Watches, Bags & Luggage

Orient Bambino V2 Review: The Vintage Dress Watch That Punches Way Above Its Class

If you want a dress watch with genuine vintage charm and an in-house mechanical movement, the Bambino has been the enthusiast's answer for years. Its domed crystal and simple dial look far more expensive than they are.

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Key features

• The domed crystal and slim hands give it a real 1950s dress-watch look.
• Its in-house movement can be hand-wound and hacks (the seconds hand stops for precise setting), which many budget automatics can't do.
• At 40.5mm it suits most wrists and slips under a shirt cuff.
• The leather strap keeps it firmly in dress-watch territory.

Best for

Anyone wanting a classy first automatic for work, weddings and dinners.

Things to consider

• Water resistance is only 30m, so it's for splashes, not swimming.
• A mineral crystal is less scratch-resistant than sapphire, and the dome catches reflections.
• It's not a sports watch, so skip it if you want one watch for everything.

Verdict

One of the best-value dress watches around. Highly recommended for its style.

Consider instead

Seiko SNK809 Review: The Classic First Automatic Watch — Seiko SNK809: a casual field-watch take on the budget automatic.