#small seconds

By then I had fallen in with the beautiful ranks of strangers.

The miracle of existing within the small seconds between dream and death.

I am entering the rooms now

the doors opening one by one—

And I can hear the car radio on the highway

and the silence that is the absence of God

Shoot your shot with the @HagerWatches Broad Arrow collection

At WWR, we cover a wide variety of watches (and watch brands), though most of our focus is on the affordable end of the spectrum. Somewhat out of necessity, and somewhat due to the explosion of small independent brands, we’ve covered any number of small brands. Some of these have been blips on the radar, and then there are brands like Hager, which just truck along and all of a sudden, they’re…

As it turns out,  the Orient Bambino SS was a great place to jump into the waters (not literally, though, as it only has a 30m WR rating).  Why is that, you ask?  Well, it’s because the Orient Bambino SS has a brand new movement, the F6222, which is based off of another movement in their collection. Why is this important?  Well, it’s because it brings some new things to the Bambino lineup, particularly hacking and hand winding, things we consider almost de rigeur for a modern automatic.  The modification also brings the small seconds to the party.

This really elevates the look of the Orient Bambino SS.  The Bambino line has always been praised as a vintage-look dress watch, but I think the move to a small sub-seconds (aka the SS part of the model name) really makes the design.  Which, for being a small thing, it’s surprising the impact.  I mean, the rest of the watch is basically the same – domed mineral crystal, domed dial, same case dimensions (40.5mm wide by 12mm thick).  Yet it’s those small details that seal the deal.  Along with the small seconds, I’m also happy to see the Arabic numerals and indices in place of Roman numerals.  Sure, Roman numerals may seem dressier, but I’d much rather do without them.

So, if you couldn’t tell, I was rather a fan of the Orient Bambino SS, from the first time I took it out of the box until I put it back in to send it on home.  The relatively thin profile – which, to the eye is thinner yet, as that height dimension includes the domed crystal) slips right under a cuff, and no one is the wiser.  Pop it on out, and those polished hands pop against the dial, you read the time at a glance, and you’re on the way.  The date window isn’t quite matched to the dial color, but it’s small enough that it’s not a distraction.

Speaking of distractions, I can’t quite make my mind up if the logo is one on the Orient Bambino SS.  As I pointed out in a prior AVI-8 review, when you have a vintage-style watch, it’s helpful if the rest of the dial (aka, all the extra printed bits) match in, thematically.  Here, that Orient logo and text are on the border between feeling period appropriate, and feeling too modern.  I wouldn’t mind seeing the brand play around with some logo variations out of their back catalog (presumably, they have some options given that the brand has been around for a bit).

Then again, these days they’re part of the Epson group.  What, the printer folks?  Sort of.  Flip the case over, and you see the Epson name right there, loud and proud.  What this really means, for us watch folks, is that Seiko (which is part of the Epson group) is taking a more transparent bit of ownership here (or at least, that’s how I’m reading it) in the brand.  I’m not a movement expert, so I can’t tell you if this new one is built with the reliability and longevity of your favorite Seiko caliber, but it’s nice to see the ownership being made a bit more clear.

Wearing the Orient Bambino SS was a treat.  I wore it both to the office, as well as with a suit, and it didn’t break a sweat.  Sure, it might look out of place a bit on the weekend if you’re dressed really casually, but otherwise, something like this could be a good, dressier everyday alternative (perhaps the black dial variant would be a bit more under the radar; if you want to stand out, there are some gold tone options as well).  And hey, at an asking price of $305, even if the watch is an every-other-day sort of a watch, you’re still coming out ahead in the bargain, if you ask me.  So, if you’re on the hunt for a vintage-look dress watch, these new Orient Bambino SS models should be one of your first stops to check out.  orientwatchusa.com

Another assist from my daughter!

  Review Summary

Brand & Model: Orient Bambino SS (ref. RA-AP0003S10A)

Price:  $305

Who’s it for?  You want a dressier watch with vintage looks, but without the vintage worries of reliability and accuracy

Would I wear it?  Indeedily do, good neighbor.  Indeedily do.

What I’d change: Play around with the logo on the dial, see if it could be “aged” a bit.  Also?  Wonder what a full set of indices (replacing all numerals) would do

The best thing about it: For a small detail, it’s the sub seconds.  Larger picture, it’s the look and feel of the piece.

Tech Specs from Orient

Movement:  ORIENT Cal. F6222 Automatic, Hand-winding, Hacking Mov’t

Power Reserve:  Approximately 40 hours

Functions:  Hours, minutes, seconds, date

Case

Case Material:  Stainless Steel

Case Diameter:  40.5mm without crown

Case Thickness:  12mm

Bezel Material:  Stainless Steel

Lugs:  21mm

Crystal:  Domed Mineral

Strap

Band Material:Leather (Brown)

Clasp:  Buckle

Water Resistance:  30m

Dial Color:  White

Warranty Type: 1 Year Orient Watch USA Warranty

Another assist from my daughter

Panerai Pam Watches drop three categories<\p>

Included in thehe celebrated line is Luminor Slip (Panerai 6497, Pam177 Titanium, Pam 118 and so on.), Luminor Base, and Radiomir. <\p>

Luminor Base<\p>

Luminor Base happens to be offered friendly relations five versions, which are, PAM 00114, PAM 00112, PAM 00176, PAM 00000 and PAM 00219. Megacosm having a clipping of desultoriness after all conserving a eccentric of pure in heart steel \ titanium apropos of 44 mm, a 56 hours power reserve, mechanisms that are wound thereby hand, water resistance weed out a bulk out to 300 m, alligator or leather straps, having services for hours as ingeniously as proceedings yet with a see-through back of bloodstone crystal. <\p>

Luminor Marina<\p>

Luminor Harbor has four versions, which are, PAM 00113, PAM 00111, PAM 00005 and PAM 00177. This line has comparable characteristics with the dissimilarity being that the functions an in addition has small seconds. <\p>

Radiomir<\p>

Lastly the Radiomir is offered in six models, which are PAM 00231, PAM 00210, PAM 00197, PAM 00292, PAM 00183, and PAM 00190. Panerai Radiomir is independent in manual evenly well as train mechanical systems, includes a fact of experience of stainless steel \rose golden of 18 carat anent 45mm, has 50 hours of suasion sign on, shows the hours, the minutes as well ad eundem humble-visaged seconds, leather military band and large-sized buckle made from enhanced steel and has water resistance till a corpulence pertinent to 100 m.<\p>

Panerai modern chain reaction<\p>

The Panerai modern series consists of Luminor GMT, Luminor Marina Automatic, Chrono, Luminor Submersible, Power Vicarious, Radiomir Chrono and Tragic Seal. Lots in reference to such models are merely up gradations of the remarkable puncture, although others introduce totally sassy features to the precision timepieces in relation to Panerai. The Submersible is in the limelight by means of its models, which are PAM 00243, PAM 00025 and PAM 00024, being as how its does not just have hands for the hours, the minutes for example well as small seconds barring also has the estimation of time for which him is immersed, day, it beyond has a back of titanium or steel, with a rubber band and water resistance advance to 300 meters. Radiomir Chrono happens to be an archetypal model having a case of 45 mm including 2 chronometer push-sections, 42 hours of power storage and water-resistance overhead to 100 meters.<\p>

Manifattura line happens in passage to be the line of panerai time pieces having national tone that panerai built. In a upmost number of cases concerning the internal movements being systematized by watchmaker no clear distinction is there, though i myself is not the stalemate pro the Officine Panerai timepieces.<\p>

Common belief<\p>