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Orient RA-AP0106S30B Bambino Automatic Brown Leather Strap Watch - W29116
Ref. RA-AP0106S30B
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 case for the dressed mechanical watch at an accessible tier, and this small-seconds variant represents a deliberate step back toward the proportions collectors had been asking to see again — 38.4mm across and 44mm lug-to-lug, trimmed down from the older 40.5mm generation. At those dimensions it disappears under a shirt cuff without any conscious effort, which is exactly what a watch wearing a sunray silver dial and polished gold PVD case should do. The sub-dial at six o'clock lifts what would otherwise be a very plain face into something with genuine visual balance, and the F6222 powering it is built in-house — not outsourced — with hacking seconds and manual winding alongside the rotor. The exhibition caseback means you can actually see what Orient made rather than taking it on faith. The gold-matched tang buckle is straightforward to adjust and appropriate to the formality of the case; no lume on the hands or indices, which keeps the dial clean and is the right call for a watch of this character.
- Reference
- RA-AP0106S30B
- Brand
- Orient
- Collection
- Bambino
- Case size
- 38.4mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- F6222
- Functions
- Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44mm
- 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 (4,683), Automatic Watches (1,756), Leather Strap Watches (1,033), Silver Dial Watches (693), Gold Watches (639) and Dress Watches (544).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 38.4mm suits most wrists
- 44mm lug-to-lug keeps the 38.4mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Orient's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Orient RA-AP0106S30B 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-AP0106S30B | 97A182 | RGB10010/06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £330 | £349 | £329 |
| Case size | 38.4mm | 39mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 42 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?
20mm. 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 44mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 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, though at 38.4mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
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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