Orient Automatic Watch RA-AK0403N10B

Product Information

Legibility on this dial is excellent but without any hour numerals and only a 12 o’clock marker to provide orientation, it does need a little bit of getting used to. Not to mention that the case back is a very simple circular brushed screw case back with the typical markings and Orient logo etched into in. Plus, it has Luminox Light Technology on the hands and hour markers for an always visible glow, so you can see at night. It would fit under a shirt cuff no problem too, if you wanted to wear it at the office or out for the evening.

While the brand is best known for designing outstanding dive watches, it also has a selection of top-notch, affordable field watches in its catalogue.It is a no nonsense case with a no nonsense brushed finish all around the top that screams utility and durability above all else.

And while not many field watches come with a stainless steel bracelet, the Orient Defender pulls it off with panache. Thank god there are a lot of NATO- or nylon-/perlon- straps doing an excellent job when mounted on the Defender II. There’s a protective shield over the crown and a sapphire glass on the front and the back so you can glimpse all the outstanding mechanical workings going on inside. There are no numerals at all for the hours but the angled rehaut surrounding it does have 5 minute increment markers printed all around.

This watch comes in five different styles, a blue and green dial steel case version on a metal bracelet, a dark brown dial PVD case version on a green NATO strap, a black dial steel case version on a black NATO strap and a cream dial steel case version on a leather strap. While this watch is already a great value and offers some welcome personality over other field watches, I think Orient could certainly benefit from tweaking the hand length, as well as possibly adding a sapphire crystal in the future. However, it still maintains classic field watch elements such as the army-green canvas strap, 330ft water resistance, and solid stainless steel construction. Together this makes for a very stylish, very practical field watch that’s perfect for everything from a day at the office, to adventures on the weekend.