Orient today unveiled its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, led by an
entirely new Mako GMT family, accompanied by a new no-date Bambino 36mm
collection and four colorful additions to the Mako lineup.
All three collections are being released under Orient's 75th anniversary
celebrations. Interestingly, while the company has traditionally referred to
1950 as the beginning of the brand, the Orient name itself first appeared in
1951, as discussed in our recent article about the first
Orient watch. So from the branding perspective, 2026 is indeed the 75th
anniversary.
The First Mako GMT
The most important release in this collection is undoubtedly the new
Mako GMT.
While Orient has produced GMT watches before, this is the first model to
carry the Mako name while offering GMT functionality. It is also the first
entirely new GMT platform introduced by Orient in many years, and debuts a new
movement developed specifically for the purpose.
The new caliber, designated F6P22, is closely related to the familiar
F6922 found in many current Mako models. Orient removed the day display,
retained the date display, and added a fourth hand together with a 24-hour
scale, creating a cleaner dial while introducing dual-time functionality.
Like the movement's predecessor, the F6P22 offers hacking, hand winding
and a 40-hour power reserve.
The new movement operates as a caller GMT rather than a traveller GMT. The
GMT hand cannot actually be adjusted, and instead uses the rotating 24 hour
bezel to track a second time zone.
The watches are slightly bigger than the regular Mako, and measure
42.8mm in diameter, 49.5mm lug-to-lug and 13.4mm thick. Like the regular Mako
the GMT offers 200 meters of water resistance and comes attached to a stainless
steel bracelet.
Five versions are being introduced:
·
RA-BC0001B – Purple
·
RA-BC0002E – Black
·
RA-BC0003L – Green
·
RA-BC0004Y – Orange
·
RA-BC0005L – Gradient Blue
(Limited Edition)
The orange version is perhaps the most striking of the regular
production models, while the limited edition combines a deep gradient blue dial
with a matching blue-and-grey GMT bezel.
A New No-Date Bambino 36mm
The second major release is one that many collectors might find
particularly appealing, as it is the closest that the Bambino range has come to
the most canonic definition of a pure dress watch.
Earlier this year Orient introduced a no-date Bambino in 38mm. Longtime
readers may also remember the 36mm
Bambino introduced back in 2019. The new collection combines those two
ideas, resulting in the first no-date Bambino in the 36mm case size.
The watches use the familiar Bambino architecture, featuring a domed
crystal, slim bezel and elegant proportions. The dial follows the popular V4
Bambino layout, with simple applied baton markers and dauphine-style hands, now
presented without a date window.
The case measures 36.4mm in diameter, 42.2mm lug-to-lug and 12.3mm
thick. Inside is the F6524 automatic movement with hand winding, hacking and a
40-hour power reserve.
The collection includes four references:
·
RA-BB0101S – White dial
with gold-tone case
·
RA-BB0102E – Green dial
·
RA-BB0103S – White dial
·
RA-BB0104Y – Ivory dial
Among the four, the ivory dial may be the most interesting, paired with
blue hands and a warm vintage-inspired tone that suits the Bambino particularly
well.
New Colors for the Mako
Completing the collection are four new versions of the standard Mako.
Unlike the GMT models, these watches are primarily a refresh of an
existing platform. They retain the familiar 41.8mm case, F6922 automatic
movement, day-date display, 200-meter water resistance and overall
specifications of recent Mako generations.
The new references are:
·
RA-AA0824L – Blue
·
RA-AA0825S – White
·
RA-AA0826Y – Orange
·
RA-AA0827V – Purple
(Limited Edition)
Stay tuned, as I was able to receive samples of all new models, and detailed
hands-on reviews will follow in the very near future!
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