Orient Mako Automatic Diver Watch Review

Orient Mako automatic dive watch is one of the most popular affordable automatics and this post is dedicated for the Orient Mako review.

For over 6 decades, Orient has been producing affordable automatic watches for the masses. They are also one of very few companies that still produce their own movement in-house for their watches and that’s something that every Orient’s watch owners should be proud of.

Very affordable while at the same time being very stylish, it’s no wonder his little timepiece has been a staple beater watch, rivaling even the Seiko SKX007.

Let’s move on to the Orient Mako review and see what it has to offer and why it is very popular.

Orient Black Mako

Orient Mako Automatic Dive Watch Specification

Diameter: 41.5mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Lug to Lug Width: 46mm
Lug Width: 22mm
Case: Polished Stainless steel
Strap: Rubber strap or steel bracelet options

Dial: Solid color dial with 3 color options: black, blue and orange
Dial Window: Mineral crystal
Hands: Sword shape hands with lume
Markers: Combination of index and numeral markers (at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock) with lume
Bezel: Unidirectional rotating bezel with coin edge

Movement: Orient Caliber 46943
Movement Features: 21 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour (6 beats per second), non-hacking, no manual winding feature
Accuracy: +-10 to 15 seconds per day
Power Reserve: 40 hours

Water Resistance: 200 m
Other Features: Day display, Date display, screw down crown with Orient engraving, screw down pusher to set day display

Best Place To Buy: Amazon

A Less Sporty And Dressier Dive Watch

Looking on the Orient Mako, one could not resist continue looking at it. It’s seriously a very handsome watch. The polished stainless steel casing is beautifully crafted.

The 41.5 mm diameter of the watch case is just perfect for most guy’s wrist. With a 46 mm lug to lug width, it is not too long and will rest comfortably on your wrist.

It’s a bit thick though, at 13 mm but that’s about the normal thickness for any dive watch.

The 22 mm lug width of the watch is something that I do not like about as I feel it is more suitable for a bigger watch (more than 44 mm diameter). But overall, the watch is of perfect proportion and solidly built.

On the watch is a black color dial, with Orient logo on it. “Automatic”, “Water Resist” and “200 m” are the signatures on it signaling its automatic movement and 200 m water resistance.

The italic font of the signatures is a nice design touch and looks good on it. The markers are a combination of index markers and number markers at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock.

They are quite big and easy to read. The usage of these markers instead of the typical circle markers in many dive watches is what make it looks different and less sporty in my opinion.

Circle markers can store more lume of course, but is too sporty. An index marker like this gives it a less sporty look, while making it more stylish.

The Orient Pepsi Mako

The hands are sword shaped hands. Like the markers, there are lume on it too. The second hand is silver with a red tip, a very nice detailing there.

The watch has an unidirectional rotating bezel (it is a dive watch remember) with small minute markers on the black bezel.

The bezel has coin edges and slightly tapered down to the case, giving the watch an angular shape if you look from the sides. Overall, the design of the watch is very beautiful and stylish.

Day And Date Features For Added Functionality

Two features that I really love are the day and date display at 3 o’clock.

Date is typical in many watches but to have a day display is quite rare and is a welcomed addition. These two functions make the watch much more functional.

Now there is no need to check your smartphone to know what date/day it is. A glance at your watch is what you need!

Unique Unsymmetrical Design

The crown is designed as a screw down crown to ensure the watch can have a 200 m water resistance. On it is Orient’s logo engraving, a surprisingly nice touch for a watch at this price point.

One thing that I like is the pusher at 2 o’clock. It’s also a screw down pusher and used to change the day.

Frankly speaking, it’s not really needed as most watches can change the date via the crown. But what I like is watch has this nice unsymmetrical design due to the pusher.

The pusher makes the watch to be unsymmetrical and very different than watches on the market now. Typically, normal watches has a crown at the 3 o’clock.

Chronograph watches will have 2 pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock. With just one pusher at 2 o’clock, it makes the watch to have an unsymmetrical design which is very unique and something that I really like.

4 Different Design: Black, Blue, Pepsi And Orange Makos

There are actually four different designs for the watch: Black, Blue, Pepsi and Orange versions. All versions have both bracelet and rubber strap options.

They are different only in their color schemes but all parts, case and internal movement are the same. All 4 of them are very gorgeous on their own right.

The Orange version is very bold with the orange dial. The Pepsi design on the other hand has the blue and red Pepsi bezel design that is very cool.

Among them, my pick would be the Black version because of its elegance and stylish black dial. It’s the most classic look of them all, and also the most handsome for me.

The Trusted Orient Cal. 46943 Movement

Inside it is the tried and tested Cal. 46943 movement by Orient. The movement has been around for very long time and used in most of Orient’s affordable automatic watches.

It has 21 jewel and vibrates at 21600 vibrations per hour or 6 beats per second. It is fairly accurate, with official accuracy around +-10 to 15 seconds per day.

It is non-hacking (the second hand will not stop when you want to set the time) and cannot be manually wind. The movement specifications really mirrors the Seiko SKX007’s 7S26 movement.

It is not surprising since Seiko basically owns Orient so some technology or design transfer should be there.

Looking at the specification, we can tell that the movement is really a low budget movement but then again it is for an affordable watch.

There’s not much that we can expect with that price range of $100 to $200. There is one thing that this movement excels in: durability. Just like the Seiko SKX007, many people around the world has used the watch for many years for lots of outdoor activities and it still works fine.

It’s the testament of the build quality of the movement and watch. Not to mention since the vibration rate is low and it has smaller number of parts, the wear and tear of it is lower than normal automatic.

Because of that, there is no need to service it as regular as other normal automatic watches.

Orient’s Mako, Mako II, and Ray

You probably has heard about the Mako, Mako II, Ray and Ray II line of the Orient Diver’s Watch right?

Fact is the Mako II and Ray are derived from the Mako. Mako II is the same as Mako except that it does not have the pusher.

Orient Ray on the other hand is considered an updated version of the Mako but with sportier look.

Apart from that, there is also the Mako USA version which is the upgraded Mako (with sapphire crystal, stronger lume, etc) but is notoriously hard to get.

A video showing the Orient Black Mako in action. Now that is a seriously good looking watch!

Orient Mako Automatic Dive Watch Advantages And Disadvantages

Below are the pros and cons of the Orient Mako automatic watch:

Pros:

1- Great combination of sporty and dressy looks. Can be easily dressed up or dressed down with different straps (Nato, leather, rubber)
2- Day and date displays are very useful features
3- Unsymmetrical design due to the pusher at 2 o’clock makes the watch looks very different than other diver’s watch (e.g Seiko SKX007, Invicta Pro Diver, Rolex Submariner, etc)
4- Orient Cal. 46943 movement has been used for decades and has a very good track record as a beater movement with good accuracy and robust performance
5- Affordable price makes it a very good first watch for those starting to dabble in automatic/mechanical watches =)

Cons:

1- Mineral Crystal is easy to scratch and not as durable as sapphire
2- Non-hacking and no manual winding movement are two important features that are absent with the Cal. 46943
3- It is not an ISO certified dive watch.

Conclusion

Orient Mako is a seriously good looking and affordable automatic watch. It is a direct competitor to the Seiko SKX007 and Invicta Pro Diver 9937 due to their price range in the affordable automatic dive watch category.

Unlike the others, it is not too sporty and still have that stylish charm in it giving it the best of both worlds.

With the trusted Caliber 46943 movement, this is one of the most affordable automatic watch that you can get.

I hope you guys find this Orient Mako review helpful. You can always ask any questions or comments on this watch down below. I’ll be very grateful to ask any of your questions. Till next time then!

Cheers!
Isaac

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Thinking Of Buying The Orient Mako? Get It From Amazon!

If you want to buy the Orient Mako, Amazon has the best prices for them. Do note that the price will vary substantially depending on the model.

The Orange Mako is the cheapest as you can get it from around $130 online (depending on availability and season). But the Blue and Black Mako are very popular and are more expensive to get due to its high demand.

The bracelet versions will have a higher price though I would not really recommend it because of the low quality of the bracelet. Anyway, click the links below to check the prices on Amazon.

 

–>>Click The Links Below To Check The Best Prices For Orient Mako In Amazon<<–

Orient Black Mako With Bracelet
Orient Black Mako With Rubber Strap

Orient Blue Mako With Bracelet

Orient Pepsi Mako With Bracelet
Orient Pepsi Mako With Rubber Strap

Orient Orange Mako With Bracelet
Orient Orange Mako With Rubber Strap

 

You might also want to check out these affordable diver watches:

1 – Orient Mako 2 (update to the Mako with improved movement that can hack and manual wind)
2- Orient Ray

3- Orient Ray II
3- Seiko SKX007
4- Seiko SKX009
5 – Seiko 5 Sports SNZH53