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Orient RA-AC0024L30B Bambino Automatic Blue Leather Strap Watch - W2981
Ref. RA-AC0024L30B
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The Bambino is Orient's case for what a dress watch can be when it is made honestly and without ceremony. This version belongs to the second generation of the line, which sharpened the proportions and committed more fully to the vintage aesthetic — the slender lugs, the steeply domed crystal that bends light at its edges, the Roman numerals on a sunburst dial that shifts between near-black and deep cobalt depending on where the light finds it. At 40.5mm with a 46.5mm lug-to-lug, it sits tidily on a range of wrists without the dial overpowering a shirt cuff. The F6724 inside is Orient's own, built in Japan, and it hacks and hand-winds — small things that matter when you are setting the time carefully before wearing it somewhere that warrants the effort. The matched blue calfskin strap is a considered choice rather than a neutral one; it coordinates with the dial in a way that reads as deliberate.
- Reference
- RA-AC0024L30B
- Brand
- Orient
- Collection
- Bambino
- Case size
- 40.5mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- F6724
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.5mm
- Power reserve
- 40 hours
Learn more about Orient
Orient began in 1950 as Tama Keiki, successor to a Tokyo watch business Shogoro Yoshida had started in 1901. It became Orient Watch Company the following year and set out to do something few companies attempt: build complete mechanical movements in-house, at prices aimed at ordinary buyers.
That is still the point of the brand. Orient designs and manufactures its own calibres rather than buying Swiss ébauches, which is why an Orient automatic can cost less than a quartz watch from a fashion label while containing a movement the company made itself.
The Bambino made the case to a wider audience — a domed-crystal dress automatic at a price that embarrassed a lot of more expensive watches — and the Kamasu and Mako divers did the same for tool watches.
Orient Star sits above the main line, with higher finishing, power-reserve indicators and in-house calibres of greater complexity.
The company became a subsidiary of Seiko Epson in 2009 and remains one, which gives it manufacturing depth while leaving the identity distinct from Seiko's own.
- 1901
- Shogoro Yoshida opens a watch business in Tokyo.
- 1950
- The company is refounded as Tama Keiki.
- 1951
- Renamed Orient Watch Company.
- 1964
- Orient Star establishes the upper collection.
- 2009
- Becomes a subsidiary of Seiko Epson.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Orient Bambino range (11), Back in Stock (5,018), Stainless Steel Watches (3,307), Automatic Watches (1,811), Leather Strap Watches (1,092), Blue Dial Watches (914) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (355).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 46.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40.5mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Orient's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Orient RA-AC0024L30B Bambino alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | RA-AC0024L30B | 96A330 | 010-02665-00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £269 | £279 | £260 |
| Case size | 40.5mm | 40mm | 40.4mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Silicone strap |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 42 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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