If you're on the market for a budget-friendly, refined, and reliable dress watch, look no further than the
Bambino collection. Part of the Classic series, the Bambino is a cornerstone of Orient's catalog and contains a wide range of models. At around 11 mm thick and just under 40 mm in diameter, these timepieces are a comfortable size and easily slip under shirt cuffs.
In addition to a date display at 3 o'clock, each Bambino features steeply domed mineral glass. This combined with a black, white, blue, gray, or green sunburst dial lends the Bambino its unique retro charm. One example is the
Bambino Small Seconds. This timepiece bears a strong resemblance to classic Omega watches from the 1940s and 50s thanks to its small seconds at 6 o'clock, baton indices, and applied Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. The ref. RA-AP0003S10B features a polished steel case, champagne dial, and the in-house caliber F6222. You can call this particular model your own for about 160 USD.
For something even more traditional, there's the Bambino 2 with Roman numerals and a railroad minute track. Prices for the different variants range from 130 to 160 USD. You can choose from a black, white, or champagne dial, as well as a gold-plated or polished stainless steel case. Orient outfits the Bambino 3 with narrow baton indices and hands. Its blue, black, gray, or silver-white dial with a beautiful sunburst pattern is a real treat. Plan to spend around 200 USD for one of these timepieces.
Bambino Open Heart
Orient also offers "
Open Heart" Bambino models. These watches stand out thanks to an opening in the dial, which reveals the balance beneath. This component is often referred to as the movement's "beating heart." A display case back offers another view of the automatic movement F6T22 from below. Unlike the other Bambino models, these watches lack a date display.
The Open Heart series is as diverse as the rest of the Bambino collection. There are dials in a wide variety of colors with applied indices, Roman numerals, or Arabic numerals. For example, the ref. RA-AG0004B10B has a black dial with applied baton indices and a polished stainless steel case. This version comes on a leather strap and demands roughly 180 USD. Then there's the ref. RA-AG0028L10B, which Orient outfits with a blue sunburst dial, Roman numerals at 6 and 12 o'clock, and a linked stainless steel bracelet. This edition requires an investment of around 280 USD.
Contemporary
The
Contemporary series is geared toward those who appreciate the charm of classic timepieces but also value modern design. It is home to a vast array of designs, ranging from classically elegant and sporty casual to downright playful. The latter group includes models like the Sun and Moon. As the name implies, these timepieces feature a sun/moon display that lets the wearer know whether it's currently day or night. In the case of the ref. FET0P004W0, the sun/moon display sits at 10 o'clock. Orient also equips this model with day display at 3 and date window at 6 o'clock. Prices for this 41.5-mm stainless steel watch fall around 330 USD.
The Contemporary line also includes Open Heart models, watches with a day-date display, and timepieces with a multi-year calendar. A multi-year calendar is a kind of manual perpetual calendar that can display the day and date for every month between 2003 and 2024 without having to change the date display. At only 170 USD, this unusual watch is a steal.
There are also Contemporary watches with quartz calibers. These include three-hand men's and women's models, as well as
chronographs. Prices vary by model and range from 110 to 230 USD.