Red dial, sapphire, under 330
By Kenji Watanabe, Osaka ยท
One detail has made the Kamasu my most recommended Orient diver: the sapphire crystal. Below 350 dollars that is still unusual from a Japanese maker with an in-house movement.
It is 41.8 by 12.7 mm, 200 m, F6922 automatic with 40 hours, hacking and hand-winding, day and date, steel bracelet. The red dial is a dark burgundy, quieter than it sounds, and it changes with the light. Other colours exist if red seems too much.
The weak points: the bezel action is a little soft compared with a Seiko Prospex, and the bracelet feels like what it is, a 300 dollar bracelet. Neither is serious at this money.
Good for a first diver, a daily watch, and a watch you do not mind knocking on a door handle. It is a better buy than the Seiko 5 Sports, in my view, if you value scratch resistance.