# Orient Bambino a week later......



## journeyforce (Apr 20, 2013)

So last week I got my first Orient. It is an black dialed Orient Bambino with a stainless steel case. I hemmed and hawed over getting this watch for over a few months until I saw it on Creation Watch's website for $128 shipped. I jumped at the chance and bought it. At the time I was hemming and hawing over it, part of the issue was white dial or black dial? Both had pros and cons but by the time I bought my Bambino, the white dial was sold out(except in gold casing) so there was no choice and I did not have a blacked dialed watch that was not a Seiko dive watch or Citizen Nighthawk

I actually chanced upon the Orient Bambino by accident. One day I was in the local JC Penneys and saw the Citizen BM7190-05A. Which in person looked like a classic 1960's watch. I was not interested in paying $270 for the thing at JCP so I looked online for it and came across the Bambino which also screamed "vintage watch"








It arrived about 4 days later to me in a non Orient box with photo copied booklets(not a big issue for me as the box is nice and it is a simple 3 hand watch that nobody should need instructions to set) I tossed the strap(I do that with every watch I get as I hate leather straps) and put it on a Bond NATO strap(22mm works well) set it with my atomic watch and started wearing it. Here are my thoughts and impressions on this watch a week of ownership.

The watch keeps excellent time for an automatic and I am very impressed as I have done nothing special to it to help it keep time(i.e. laid it face down or on its side etc) and I have not had to adjust the time at any period during this week to compensate.

The rotor is one of the loudest I have ever had on a watch but is not really bad and gives it character(shows the watch is winding) and it is one of the few automatic watches that are not divers that don't have a see through caseback(which is good as I don't need to see the movement in this watch, I already know what an auto movement looks like)

The black dial while stunning to look at does have an Achilles Heel, in dimmer light it is harder to see the time due to the all black dial and the silver markers and hands. I suspect the white dialed version would have much better visibility. (That said, I would still buy a black dialed version if I could do it all again)

The domed glass along with the pie pan dial make this watch. As has been said before most watches with a domed glass have acrylic as the glass type. The Bambino has mineral glass/

This has become a daily wearer watch with jeans and all. I read that some folks consider this a dress watch but I consider a dress watch to be a watch that is about 36mm-38mm which this watch is not.

I have no regrets at buying the watch but If I could have, I would have bought both the white dial and the black dial.
Pros:

1. Price(even at the MSRP this watch is a steal)
2. Style(Classic looking with modern bits (Mineral glass and size)
3. Good time keeping
4. A good looking watch

Cons:
1. Visibility in lower light
2. Slightly noisy rotor(might bother some)
3. Crown is a bigger then I would like on this watch(especially since I cannot hand wind it)

All in all a great watch and if you only buy one watch from Orient, this is the watch.

Pic of my watch on Nato


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## DJW GB (Jan 3, 2013)

Nice buy , glad you enjoy it .like the NATO. DW.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk


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## sticky (Apr 5, 2013)

Congrats on your Bambi. I saw them on Creation's site and very nearly bought one but chickened out at the last minute and bought another Monster instead.


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## Timbre (Apr 17, 2014)

Congrats to your great buy. It's a well-finished and accurate timepiece. Superb value for the price you paid. At this price, nothing comes close, not even China Sea-Gull.


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## lab004 (Apr 23, 2014)

My Bambino (white with roman numerals) arrived today. Very impressed with it. For the money, no question its a winner. Enjoy yours!


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## cabfrank (Nov 20, 2010)

I love the Bambino, and agree with you that lume would make it even better.


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## mpalmer (Dec 30, 2011)

That one is a nice choice; it is a great looking watch with a unique style. Congrats on your Bambino!


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## Konliner (Oct 8, 2016)

journeyforce said:


> So last week I got my first Orient. It is an black dialed Orient Bambino with a stainless steel case. I hemmed and hawed over getting this watch for over a few months until I saw it on Creation Watch's website for $128 shipped. I jumped at the chance and bought it. At the time I was hemming and hawing over it, part of the issue was white dial or black dial? Both had pros and cons but by the time I bought my Bambino, the white dial was sold out(except in gold casing) so there was no choice and I did not have a blacked dialed watch that was not a Seiko dive watch or Citizen Nighthawk
> 
> I actually chanced upon the Orient Bambino by accident. One day I was in the local JC Penneys and saw the Citizen BM7190-05A. Which in person looked like a classic 1960's watch. I was not interested in paying $270 for the thing at JCP so I looked online for it and came across the Bambino which also screamed "vintage watch"
> View attachment 1463958
> ...


I got the same problem with the reflective glass on my Orient Ray II. Mine has dark blue sunburst dial and it is hard to see at certain light.


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## nuvostokguy (Oct 8, 2016)

*"The rotor is one of the loudest I have ever had on a watch but is not really bad and gives it character(shows the watch is winding)" *says the OP.

The rotors on my Orients don't seem to rotate as smoothly or as easily as my Seikos but they do it soundlessly. I can _feel _them rotating but they do it soundlessly.

Is "loud" a watch term for feeling the rotor turn or can you actually hear them rotating? I have great hearing and I don't hear them rotating in the slightest. Just wondering.


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## -hj- (Dec 28, 2012)

I'm not sure on the Bambino case (it might be thin enough for the sound to get through); but on my Orients - Flight, Wingman and Ray Raven, they are certainly much more quiet than the Seiko 5s I have. The rotor winding and ticking sounds are certainly louder in the Seiko 5s. 

I'll soon have a Bambino once I decided on which ones I want to hear it for myself though..


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## nuvostokguy (Oct 8, 2016)

-hj- said:


> I'm not sure on the Bambino case (it might be thin enough for the sound to get through); but on my Orients - Flight, Wingman and Ray Raven, they are certainly much more quiet than the Seiko 5s I have. The rotor winding and ticking sounds are certainly louder in the Seiko 5s.
> 
> I'll soon have a Bambino once I decided on which ones I want to hear it for myself though..


So you actually hear your watch rotors rotate? The rotor on my Wingman almost feels like it's grinding in there (but it's just winding in its own way), my Seiko 5 rotors are absolutely smooth. My Mako I can feel the rotor moving but nothing like my Wingman. My Bambino I can't feel anything. And I can't "hear" any of those rotors moving. Maybe my hearing isn't as great as I think it is!


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## -hj- (Dec 28, 2012)

nuvostokguy said:


> So you actually hear your watch rotors rotate? The rotor on my Wingman almost feels like it's grinding in there (but it's just winding in its own way), my Seiko 5 rotors are absolutely smooth. My Mako I can feel the rotor moving but nothing like my Wingman. My Bambino I can't feel anything. And I can't "hear" any of those rotors moving. Maybe my hearing isn't as great as I think it is!


Here're my observations if you're interested;

My Seiko 5s have a slightly higher pitch winding sound sorta like; but not exactly 'zing zing zing' kinda sound to it. Their case also seems to be thinner, so the ticking becomes noticeable in my office on quiet days. Possibly due to the glass display caseback.

The Orients :

Flight - Pretty quiet, no ticking heard on quiet days, and winding noise is similar to Seiko 5s but slightly muted and slightly lower pitch. Kinda like 'ziung ziung ziung' for lack of better descriptions 

Wingman - loudest winding of the Orients, but still no ticking heard. Similar lower pitched 'ziung'.

Ray - Quietest of the Orients, not suprising given the 200m case, similar winding sounds but much more muted.

And I actually have a bit of hearing problems- not too bad but I can't hear some ranges of frequency properly, and I also have tinnitus...


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## KJParlay (Mar 4, 2014)

nuvostokguy said:


> My Bambino I can't feel anything. And I can't "hear" any of those rotors moving. Maybe my hearing isn't as great as I think it is!


 I've got the older Bambino, I think it has the same movement, but I can definitely hear the rotor winding.


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## stress8all (Sep 21, 2016)

I can hear the rotor in my v1 bambino, but it's pretty subtle unless you're sitting in a particularly quiet room and deliberately doing the shuffle. 

Fortunately it's a lot quieter than my kinetic. You can hear the kinetic rotor over a lot of noise. Out of necessity of course. 

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk


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## nuvostokguy (Oct 8, 2016)

I just took one of those online hearing tests. Listening to voices and numbers spoken during the test in a room with conversation (simulated on the test) I did just fine even when the background conversation pretty much drowned out the words spoken for the test. High frequencies, well, I topped out at about 11k. A lifetime of being a carpenter and jobsite tools blaring away I guess took away my ability to hear high frequencies. I swear I can't hear my watches ticking at all. I always thought automatic watches didn't even have ticking sounds! Live and learn.


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## MrBacon (Apr 9, 2016)

journeyforce said:


> So last week I got my first Orient. It is an black dialed Orient Bambino with a stainless steel case. I hemmed and hawed over getting this watch for over a few months until I saw it on Creation Watch's website for $128 shipped. I jumped at the chance and bought it. At the time I was hemming and hawing over it, part of the issue was white dial or black dial? Both had pros and cons but by the time I bought my Bambino, the white dial was sold out(except in gold casing) so there was no choice and I did not have a blacked dialed watch that was not a Seiko dive watch or Citizen Nighthawk
> 
> I actually chanced upon the Orient Bambino by accident. One day I was in the local JC Penneys and saw the Citizen BM7190-05A. Which in person looked like a classic 1960's watch. I was not interested in paying $270 for the thing at JCP so I looked online for it and came across the Bambino which also screamed "vintage watch"
> View attachment 1463958
> ...


Nice bambino. Good call. Some have indicated that its a must-have watch for vintage watches. Alot of history there too.

One question, and I understand its strictly about personal preference (and thats fine if its the answer), but what compelled you to wear a NATO with this? I've always associated a nice leather with such a vintage watch.


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