Earlier this month, I posted a holiday gift guide that featured one of Orient’s best in the Kamasu dive watch. After publishing that article, I clearly had a definitive big brain moment when I realized I should take a stab at another review. I am happy to report that the Kamasu lives up to its reputation as an affordable time-keeper and robust diving companion (at least from the perspective of a land lover). Let me walk you through what makes it such an excellent value pick.
About
After some reflection, I have come to the conclusion that I actually attacked watches by category in the wrong order. I have concentrated my buying, selling and collecting efforts around everything but dive watches. Dive watches, mind you, are the most common gateway drug to this hobby. Almost everyone gets involved with or sucked into this hobby via a Seiko diver. Emphasis on “almost everyone,” which is scientifically defined in the broader horological community as everyone except me, the village looney who started with chronographs and GMTs. Luckily, there are plenty of dive watches in the sea. No doubt, I’ll find that special diver someday.
‘Tis a shame really, because dive watches largely represent the hyper accessible end of watch collecting and provide tangible real-world functionality. Boom, have an absurd amount of water resistance (you know you only need 100 meters and I won’t shield you from the truth). Boom, use an elapsed timing bezel for literally anything. Sayonara, chronographs. These robust watches almost always come in steel or titanium and are manufactured with the intent to withstand some serious aquatic adventuring. Even then, most dive watches never head below the waves and get paired up with leather straps and power suits. Case in point, they are the best choice for the “do it all, all the time” watch category.
Rewind to the plot point about attacking watches in unconventional order: it brings up an interesting question regarding where I’d tell “Past Me” to start if I hadn’t developed a chronograph-shaped addiction early on. I imagine the answer would look a lot like the Orient Kamasu, particularly in its cherry red dial configuration. Orient produces a myriad of handsome dive watches, but the Kamasu is near the top of the lineup. The best part about this diver? It MSRPs for $550, but you can find it discounted all day long on Amazon for approximately $200. Trust me when I say that $200 has never looked so good on a watch before.
A little flavor text for starters: “Kamasu” is Japanese and translates in English to Barracuda. Orient claims inspiration from this skinny saltwater predator and it is most evident in the dial. The Kamasu’s dial comes equipped with sword hands and applied angular hour indices, both of which contain bone-colored luminescent material. The Orient logo below 12 o’clock is also applied in a similar fashion. At 3 o’clock, this dial sports a dual day-date indicator; accordingly, the crown comes with quickset positions for both wheels. FYI that the Kamasu has multiple colorways for your perusal. I’m partial to red, but if such loud coloration isn’t your deal, the Kamasu does come in blue and green variations as well. None of these watches have the day-date wheel color-matched to the dial, which could have been a nice touch to an otherwise already attractive watch face.
The blue and green variations of the Kamasu benefit from color-matched bezels, while our red dialed friend is equipped with a more classically styled black bezel. This unidirectional bezel, made from steel, is a 120-click unit and I am happy to report it is satisfyingly audible during operation. The grooves that line the circumference of this bezel are very easy to grip, which is unfortunately not a congenital trait shared amongst all dive watches (or the Kamasu’s small-ish screwdown crown). The best part about the bezel? No misalignment. Unlike nominally-related competitor Seiko, with whom Orient shares parent-level corporate ownership, the latter still managed to properly get its hands around quality control.
Color me a fan of the Kamasu’s case construction, which uses a likely albeit reliable suspect in 316L stainless steel. The Kamasu feels robust in the aggregate – perhaps not so much more than any other tool watch, but I do think a dive beater should have a confidence-inspiring level of sturdiness. Finishing is fairly standard, with polished slab sides and brushing atop the lugs (which are not drilled at the ends… sigh). This beefy case combines with the Kamasu’s flat sapphire crystal and screw-down crown to provide the wearer with 200 meters of water resistance. You won’t need 200 meters when you accidentally spill coffee on it in the break room, but the extra peace of mind over dress watches is always nice.
Extrapolating from the case itself to case dimensions, I think most wrist sizes will find the Kamasu to be friendly and approachable. The setup is 41.8mm x 47mm lug-to-lug, so while the Kamasu may appear close to a scary 42mm, 47mm lug-to-lug actually makes for a much more palatable watch than paper would suggest. This lessened real estate is enabled specifically by the lugs, which softly curve down to hug the wrist. I may not have the hots for what is at best a mildly attractive watch case, but it does stand on its own with a very comfortable wrist presence.
The riveted oyster style bracelet, which features hollow end links and four positions of micro-adjustability, is brushed across the entire surface. Full brushing is sensible as this watch is likely going to see its fair share of scratches – polished center links never do desk divers any good. As a self-proclaimed strap snob, I do think the Kamasu would look sharp on a black NATO. Alternatively, old school tropical or rubber straps also feel like a slick style choice. Buyer beware, however, that the lug width is a very hipster 22mm. You’ll want to go shopping for new straps immediately after clicking “Buy.”
The Kamasu is powered by Orient’s in-house Caliber F6922. The 2016-vintage F6922 is automatic, hacking, and has a 40-hour power reserve. The stated target accuracy of -15 / +25 seconds per day is in the zip code for commercialized engines, and beats out the oft-compared Seiko NH35 which is tuned to -20 / +40 seconds per day. I’ll repeat what I said in my Timex x Hodinkee review: when you aren’t looking to purchase an Omega or another brand typically spec’d as better than COSC, you should expect the accuracy of your watch to represent its price. Despite the fact that the F6922 is a few years old, I think it should be considered anything but a long in the tooth movement.
Here’s my punchline: Orient is selling you a fully baked dive watch in the Kamasu. The movement is rock solid for the price, the dial is well-arranged, and the case is pleasantly constructed with the right accompanying features (i.e., screwdown crown, sealed caseback, solid water resistance) to make it a true all-situation companion. I had walked into this hands-on review with no intent to keep the example I had obtained. While I still think that is true given my tendency to avoid divers, walking through the merits of the Kamasu has given me pause to consider whether I might revisit it in the future on a more permanent basis. Excellent work, Orient.
The Specs:
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Features: 120-Click Diver’s Bezel (Steel, Aluminum Insert)
- Movement: Orient Caliber F6922 (Automatic, Hacking)
- Power Reserve: 40 Hours
- Screwdown Crown: Yes
- Bezel Movement: Unidirectional
- Caseback: Sealed Caseback
- Water Resistance: 200 Meters
- Case Diameter: 41.8mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 47mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Thickness: 12.8mm
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