Who doesn’t like the casual fun of inexpensive mechanical watches from Japan? If they’re sporty and vintage-inspired with a funky twist, even better. The new Super King Diver Retro from Orient Watch Company (part of the Seiko group of brands) delivers all this by reissuing a quirky old-school Orient design from 1970s.
Introduced in three colors, each sunburst dial includes the “SK” of the vintage models, which stands for “Super King” rather than “Sea King,” as many people mistakenly believed. While the originals had “21 jewels” text on the dial, the new ones say “22 jewels” because the movement has been updated to the modern F6922 with automatic winding, manual winding, and hacking features (and, of course, one more jewel). It also offers a day and date display, and around 40 hours of power reserve.
A host of offbeat characteristics make the new Orient Super King Diver Retro models seem like they could only be born of the ’70s. Said characteristics include its dial designs, bezel screws, and the asymmetric case that’s rounded on the left but angular on the right, with a crown at 4 o’clock for using the inner rotating bezel. Just as the original 1970s version did, the reissues measure the same 41.7mm wide and are 12.6mm thick. A water-resistance of 50m is sufficient for daily use and general durability, but not actual diving.
Each new Orient Super King Diver Retro comes on a steel bracelet and is available from the brand at a price of $245.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Orient Mako II Diver ($124)
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver ($125)
Seiko Automatic Diver SKX007K ($269)
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