OrientMen's '2nd Gen. Bambino Ver. 2' Japanese Automatic Stainless Steel and Leather Dress Watch
G**Y
An amazing, affordable, giant killer. You can't get better than this at this price!
What can I say! This Orient Bambino punches way above its weight. I've been wanting one of these for a couple of years & decided to buy one at a fantastic price....£116.00! Including P&P! I am happy, It looks great. I didn't like the leather but very shiny plastic looking strap it came with so had to change it immediately. As you can see in the photos I bought a royal blue leather (not so shiny) strap, to go with the beautiful blue hands. The photos does this watch no justice; the dial is a gorgeous pearl white which gives a very slight two-tone glow when caught by the sunlight. In other lighting conditions you get at time a hint of very pale green to the dial, which again looks gorgeous. I mentioned the blue hands; they can look dark blue at times, almost black, but then the light catches them at an angle & they look bright royal blue! The watch plays with the light in a totally magnificent way, you get total display of pure pleasure from this time piece. The quality is outstanding for a watch under £300. Yes, the strap it comes with is plastic looking, but it is decent quality, just not my cup of tea. All automatic watches vary in accuracy, mine speeds up by 8 seconds per day, which isn't an issue, this is pretty decent for an automatic watch, you can find far worse with £400+ automatics.A very well made stunning dress watch, for the person who wants a touch of class & simplicity. If you enjoy affordable, good quality, beautiful time pieces, you'd be crazy not to purchase one of these babies, or should I say "Bambinos".
M**A
The style, look, feel, face and being accurate automatic really did it for me.
I was always wondering what is the big fuss about this watch till i got it. Came in the sealed 100% original box and i loved it as soon as i open the box.It is simple but yet again stylish and amazing, it feel and looks good. It is a kind of watch for all occasions and stands out. I had people notice it and even ask me where i got this from. I simply love it. Also not sure why people want to change the strap!! It is actually perfect, pure leather and goes very well the watch, if anything i am thinking to have the spare of exactly the same original strap.With regards to accuracy, remember this is a automatic watch and not self adjusted so you lose something like 40s a week (7 days) which to me was actually supper accurate for automatic watch better than specifications.For the price you pay, this truly looks and feels like expansive watch, and i have been wearing it for good few months now before i leave this review. The only down side is the face not being scratch proof, i have been very careful and so far not had any scratches but for under £120 which i paid i really can't be asking for everything. So that is the only compromise but still lots of joy wearing this.I recommend this 100% without any hesitation.
O**D
So, my first Bambino….but not my first Orient.
I’ve been into watches on and off for years, but recently have re-kindled my interest and started looking around at different models etc. I’ve never been able to invest serious money in high end Swiss makes, but as this is only a small part of the horological world, it really hasn’t impacted upon me or my choice.I have usually stuck with Divers and Chronographs, - large chunky watches - mainly because of the look. I’ve owned several makes, from relatively expensive brands such as Omega, Longines and TAG (I still have a Aquaracer Chronograph from the mid 2000’s) through a whole plethora of G Shocks (I used to work outdoors a lot) and other Japanese makers such as Seiko and Citizen. Other brands along the way include Tissot, Fortis, Hamilton and even some micro brands too.As I’ve got older, my preferences have started to change, and as I’m in an office based role now, some of my watches simply looked out of place with suits and formal wear. A few months ago I started surfing watches on various websites and noticed the Orient brand. A few weeks ago I found an Orient Producer second-hand on Ebay and got it really cheaply. The look (white dial and blue hands) really appealed to me, and have enjoyed wearing it with a suit and nights out.I continued to look around for other dress watches and even wondered about buying a vintage Omega 1970/80’s Quartz model, but then found the Bambino range on line. I spent a bit of time doing some research and this particular model is nearly sold out, and many places (especially here in the UK) don’t stock it or are charging silly money. I took the plunge and ordered it on a Sunday, and the watch arrived at 8am the following Friday, all the way from the US. Very impressive.The watch itself arrived in a Jiffy type padded bag which initially made me concerned about the knocks and bumps it may have received travelling several thousand miles from New York State. My worries were unfounded though, and the bag contained the Orient outer box (bit of a crease to a corner), the inner hard box, the Guarantee card and manual as well as the watch tag with model number. It was working out of the box – so must have had a relatively bumpy trip………Initial impressions were the size. I know dress watches should come up small but on my 7 and 3/4 inch wrist, this 40.5mm watch didn’t look big. In fact, my first impression was it seemed small and certainly not nearly the same size as my Aquaracer (41mm). Maybe it was also due to my preference for bigger watches. I also think that looking at it on the wrist, the domed mineral glass edges encourages you to focus on the face and chapter ring, and somehow the outer edge and case seems to slip into the background - which makes the watch face appear smaller. Maybe it is just me……?I know this particular mineral does scratch, so had a look around for a replacement sapphire and have found one for $45 from Singapore. I will probably look to get a local watch repair shop to change it in the futureSetting the time was easy due the hacking feature (this must have the F6722 movement? – I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong), and the hand winding was positive, with just the right amount of resistance when turning the very nicely finished crown. The date setting is a nice complication to have; and you can sense things were moving in the watch internally when setting – reflecting its mechanical nature.The appearance is definitely vintage – with the cream dial and Roman numerals harking back to a watch I remember my dad owning, and certainly brings to mind the classic dress watch qualities. The more modern twist of blue hands is what really appealed to me, and contrast nicely with the cream face. Looking closely at the dial, the applied Orient symbol creates a nice touch – but not sure it needs the ‘water resistant’ on the dial. Still, it’s written in small letters so no real problem with it. Nice combination of polished surfaces with matte elements, but I do think the crown would have looked better if signed too.Now I know from all the reviews that the strap is seen as the weak point, but in all honesty, I have seen and owned worse. I was actually pleasantly surprised. Yes it is a bit shiny and certainly stiff; but the colour works with the watch and I’m sure it will ‘wear in’ with time. It feels OK to me in the hand, and I would certainly try it out on the watch for a few weeks to see how it shapes up. I did actually order another watch strap (Dassari?) to replace this one with, due to the poor reviews. Contrary to reports it isn’t too hard to find 21mm straps. It’s not here yet, and I’m sure I will use it, but think I’ll stick with the Orient for a while before replacing it.Overall, I am extremely pleased with this watch. The Bambino and the Producer have re-invigorated my interest in watches and I suspect other Orients will be making their way to my collection over the coming months. If you have a Polaris GMT for sale – let me know!In terms of the buying experience, I couldn’t be happier. Amazon marketplace delivered (literally) when it came to choice, price and speed. The declaration to Customs and the collection of import fees via the deposit scheme meant the watch didn’t get stuck and me being hit with import and handling fees from HMRC. I have bought from the US before and had watches get through under the radar as well as being hit with fees. For approximately £125 (August 2018) including postage and import costs, it is a bargain.Definitely recommended.
A**I
Looks even better in real life
The media could not be loaded. Looks incredibly great. Very classy. The strap however could be better as its squeaky and seems to be of poor quality. Other than that the watch is solid, looks even better in real life.
J**K
Great value
As pretty much most reviews of this watch describe it as excellent I have to agree for the money it is pure class. The design and looks in person are gorgeous, for an automatic watch it sits nice and sleek on the wrist and the domed mineral crystal makes the dial pop especially the electric blue hands. The strap does feel a little cheap but I like it and will see how it wears it will be easy enough to swap out later on. The rotor is a little rattley and a bit noisy but not enough to detract from the greatness of the watch overall.I ordered this from the UK and it took 1 week to arrive from the USA excellent service from Amazon
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