the gray dial version. The striated dial really catches and plays with the light nicely. It looks much nicer, beautiful, irw than in the stock photos that struggle to replicate this shade of gray. The minimalist Bauhaus design is elegant and sophisticated. I am very impressed, thus far, with the accuracy of the Orient in-house movement, which hacks and hand winds. The strap is invariably where watches in this price range cut corners, and it's no exception here. However, it looks fine, is comfortable, is serviceable but likely not the most durable of straps. I immediately swapped it for a similar quick release black dress strap of higher quality. In order to get more utility out of this dress watch, I also found a quick release 2-piece white and gray striped NATO-style strap. Because both straps are quick release, I can effortlessly swap the dress strap with the casual NATO and vice versa as needed. Some lament Orient's choice of a 21mm lug width. While there are fewer strap options in this off-size, you can certainly find whatever strap you want in 21mm online. Orient is one company that I am grateful exists. It's a true watch house that designs and manufactures all of its watches and makes its own in-house automatic movements. Unlike the Swiss watch houses, Orient's pricing is reasonable making a high quality beautiful piece like this Bambino affordable to nearly everyone. Thanks to Orient, nearly everyone can enjoy a proper high-quality automatic timepiece like the Bambino (and Orient Marlin, and Orient Ray dive watches -- and many other watches in Orient's catalog) that genuinely give up little to nothing to similar watches that are more expensive by orders of magnitude. Because of this, Orient is an international treasure in my book.

This is my second Orient Bambino watch (the first corresponds to the 2nd version, which has Roman numerals) and the reason why I decided to buy another one after almost 3 years of owning the first watch is that before buying the latter I had heard so many good comments about the entire Bambino series that I could not believe that there could be a watch offering that design and quality level at that price, so I decided to spend a while with the first watch in order to evaluate it. Thus, after almost 3 years I can say that the first Bambino passed the test with outstanding results and I decided to get the one I am evaluating here.In general terms, very few watches give you so much for that price (please consider that my first comment is based on my experience with the first Bambino given that I have had the second one only for a few days, but since their components are the same, that comment should be applicable to both watches):1.- Robustness.- It is a very robust watch overall (both the movement and the case). In general terms, I like to be careful with my watches but I do not exaggerate in that regard. For me, it is perfectly normal that after a while, a watch will have some scratches and will have suffered some knocks. And that happened with my first Bambino, though it took everything without blinking. The movement is widely recognized as a workhorse and unlike some other movements in that price range, this is completely made with metallic parts.2.- Precision and reliability.- Besides being a robust watch, it is also very precise and reliable (as precise as a mechanical watch of this level can be, at around +/-10 seconds per day). I have heard that some persons complain about the watch being less accurate than that but I believe that can be a matter of adjusting and servicing it.3.- Movement.- The movement was manufactured “in house”. This is something that watch aficionados normally pay a lot of attention to. And the reason why that happens is that it is simply a big challenge to design and manufacture your own movements instead of simply buying them from a specialized manufacturer. In horology that has a lot of value and normally is reflected in higher prices (in a vis-à-vis comparison, of course). Very few brands accept both the challenge of manufacturing them and the additional obstacle of setting an affordable price to their pieces. Orient and Seiko do and that is one of the reasons why they are so appreciated. As I mentioned before, the movement is recognized widely to be a workhorse and entirely made of metal.4.- Design.- The design is simply flawless. Please do not misunderstand me. I understand that there are some people who do not like the presence of a date window, but for me that falls more into the tastes category rather than in the flaws one. I do not consider that to be a flaw since the watch was designed that way. My point is that taking into account its own design, the watch is truly flawless. I just could not find any defects on it. Everything was put in place perfectly well, showing outstanding craftsmanship in that regard.5.- Dial and crystal.- I know that this is part of the design, but the dial and the crystal are both so amazing that I thought it would be better to refer to them separately. Well, I just love the sunburst in the blue dial and the shape of the crystal (dome). Concerning the dial, it reflects light in a VERY elegant manner, without being overly shiny. And the domed mineral crystal helps a lot the dial in accomplishing the light effect. Combined, I must say that aesthetically Orient really did things totally right. The domed crystal is not as strong as sapphire but being mineral crystal it could be rated as just a little lower in the hardness scale, which for me is not an issue at all. And the shape of that crystal almost steals the show. It reminds me so much the nostalgic pieces of the 40s – 60s and that gives a special feeling (even more so if you consider the beautiful Bauhaus design of the numerals and hands). Nevertheless, the size of the case reminds me that this is a modern watch, although a very special one.In sum, I believe this is an outstanding alternative given the cost-benefit ratio it has and aesthetically, it cannot be unnoticed. It will always be a modern, dressy, elegant, beautiful watch, with a special touch that makes it a good option for those looking for a somewhat classic look without being outdated.

This watch is my daily driver that I wear to work every day. For the price, the watch is phenomenal. It holds time well, and looks premium. The gray dial has a subtle sunburst to it that looks premium. I purchased a tan strap for it, and I think it wear very nicely as a business casual watch. It also can serve as a nice affordable dress watch as well with a black band. The band that it comes with is ok, but I recommend getting a new band for it.