Kristen Cook
I recently bought a Garmin smartwatch after watching lots of YT reviews to help me with my purchasing decision. Of course, I then started to get lots of "watch next" recommendations for 'watch' videos. I found the reviews very interesting as I'd never really thought about a watch in detail, and there's lots to learn about watches! I'd always just needed to know the time from my wrist. The Orient range of watches seems to be a staple among watch collectors because of their beauty, build quality and comparatively low price..I was drawn to the awesome Bambino Gen 2 Version 2 in white with rose-gold lettering. However, the seductive, highly domed glass is just mineral glass and will inevitably get scratched. Then, I found the Orient Symphony IV. It has a 50m water resistance (not that I'd ever wear such a watch in the shower) versus the 30m on the Bambino, a flat (and more protected) Sapphire crystal glass, (Note the Symphony III was only mineral glass), with a gorgeous, deep blue dial. For the current price of $200 (list $260), I had to buy it there and then. My Garmin cost more!.I won't go into much detail about the watch as there are several reviews on the Symphony II and III, and they all basically apply to the IV. My first impressions were that the watch is nicer in person. The highly polished case looks awesome. The crown is signed on the end, unlike the Bambino, adding a subtle, but important, accent. However, the blue dial seems darker and much more subtle than I expected. The blue really only shows up in the refection of a light on the dial, with the rest looking more like a black. In my kitchen with daylight, I initially thought I'd mistakenly received the black version. That was hinted at by a black leather strap also, which I expected to be a dark blue. The listing states a blue strap and I've seen other online photos showing a slight blue hue to the Symphony strap - maybe a Symphony III? It is indeed black, and looking on the Orient website, they also show a black strap. I'm not overly bothered as I can always swap out the 22mm strap..The factory strap actually gets poor ratings in all the online reviews. I actually think it's fine. I worked it in my hands to make it more supple and applied some leather conditioner. It's not bad at all, quite comfortable, and it will loosen up with wear..My smartwatch is a 45mm case diameter, where this Orient Symphony is a 41.6mm. I have a 7.25-inch wrist and both work well on me. Dress watches are supposed to be small and discreet, apparently. I prefer a larger watch for better visibility of the dial. I returned a Garmin Vivoactive 4S. 40mm was slightly too small for notifications! The lug to lug distance of 48.3 mm and the underside curvature fits the width and profile of my lower arm nicely. A small wrist may find the Symphony too large..Being a dress watch, the Symphony does not have any lume. So, in the total dark, it is unreadable. I have, however, found that the very shiny hands and hour indicators reflect any available light very well and I can actually see the time even in the dim light of a dark restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised by that fact..CONCLUSION:.My first mechanical watch since I was a kid, the Orient Symphony doesn't disappoint. For me, it's not a daily driver, but a special occasion watch. When I wear it, I'm always looking at it. IT IS GORGEOUS!I have yet to confirm the regulation. It is rated at -15s/+25s per day. Being a mechanical watch, you can't expect precise time. When put away, it will stop after a maximum of 40 hours. Not what I've been used to for decades with digital watches but I don't care... IT IS GORGEOUS!.Orient is one of the very few remaining makers who use their own in-house designed-and-built movements. The quality is representative of watches costing two or three times its price. If you are interested in an automatic mechanical timepiece, an Orient is well worth considering.
