The Orange Mako

Following up on the recent announcement of new watches from Orient, I received a nice bunch of samples to review. And while I guess the more intriguing ones are new models – such as the Mako GMT and the 36mm no-date Bambino – those releases will also require a bit more attention.

So, why don't we kick things off with the simpler, yet no less handsome, Mako! Specifically - reference RA-AA0826Y and its lovely orange face. 

Mechanically, this is not a new watch – in fact, it is identical to the "Kamasu" reviewed on the blog more than seven years ago in almost everything except the dial. So what has changed?

Well, first of all, it seems Orient has completely abandoned the Kamasu name in favor of the good old Mako. That has, in fact, been going on for a while now. Makes sense – it's one of the brand's most familiar names, and for a watchmaker that spends way less on advertising and branding compared to the likes of Seiko and Citizen, there's little point coming up with new names. Actually, it's wise even for wealthy manufacturers, just think how many years, models, and generations Volkswagen's been using the name "Golf"…

The dial is mostly the same here too – the markers, hands and overall dial design were useful and legible when it first came out, and they still are.

There are subtle changes in the dial text: the word "automatic" is now larger, and wider than the logo. The term "water resist" at the bottom was replaced with "water resistant" – proper English- to better fill the empty space and achieve a slightly better balance or symmetry between the top and bottom halves of the dial.

And of course – the dial color itself. All new Mako references seem to be nicely colored; and this orange is no exception. It features the smooth, subtle sunburst that Orient seems to be very consistently good at producing. If you like a standout color on your watch, you can't go wrong with this one.

Overall, there nothing new here, just more of what's mostly a good thing. It's not perfect – the bracelet is still the weak link (pun intended) here, luckily it is the part that is easiest to replace. This one, like other Mako versions now in production, are still the same old trusty watches, not professional divers but workhorse beaters for daily wear.

And what about the GMT…? Hold your horses! That one's up for review next, so stay tuned!

The blog would like to thank Orient – Epson Europe for providing us with this orange Mako for review.