Orient CEM65002DW AKA "Blue Mako" Review

NOTE: Click on any of the photos to see an enlarged view. 

I purchased a  Orient CEM65002DW AKA the "Blue Mako " about three years ago.This review is a little different in that about three weeks after I purchased this watch, my dad came over to visit and made several comments on how much he liked the watch. Being that I had several watches and Orient was selling these for such a good price at the time, I gave it to my dad with the caveat that he would report back his likes and dislikes. Still I had the watch for about three weeks and put it through it's paces a bit to see what I liked and disliked. The rest of the review will be somewhat shallow and second hand info from my dad. He's 70 years old and is used to his Rolex. Which one does he wear more? read on to find out ;)

LOOKS/APPEARANCE

As far as dive watches go the Blue Mako is a bit "dressier" than some of the other divers I've owned such as the Seiko Orange Monster, Reactor Trident, and GSAR. I think this watch just looks a bit classier but less robust. The blue on this watch is outstanding and should be seen in person to be appreciated. The case diameter is a healthy 41mm so it's not a small watch nor does it scream, "look at me". 

BEZEL

The bezel on this watch is not as aggressive looking as the bezels on many other dive watches. To me it looks cheaper but it could also be described as more of a dress watch. The bezel is unidirectional and only 60 clicks instead of 120 like on many other divers. I have to ding the Mako in this area because for me, the bezel a.) was somewhat difficult to turn and b.) didn't line up exactly at 12, 3, 6 and 9. I found myself having to use my fingernails to turn the bezel most of the time. I think Orient could remedy this my making the teeth larger or bezel taller. It just didn't feel as good quality as it should have been.

DIAL WINDOW

The dial window on the Blue Mako is made of mineral glass, a standard (but good) material in lower to mid priced watches. My dad has worn this watch daily for almost three years. Even at 70+, he works hard and is a little rough on watches. Even with the treatment he put this watch through, it still looks good.

CASE

The Case on the Blue Mako is very tough polished stainless steel and made to take some abuse. The crown is placed at the standard three O'clock position and is protected by steel on either side protruding from the main case. The bezel sits unprotected by any portion of the case unlike that of the Seiko Orange Monster which is protected by case guards at the top and bottom of the bezel.

CROWN / PUSHER

The crown as stated above is positioned at the 3 o'clock position and is protected by the case on either side by protruding guards. The crown itself is stamped with the Orient logo and looks nice. Unscrewing the crown and pulling out one click will allow you to change the date. A second pull/click outward will allow you to change the time. The pusher (above the crown) at the 2 o'clock position is also a screw out type. Screwing it out and depressing it will allow you to change the day and does so smoothly. I liked this aspect of the watch. 

LUME

The lume on the Blue Mako is a standard florescent paint like that used by many other manufacturers. While the lume is bright enough to be usable after a day long charge (or a high intensity charge with a flashlight), I found that it's brightness was average at best and did not last as long as some other lumes that I've used. 

MOVEMENT & POWER SYSYTEM

The one thing that sets Orient apart from many watch brands is that their movement is "in-house"; that is, they make their own. While I did not have adequate time to judge the Orient Caliber 46943's accuracy, reports from my dad are actually somewhat glowing. He swears by this watch's accuracy and durability. Like I said previously, he has worn a Rolex for the past 10 years and switches between that and an Omega. According to him, the Mako holds its own..Impressive. 

The Blue Mako is powered (like many divers) by the movement of your arm. My dad says it holds a charge for about 2 to 3 days when fully wound; about average for an auto diver. 

BRACELET

The bracelet on the Blue Mako felt a bit cheap to be quite honest. While the watch itself, felt solid and well made, the stainless bracelet felt sub-par.  The clasp did have the orient logo stamped on it and it looked nice but it just felt flimsy. Conversely, when I asked my dad what he thought, he just smiled and said, "you're too picky, it's fine."

PRICE

The price on the Blue Mako was VERY good for a watch with in-house movement and of this quality. I picked up mine for $132; VERY reasonable for a watch that looked this good and was this accurate. For anything under $150, I think you're getting a good deal. Anything over, I'd look towards Seiko, Citizen or even Invicta. 

CONCLUSION

I think that the Blue Mako is amongst the most popular watches from the Orient watch Company; at least it's one of the most discussed on the various watch forums. In the looks department, it's a very classy looking diver and the blue color just stands out (you really have to see it in person to appreciate it). It doesn't look as robust as some of the other divers but I guess it depends on what style you're looking for. Accuracy according to my dad has been very good but in reading others reviews is about average for a low end auto movement, probably on par with Seiko's 7S26. My major dings for this watch are the bezel, the bracelet and the lume. While they are not terrible by any stretch, I think Orient could really improve them. For the price you can pick one of these up for however, I think it's a fine watch and would recommend it to my friends looking for something in that price range. My dad? Well he's been wearing it for close to three years now and hardly ever takes it off.