Classic Bambino V2 – Men's Automatic and Manual Winding Classic Mechanical Wrist Watch

The Company - Orient is a respected maker of automatic watches since the 50's & they use in-house mechanics, so there's no outsourcing of dodgy components. There is a typical & reassuring Japanese approach to quality control, materials, finish & attention to detail; which is simply superb & what you would expect from a watch costing over 3 times the price. Orient are part of the Epson group. Epson also own Seiko. Interestingly these two watch companies seem to go their own way in their approach to aesthetics, consequently Orient has a uniqueness to their watches that chimes! Baby Love - This watch is part of the Bambino range which is given much love by watch aficionados. Bambinos have a timeless charm & you'll find no brash finishes or here today, gone tomorrow fashion disasters. This stainless steel watch has a brushed case with chrome finish to the upper surfaces & nicely breaks up what would otherwise be a monoblock appearance. The crown is onion shaped, larger than usual & consequently easier to turn, though it is not screwed down for improved water resistance. When adjusting the date & time you'll appreciate the smooth rotation, there are no wobbly bits or rough actions here. All Bambinos have a beautiful domed glass which harks back to yesteryear & reinforces this timeless appeal. The dial is not white as sometimes stated, I find it to be off-white & slightly pearlescent, enhanced by the domed glass that lets light in from the very edges of the dial. The printing on the dial is very crisp with a classic font, the numerals however are a cut above being applied to the dial in rose gold, the hands are also rose gold. The rose gold logo with a red insert is also applied & all of this adds a touch of elegance to the dial. This is a 2nd generation Bambino, which has slight improvements such as a hackable second hand (which stops when the crown is pulled out so you can set the watch to the exact second). The automatic function can be augmented by a manual wind which is silky smooth & a tactile delight. The strap which has had some criticism is stiff out of the box, 10 minutes of chiropractice & it became more flexible & since then has loosened up further. I had ordered an aftermarket strap at the same time as the watch purchase, I'm not sure I'll be using it though; the supplied strap with glossy dark brown alligator style leather & light brown contrasting stitching just looks great on this watch. You may have got the impression that I love this watch & you'd be right, watches are often bought on an emotional level & many folk will connect with this charming timepiece. The photographs really do not do justice to this watch. Cons - There are however a few things you should know. 1. The water resistance is not great, meaning no showering or swimming with this watch, in fact I wouldn't even risk immersing this watch while washing my hands. 2. This watch is a Version 2 & still has the unusual 21mm lug (strap) width, meaning aftermarket straps will be more challenging to find, but they are out there. I have seen YouTubers sanding a fraction off the edges of a favoured 22mm strap to get them to fit into the lugs. A softer leather 22mm may even squeeze in unaltered. Thankfully Orient do listen to their customers & Version 4 Bambinos now come with 22mm lugs. 3. The lack of a lume, the 'glowy bits' in the dark, might be an issue for those with strong nocturnal habits. Despite all of the aforementioned, I'm willing to overlook these foibles. All for the love of a good watch! Accuracy- Mechanical watches simply do not have the accuracy of quartz watches, expect to see a drift of a few seconds each day, so you will be adjusting these 'Springers' once a week. You could use your phone's network to keep this watch in good time. With a hacking second hand this is a breeze & part of the charm of an old fashioned mechanical watch. I checked the accuracy against a radio controlled timepiece & found that I had time travelled into the future 6 seconds over 24 hours. That's well within the specified +25/-15 seconds per day. To collect or not to collect - I ditched my cheap watches & had planned to start a collection of three quality watches, to fill the 3 empty compartments in the drawer of my gentleman's night stand. I had envisaged a dress watch, a diver & a pilot watch. On receiving this beauty, my intended dress watch I'm thinking maybe I won't bother with the other 2. This watch is so beautiful it has become my one & only, an everyday wearer. I am primarily an urban desk jockey, I don't do deep sea diving, race cars, pilot airplanes, bullfight or spend days in the wilderness looking for Bigfoot. So I don't really have the need for any other watches. Value - There are different ways to value a watch, such as price v performance, price v visual appeal or on brand name alone. In my opinion & that's all it is, my opinion, you may take it or leave it; this watch has a lovely build quality aesthetic & charm. Charm, now there's an old fashioned word I've used several times in this review. The dictionary definition of charm - 'the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others' sums up this watch quite nicely! The price of this watch varies considerably, a typical price is around £150, sometimes a little bit more, sometimes a little bit less. I got this for just under £100 (Amazon), an absolute bargain! Such is the quality of this watch, if looked after & with an occasional service it will probably outlast me & become a treasured heirloom, patina & all! I thought long & hard before I pulled the trigger on this watch. After all this was intended to be the first of my lifetime trilogy collection. Alternatives - Also under serious consideration was the German made Zeppelin watches, at around £200 they too have a remarkable elegance & charm about them. You may wish to check them out.

Great value for money watch with accurate movement. Love the design and size of the watch. I’d personally exchange the strap that comes with it, but that’s my only gripe. Must have watch in any collection.

This is a nice little watch I've owned for several months now. The accuracy is consistently well within specifications, even after the watch suffered an accidental impact. It has proven itself remarkably reliable and robust for a dress watch. The quality control and finishing are also good. The movement is a little noisy as it can be heard cranking and winding whenever I move my arm, but this adds to the charm in my opinion. My only criticism is the strap, which is a little tacky. I suppose it's OK for the price, but I have seen better straps on cheaper watches. Being 21mm it isn't easy to find a suitably sized replacement. This really limits the strap options. Otherwise, great watch.

If you are looking for a stylish dress watch that looks the part then this is definitely one to get, all the parts are made in house for the mechanical movement. You get different variations as well, so if you don’t want Roman numerals you can get a different style.

When you actually have one if these in your possession it’s not really hard to see why the Bambino’s are one of Orients most popular watches, the watch has an immaculate fit & finish, the watchband may not be anything to write home about but this can be easily remedied. The pictures & gushing YouTube reviews of this range of watches do it no justice, it still is by far the best value dress watch you can buy for the money.

A timeless classic watch ....it looks stunning on your wrist and is very comfortable to wear...You will not be disappointed buying this watch and can’t wait to add another Orient automatic watch to my collection ......5**

What a beautiful watch! It is made so well considering the price point and is a very welcome addition in the collection as my dress watch! Buy one you won’t regret it.

I have paid thousands for watches in the past to me the photos do not do it justice for me it is a retro looking watch well worth the price Automatic day date and with hacking I only gave it 4 stars because of the strap for me was of cheaper quality

丁寧な対応ありがとうございました。 値段以上の高級感があります。機械式ですが時間は正確です。

Compré este reloj hace más de 1 año y no tengo ninguna queja respecto a él. Su precisión es de media de +5 segundos día, lo que es una precisión muy buena para un reloj de este precio. Su aspecto es tal y como se aprecia en las fotos por lo que no te llevarás ninguna sorpresa. Respecto a la calidad de su correa esta está acorde al precio del reloj, tras 16 meses de uso en los cuales he usado el reloj no a diario pero sí todas las semanas el aspecto de esta es todavía muy bueno. Para mí este es el aspecto que menos me gusta del reloj porque no me gustan las correas de piel de cocodrilo si bien su calidad es correcta y no he comprado ninguna otra correa para el reloj. El reloj tiene un ancho de 40,5mm y una distancia entre asas de 46mm, la misma que la caja clásico de los Seiko 5 Sports actuales. Para un reloj de vestir, es un tamaño importante, si crees que es demasiado grande para tu estilo, Orient ofrece este mismo reloj en 38mm de ancho y en 36mm de ancho. En conclusión, recomiendo este reloj a todas las personas que busquen un reloj automático de aspecto clásico pero con un tamaño algo mayor de lo habitual para este tipo de relojes. Importante: Recuerda si vas a comprar tu primer automático que estos no son tan precisos como los cuarzos. Lo comento porque mucha gente se siente frustrada cuando compra un automático y ve que en una semana se le adelanta o se le atrasa 1 minuto.

Really beautiful watch, that is great value for money. My only qualm is that the lug widths are 21mm, which is not ideal and inconvenient. Nevertheless, the watch is still amazing.

Pour le moment, cette montre me donne pleine satisfaction, elle est élégante et qualitative.

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