Orient Bambino V3 Review (Gen 2) | The Benchmark For Affordable Watches
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Say you’ve got about £150 to spend on a wristwatch. I don’t think you can do much better than this Orient Bambino.
Orient Bambino V3 Review
Let’s get right into the action. The model I have here is the Orient Bambino generation 2 version 3, which is the Bauhaus styled one. They do a few other versions which are really similar just with some design tweaks.
For your money you get build quality that definitely rivals watches that I’ve seen at multiple times this retail price. The level of finishing on the case and dial in particular is absolutely fantastic. There is light brushing down the flanks and the remainder is polished, including the case-back.
Dial
The Orient dial is definitely the most striking aspect of this watch though. You notice it straight away, so I want to start with that. This grey version is probably the most understated one, Orient do have some much more striking colourways but the texture is beautiful. Even with this one you get a gorgeous sunburst effect that is made all the better by the domed glass. You have an almost pearlescent finish with this colourway. The domed glass also gives the face a really warped finish around the edges, which I love. Overall, it’s just a really attractive watch to look at.
When you’re choosing a watch, obviously looks are going to be of massive importance as to whether you like it or not. It’s evident that plenty of people like these due to their popularity.
As you can tell by the styling, these really are dress watches. I went for the grey option in an effort to increase versatility and make it viable as a casual choice, but having received it I think it’s clear that isn’t going to work.
Dimensions
The dimensions are somewhat deceiving.
Diameter: 40.5mm
Depth: 11.5mm
Lug to Lug: 46.5mm
Watch Model: Orient Bambino 2nd Generation (Version 3)
On paper, this sounds like a pretty average sized watch, but there are a couple of factors that make it feel smaller on-wrist. Firstly, almost half the depth is actually the glass, so this watch definitely looks and feels much thinner. They’ve done really well to house the movement in such a slim package. The lugs sit quite tight and short compared to the rest of the body and as a result, this wears far more like a 38 or 39mm piece. I think if you’ve got average sized wrists or even skinny ones this should still look great.
If you’ve got larger wrists you’re out of luck with this version, you’re probably best looking at the Version 4, which is slightly larger at 42mm; I’ll link this below if it sounds like a good fit for you.
One size worth mentioning is that of the lug width. This is the one thing that ticks me off. It’s 21mm. Why?! This is outside of the typical evenly sized lug widths such as 20mm or 22mm. Thanks, Orient, for trolling us with this one. As you can guess, this does limit your strap options and it’s likely the majority of your existing straps won’t fit this piece. The default leather strap provided with this one is okay; it’s made of the low tier genuine leather and is pretty firm to say the least. I’ve seen better and worse elsewhere. You can tell they’ve somewhat cut costs in this department and put it back into the rest of the watch, which I can get behind. I think it certainly would look better with a taper too. Nevertheless, if you’re a budget watch hunter, this piece of leather will probably serve its purpose.
WATCH Movement
Powering the Bambino line is the in-house automatic Orient Caliber F6724, which features a date complication along with hacking and hand winding. You get the nice smooth second hand sweep at 6 beats every second and when you consider the cost of this watch; I think it represents excellent value for money. At this price point, this is really as good as you can expect. I wouldn’t mind if I saw this movement in a similar watch at double or triple the price. You’ve got a ton of brands cramming boring, cheap quartz movements into drop-shipped watches for more money than this Orient, so it’s great to see. I think this is a good option if you’re newer to mechanical watches and want to try one of these movements out.
Glass
Covering the watch is a piece of domed mineral glass. Considering the price of the watch, this it perfectly suitable and will provide some limited scratch protection. I love these domed crystals, I think when done well, they add extra class to a watch. You get some beautiful warping of the dial when tilted at an angle too.
Case CONSTRUCTION
The case itself is your typical Stainless Steel; this one features a screw down case-back and provides the expected 30M of water resistance. You get a signed crown and grip is good, making adjustments really easy.
As if all of that wasn’t impressive enough for the cost, you also get a watch that is made in Japan by a brand that has a great history and reputation for making solid quality watches. This not only means you’ll generally experience good quality control, but also makes you feel better when wearing it. The origins of Orient date back well over 100 years, they really aren’t going to let you down. Not to mention, the resale value of these is generally going to be decent, given the brand is well-known and well-respected.
Is Orient Bambino a Good Watch?
In my opinion, this watch sets the benchmark for low-cost watches. So many low-end watch brands advertise their inferior watches as ‘amazing value’, ‘affordable luxury’ and so on. What I’d say is, compare those watches to something like this, which is readily available. This looks great, has quality components and is outrageously affordable at about £100. I think it really puts some of the claims in perspective.
While I generally think the concept of ‘affordable luxury’ is a load of BS, I think you could argue that this watch almost follows those principles. You get a watch that looks and feels way better than it should, for a really low price.
However, I do have a couple of extra niggles. Firstly, the lugs aren’t drilled, which is a slight pain when the default strap isn’t quick release. I think I’d also prefer the hands slightly slimmer. While they’re by no means huge, but the square shape combines to make them look a little bit stubby. The date window would also look great if it were slightly darker. I like the bevelled edges and the fact that it’s low profile, however, the white doesn’t perfectly blend in with the dial.
So, to summarise. If you like the sound of this watch, what are you waiting for? I don’t think you can go wrong with one of these and it’s more than met my expectations. I’ve owned a lot of watches around this price point and this is up there with the best of them.
