There have been 2 very different schools of thought when you talk about the Orient Mako. Either you love it or you hate it.
For those who love it, they understand that the Mako despite all its flaws, is a very comfortable and discrete watch. They think that this is THE watch that you can take to the beach, to the office, to the mountain and even to that weekend getaway with your lover. The Mako is quite robust, reliable and there is something about that curvilinear and understated design that whispers in your ear: Hey, look at me! I’m here!
For those who hate it, there’s nothing that I can say to convince them that the Mako is a great watch and a true bang for your buck.
Those who hate the Mako will always point out its weak lumen and that the bezel is stupidly difficult to turn. They would always complaint the crystal scratches so easily, sometimes even just by looking at it.
But you know what.. Forget about all of that. Why?
Well… because here comes the Mako USA.
Last week I was invited to meet the brand new Mako USA in Los Angeles. Nick Lew and the Orient marketing team were great and kind enough to talk to me about their new addition to the Mako family.
Nick assured me that the idea to create an improved Mako came from Orient’s customers. Orient USA is doing an extraordinary job by listening to what we, the consumers, have to say. He said that they have been taking notes all along to come up with an exceptional watch.
This watch promises to overcome all of the shortcoming that its predecessor had. The scratch magnet that Orient called a “mineral glass” is now gone, and it is replaced by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal. The wimpy aluminum end-links were replaced by solid ones and the lumen is now Nemoto LumiNova.
The Mako USA also features a very cool feature that all of you watch geeks will vastly enjoy: Drilled lug holes. Think about the endless possibilities for a minute. The drilled holes will make your bracelet and strap changing a breeze!
The design and parts used in the Mako USA come from various watch models already in production. Look at the hands, they have the same design that the Pro-Saturation has. The Bezel and the screw-back case are identical to the Ray.
The arabic numerals at 6,9 and 12 were removed and replaced with what perhaps is the only original part of the watch.
The hour markers are pretty much from the Classic Mako, except with higher relief and chrome accents.
A very interesting part of the Mako USA is that the sapphire crystal now sits below the bezel. According to Nick, Orient decided to do so, to protect the sapphire from scratches.
Great job Orient and keep it that way.
