Orient Kamasu

Kamasu is the Japanese word for barracuda. The Tokyo-based company likely chose this name since these watches have hands that resemble a barracuda's sharp teeth. However, the Kamasu collection also goes by another name – Mako 3. This is because it is the direct successor to two models known as the Mako 1 and Mako 2.

The Kamasu collection is vibrant and diverse. Each watch is made of stainless steel and comes with your choice of a black, blue, burgundy, or green dial. What's more, there are two versions with golden accents. Considering its affordability, perhaps this collection's most remarkable features are the use of sapphire crystal and the automatic in-house caliber F6922. Orient developed this movement in its entirety and produces it at their own facilities.

Kamasu diving watches are modern and versatile timepieces that look as good at the gym as they do in the office. Despite their practical functions, these watches sell for exceptionally low prices. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find more affordable watches with comparable quality. Furthermore, the Kamasu collection's clear, no-nonsense design will never go out of style.

There are a few common features across all Kamasu watches: a 41.8-mm case, screw-down crown, unidirectional diving bezel, and a depth rating of 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft). The dials have a beautiful sunburst pattern that appears to change color depending on how the light hits it. The bar indices boast a generous coating of luminous material, which guarantees optimal readability under all lighting conditions. While the refs. RA-AA0005B and RA-AA0006L come on rubber straps, the rest of the collection is outfitted with three-piece link stainless steel bracelets. The straps and bracelets are each 22 mm wide.

The Kamasu's power comes from the automatic caliber F6922. This movement lends this timepiece a manual-winding option and stop-seconds mechanism – something neither the Mako 1 nor the Mako 2 can claim. There are also central hour, minute, and second hands, as well as a day-date display at 3 o'clock. The F6922 has a balance frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (vph) and a 40-hour power reserve.

If you're looking for a classic diving watch, the Ref. RA-AA0001B is the way to go. Its dial and bezel are both black, so you can wear this model with almost any outfit. Prices for this particular Kamasu on a stainless steel bracelet sit around 230 USD.

There's also the ref. RA-AA0002L with a blue dial. Even though it is technologically identical to the previous model, this watch costs slightly more at 280 USD. The ref. RA-AA0003R with a burgundy dial and ref. RA-AA0004E with a green dial are even more expensive at about 300 USD.

You can save a few dollars by purchasing the ref. RA-AA0005B. This model's case is covered with a black coating, while its gold-plated bezel ring, hands, and indices add a beautiful sense of contrast. Orient mounts the final watch on a rubber strap. You can call this timepiece your own for roughly 260 USD.

Kamasu Limited Edition

The ref. RA-AA007A is a limited-edition Orient Kamasu. Only 2,000 copies of this timepiece exist. It is largely identical to the RA-AA0002L with a blue dial but for one major difference: the limited version features a rose gold-plated bezel. Due to its small production run, this model rarely appears on Chrono24, and with a price tag of about 670 USD, it is much more expensive than its sister models.