Anyone have the Orient Mako? What are your thoughts of it?
Had one, flipped it a while back. If you can get one new for around US$100-120 (possible), or used around US$80 (also possible), it is VERY hard to beat for an automatic dive watch. Not perfect, I really wish it had SELs - if so, probably would have kept it - but for the $$$ you can't expect everything. Highlights are the dial and handsest, just really classy, and they exude genuine quality. The case is also decent, as is the bracelet (although for some reasion quite a lot of people complain about the bracelet). Clasp is the standard Seiko folded sheet metal POS that they seem to fit to every watch that isn't a fricking Marinemaster.
So yeah, the clasp is junk, but on the other hand you can wear it knowing you got the same clasp as on a Sumo and even a Shogun
And anyway, Rolex sold good watches with rubbish clasps for decades, and it didn't do their reputation any harm!
The little Mako even has genuine WIS appeal. The movement is a modified Seiko 700x, so has history going waaaaay back. My old watchmaker respects these old movements, claims that the 700x series were better made than the 7S2x (less plastic parts). It also has that quirky button to change the day of the week. It would be more useful if it changed the date (to allow for 28, 30, 31 day months) but still, quirky is cool IMO. And it even has a screw-down collar.
The strap is hilarious! Typical Seiko stiff-as-a-plank, and with a tiny picture of a dolphin breaching! What the! I bought mine in Penang years ago, mainly as a souvenir more than anything. Paid way too much from the AD opposite Komtar (must be on Jalan Penang, but I always get lost in Penang), maybe AU$180, but to be honest even at that price it was pretty good value. Came on the bracelet but of course I insisted that the uncle throw in the OEM strap!
Can't believe I wrote so much about a Mako... but I had great memories associated with that watch, and always great memories associated with Penang. There you go - definitely worth a try.
