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Orient RA-AK0704N30B Bambino Automatic Black Leather Strap Watch - W29117
Ref. RA-AK0704N30B
Sits in Orient’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Orient watches we list, which start at £185.
Price range £185 to £440 across 38 Orient watches in stock.The Bambino has always been Orient's answer to a dress watch that costs nothing to second-guess, and Version 8 departs from the line's usual restraint by introducing an asymmetrical sub-dial layout — day of the week on one side, a 24-hour display on the other — alongside the Roman numerals and domed crystal that define the family. The result sits somewhere between a traditional formal watch and something with genuine daily utility. At 40.5mm with a 46.5mm lug-to-lug, the proportions are modern without being aggressive, and the curved case profile does what it should: the watch disappears under a cuff rather than catching on it. The grey dial reads clearly in most light, though the multi-dial arrangement does more work than the average Bambino face. No lume is applied, which is consistent with how the watch is meant to be worn — it is a desk-to-dinner piece, not something you are checking in the dark. The F6B22 is built in Japan and supports hand-winding and hacking alongside the rotor, which matters if you rotate it with other watches. Orient quotes a tolerance of +25/-15 seconds per day, honest figures for an in-house movement at this tier, and the 40-hour reserve gives a weekend off the wrist without losing the time on Monday.
- Reference
- RA-AK0704N30B
- Brand
- Orient
- Case size
- 46.5mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial
- Grey
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- F6B22
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Made in Japan
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 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,683), Stainless Steel Watches (3,109), Automatic Watches (1,756), Leather Strap Watches (1,033), Watches 44mm and Over (827) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (324).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Orient's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 46.5mm is a large watch with real presence
Orient RA-AK0704N30B 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-AK0704N30B | AX2457 | 010-02784-00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £320 | £289 | £350 |
| Case size | 46.5mm | 46mm | 45mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap |
| This watch |
|
|
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 explainedDoes 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 comparedIs 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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