Can The Sequel Live Up? Orient Defender II Review ( RA-AK0405Y10A )
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- A couple sources for the Defender II RA-AK0405Y10A
On Amazon: geni.us/xD2aBk
On eBay: ebay.us/LAtohj
Otherwise, You can always check Tus Watches or Jomashop to see what they have in stock.
Tus Watches: www.tuswatches.com/shop
Jomashop: bit.ly/2RI5SCR
----Straps Used:
Brown Leather (on Amazon): geni.us/AlnyX
Cloth Leather Hybrid (on Amazon): geni.us/Qqm49XC
Black Silicone (on Amazon): geni.us/jCeXBb
Black Elastic: www.thewatchsteward.com/
----Watches Shown:
Orient Defender I: • Seiko SNZG11 Vs. Orien...
Orient Star Chesire: • A SARB Killer? Orient ...
Orient Kamasu: • Orient Kamasu Review :...
SWC Bunker: • Hard To Beat The Bunke...
Today we are taking a long-awaited look at the Orient Defender II. I loved the first defender but felt the older movement held it back. So I was very excited to hear they had an updated version coming. Yet there have been some significant changes to the design as well. So lets see how it stands up to the original.
Note: Some of the links above are affiliate links, I am an Amazon affiliate so I would earn a small commission on qualified purchases. But most of the time Amazon is just the best source to link something just to get a look. I always encourage you to shop around and find the best price.
In Addition, I'm also an affiliate with AVI-8, Armilla, Aliexpress, Spinnaker, eBay, Jomashop, Meranom, and Phoibos.
00:00 Intro
01:00 Specs
01:38 On The Wrist
02:27 Case
03:40 Dial
06:32 Design
08:56 Lume
09:39 Movement
10:03 Strap
10:50 Final Thoughts - บันเทิง
I love how you show us how different straps fit to a watch during the review! Thanks Shane
“Business casual office watch” is a good description. Like you Shane, it’s appreciation I have for the Defenders, not so much admiration. They have so much good going on that I never want to list out all that is wrong with the designs.
And yet for these two is the negatives that keep me away.
Good that you mentioned the quick-set for the day, because with hacking and three complications you soon reach the point where's a huge pain to set and you just wish it would be quartz.
I remember setting the day of the week could be a pain on the Gen 1, so that was one thing I checked.
@@RelativeTime at about 6:30 in the video you show the Defender with the cream face on a really interesting strap. I would love to know what kind of strap that is. I think it shows up around 7:20 as well.
@@coachkaylor-volleyballvide674 It's one from Hadley Roma, but not sure they are making it anymore. Was model MS868
Nice that Orient still makes watches that are closer to proper size instead of giving in to demands of people with child size wrists.
I had this watch for a lil while last year but I just didn’t mesh with it and sold it relatively quickly after getting it. It wore a lil to large for my wrist. Definitely agree with you on the date. Thanks for review!
Good review. It has me searching for the original Defender. Cheers.
Excellent comprehensive review. I own version 1 and like it, as well as accepting the lack of hacking and handwinding. It has a better look and feel for me, and the slightly larger dimensions of the new version is a deal-breaker for my skinny wrist. The date at the six o'clock position is preferable for me, for the reasons you listed. I've worn V.1 in the field and elsewhere for almost five years and it's held up quite well, while keeping good time. Thanks for your reviews; they are always well-produced and informative.
Looks lethal with that cream dial. Great review as usual.
Thanks 👍
Great review, I love orient watches, I have the Orient flight 2 with the leather strap and now I was looking for the defender 2. Finally I find the black one with the green nylon strap around 150 usd. It was the only one available but it is a great watch at this price point. Very legible.
I wish it was a couple mm smaller, but I certainly can't ignore the good value and Orient quality. This is another winner from Orient, imo.
Excellent review. I do like the Khaki. With a shade below 8" wrist the bigger size would be OK for me, but definitely a little big for many people. Appreciate the review, it's certainly something I will be checking out.👍
Another great review Shane. Hope all is well.
Thanks. Things are good, Texas is mostly open these days.
@@RelativeTime I'm in Florida. It's been open here for a year! LOL!
Tan. Love the tan / khaki! I think the small bezel is what makes it look way bigger than it is. A 42 x 49.5 mm ought to fit you just fine, but maybe that small bezel gives it a big appearance, even after you get used to it. I can see why you felt it was out of proportion. However, I think that on a bracelet it might look more proportional. Nice work, Shane!
Thank`s for a good and honest review.
As alredy mentioned, the quick-set day is definitely a useful upgrade, particularly when it is in rotation with other watches.
Personally I would have liked it even better if they had framed the date window as on the first generation. A small detail, but all the same, a statment of consistency.
The black dial/bead blasted case version is on it`s way!
I think they've improved it. Sometimes little things can make a real difference, and giving the 24hr dial a red hand makes the function just seem more relevant, and less of a relatively pointless addition. The slightly thicker hands on the newer version are an improvement too.👍
The size of the sub dials could be a result of the movement change, as well. I was sort of the same way about the strap on my Defender I. When I put it on a NATO, the watch became what it was intended to be. A field watch.
I love Orient...I currently own four and enjoy them all. The Defender is one I really wanted t like, but the large size, both in diameter and lug-to-lug, kills it for me. Lots to like, but unfortunately not for me. Thanks for another great review!
All in all I prefer the Defender 1. Got a black one and love it. Also mine is on a green nylon strap. Field watches should all be on nylon imo. Great vid as usuall.
Thanks for another great review! I too feel it's a tad big as a field watch even though I like a large watch (I wear my Lunar Pilot all the time as well as Fluess and the Super Scuba 7). As field watches go, I landed on two that are a bit different, the Newmark 52 (in Gilt) and the Wolbrook Skindiver WorldTimer (fauxtina) - both in the mecaquartz (although the Wolbrook is offered in an Miyota auto). Certainly both are a different style of field watch than the Orient's and are smaller (40/20mm for each). I would even say the WolBrook's got a little bit more of an Explore-ish feel due to the mix of baton, Arabics and "no-date". Plus both companies are ones that have been revived in recent years with Newkmark formerly equiping the British Forces and WolBrook being one that Neil Armstrong is said to have worn one back in the '70s as a test pilot. While neither are cheap at $250 range esp. being mecaquartz, both look great (Wolbrook even offers their's on a BoR which is awesome) and wear great too! I'm not affiliated with either but wanted to share them as an alternative and my thoughts for you and and the community! Thanks for doing what you do so well! Cheers!
Got to say that this is a perfect "expedition" watch IMO. Easy to read, day/date and tad big presence. Wonder though why they removed the minute track on the outer chapter ring, makes it even larger. As for the 24h dial, you know better, can serve as a compass, given it's bigger size too. What you like though i don't, this knaki is not my taste. Overall a very good watch. Thanks for the review mate.
Hi Shane, I was hoping for more out of the V2. I agree w/the 2 steps forward 2 steps back evaluation. On another note: Check out the GM Lange trailseeker...It is right up your ally! I just preordered it...first ‘field style’ watch I’ve seen in a while that I couldn’t resist. Cheers!
Great review. I love the watch, bought it, but shortly afterwards sold it, mainly because, it just on the edge of being too large. If this was a tad smaller my decision to sell might have changed. I do like the unique looks of the watch, and their upgrade of movement choices was welcomed. Thanks for sharing, and let know what you decide to do with the watch.
I know this is about a year ago now - was wondering if you could tell me your wrist size. I'm a 7.5", and considering this watch.
I love most Orients. Nice video!
Thanks!
got the defender II over the defender I because of the handwinding capability, but i do like the smaller proportions and dial layout of the defender I
I keep coming back to this review because there is something about this watch that appeals to me. But I just can't get over the messed up symmetry and the choice to make that Day of the week dial smaller than the "who really cares unless you are in the military" dial.
Nice review. What is the two tone blue and grey watch strap on the Defender 1 please?
Good clip. Thank you.
I feel pretty much 50/50 about this one compared to the mk1 , in fact its only the movement upgrade i dig the aesthetics of the mk1 appear much cleaner. still a good value proposition but agree with your sentiments on the 2 steps forward etc.. Great review as always, i'm waiting for an addies 39mm pilot so will see how i get on with that.
An ok watch. The older Defender design was actually better for me, but for the old non-hand-winding movement. I also prefer the crown at 4, not 3 o'clock
I think it’s a good looking piece
We want sapphire! Mineral Christal is the primary reason why I don’t buy many mainstream watches.
I can sort of understand Seiko and Hardlex. As it's their own thing, but Orient should start moving on and putting it into more watches.
Great review Shane!
Thanks!
I tried the Seiko SRPG27 and it was difficult for me to read. The dome-style crystal and the way the numbers on the face reflect light gave it a kind of magnifying glass effect. I am returning the Seiko and will seriously consider this watch. I really like the layout despite the mineral crystal and, while it is Seiko's proprietary watch crystal, Hardlex is also mineral in the end.
Defender 2 is a hidden gem for less than 200
I own the first one ( black dial ) the lume sucks , adjusting the watch is a nightmare but it looks very sophisticated and unique .... if I had the certainty that the movement of the second iteration fit the first one, I would buy the second one just to swap movements. What do you think?
I've the olive dial variant of Defender II. I put it on a black-red MN strap and it looks fab. I agree with you on the case size, Shane. If it were to be 40mm, it would have looked even better. New Seiko 5 field watches will be out very soon. I think one of the models - SRPG35K1 looks a lot like Hamilton khaki mechanical. Only downside is the hardlex crystal.
A few others have mentioned the new Seikos. So I guess there is a lot of interest. I'll have to see if I can find one when they come out.
Thank you for the review. I definitely prefer my original Defender. I don't really care about the lack of hacking and handwibding; just a few shakes and it gets going and you really not don't have set an automatic tothe second.
Great work as usual, and also as usual props for the great shots. Orient make great watches for old Seiko prices (oops..), however this would probably be a bit too big on my broomstick wrist. I don't understand why a watch brand like Orient would increase the size of a field watch model which already seems quite popular among enthusiasts. Btw, I agree about ETs fliegers. I have that flieger/chrono hybrid, and it's truly great.
I'm not sure, the only thing I can think of is that movement is a little bigger, so they had to accommodate that.
@@RelativeTime Ah ok, that actually seems reasonable.
Completely agree about the increase in size doing nothing for the watch here. Mainly the empty and useless chapter ring benefits from it, leaving the hands, especially the minute and second hand way too short for a watch of this size.
Outstanding qualified review- I still enjoy and learn at the same time as always!
Unfortunately I can’t find the khaki hybrid strap @ Amazon Germany.
Has anybody an idea how to get one? It’s such a amazing choice!
It's a Hadley Roma MS868 . So other then amazon try searching the model number. Otherwise Vario has something similar. Although theirs are a bit tougher (and more expensive) as it's a Cordura Leather hybrid.
vario.sg/collections/2-piece-cordura-leather-watch-strap
Also great straps, but I wish they tapered a little more.
@@RelativeTime Thanks a lot for your detailed information- that saved my day :)
I recently picked up this exact watch. My wife said it looks like a toy watch. I have had it for a week and the jury is out for me. Not sure how long it will stick around. The bracelet is stiff but I am going to see if I can break it in.
pretty nice watch
Liking everything but the mineral crystal.
I'm really interested int his watch for 2 reasons:
1. I love the asymmetry of the complications and element's on the dial
2. I have no Orient in my collection, yet, as it really is an enthusiast's brand that 99% of people don't know anything about it, so the 1 or two Orients I do get would be unique, so this example here and there is a hand-wind model I think called the Monarch that is on my list as well.
Just quick background I have a few quartz models mostly got on extreme discount, for a particular color or unique shape (many Timex -love indiglo, a Seiko SNE411 Flightmaster), a ton of solar tool and a few field watches (mostly casio tough solar, Protrek, Gshock, one Seiko solar field watch) and a couple automatics, mostly Microbrands because Seikos have gotten expensive and lack Sapphire crystals.
Great update review buddy....I'm not keen on the layout change, the previous model was better, the other updates are superb, hands etc....I suspect with the movement change they still could have kept the original lay out....could have been hit but as is it's a miss....🏴⌚🏴⌚
Hey thanks for this video. When I first seen this watch I was impressed and really wanted them, but when I found that diameter is 42mm I am up set. As watching this video you just confirmed that this is probably not good for small wrist. Do you know any kind of mechanical watches with just about the same design but with smaller diameter?
There are definitely some smaller field watches out there , but I haven't seen anything else. Quite like the defender with the sub dials.
A good review. I just don't get the 24 hour sub-dial. What's the point? I suppose it would be handy if you're trapped in a mine and can't look out the window.
That's been the question with a lot of people for a while. Not just on this watch, but many others that have a 24hr sub dial.
I mean it does help when you are setting the watch to know if you are already in AM or PM, and in a pinch a 24 hour hand can easily help you determine directions in correlation with the sun. But those are pretty situational examples.
Hey Shane, have you seen the new Seiko 5 field series yet? I think you will be excited about them.
I have. I'll try to get one when I can. I haven't paid the early adopter Seiko tax in a while, but I think it will be worth it.
Does that mean I can use the Sun and Moon version as a field watch? Would it hold up to daily use in an "entertainment" back stage work environment? I wish they were 36-40mm instead. I'd have a gen 1 already if it was smaller than an orient diver. I still love the look anyhow.
You could, but not sure how well the finish will hold up that environment. After a bit, you may have a few scratches, but so would most watches.
A nice watch, sapphire would have been preferable , and it's just a couple of mm's too large, why can't they give us two sizes of the same watch? perhaps then they would sell more watches!!
Now youve gotta review the Orient Flight :)
That's another one I've got to check out.
I have the first one on my wrist (in grey) and although the presentation was top notch, I don't have the slightest desire to upgrade to the 2nd gen.
If your happy with it, there isn't much reason too.
Could have gotten the D2, yet preferred the D1. Logo at eight, blank at two, and larger day sing.
I wonder how it would look if the crown was moved back to the 4 o'clock position, rotating the subdials by the same amount. 24-hour at six, day-of-the-week at 11.
I can see why they changed the position of the 24-hour subdial, on my Defender Gen 1 when it's between 10 and 12 o'clock the hour hand obscures the subdial, right when you want to use it as an AM/PM indicator.
If the rotated it to the 4, I think the subdials would wind up being at the 12 and 6. Which could be a cool look. Kind of like a chrono.
@@RelativeTime It's a pity that you didn't have a Gen 1 to compare for the lume shot. On my Gen 1, I consider the dial to have bare-minimum satisfactory lume. Any worse, it's bad lume, better means it's pretty good lume.
Still, given it kept up with the Seiko Turtle, it looks like an improvement from the first generation.
@@jaysmall5586 Yah, I wish I still had it for a few shots, but can't keep everything. Got to keep things relatively organized before the wife starts noticing watches everywhere.
I like the idea of a Day sub-dial and a 24hr sub-dial, but if the 24hr dial isn't independently settable then it's just an over-designed military time feature which would have been better off printed around the indices, as with a traditional field watch.
Are there any affordable watches with an independent 24hr dial?
You mean like a GMT where you can adjust the 24 hour hand?
@@RelativeTime Sort of. Sub-dial based rather than hand and bezel based.
@@dparis2172 I can't think of one off the top of my head. I know I've seen some dual-time watches that have a second set of hands in a smaller subdial.
Can anyone explain what a 24 hour subdial might be used for? Is it more than dial-filler?
It's mostly filler, but I have found the occasional use for it.
1. If the watch is dead, and you are resetting it. It will let you know if you are in AM or PM without going past the date wheel.
2. If your slightly lost in can easily tell you where north is. If your in the Northern Hemisphere the sun basically follows the same path as a 24 hour hand. So rotate the watch so the 24hr hand is pointing at the sun. Then wherever the 24 hour indicator (or 12hr on the main dial) is north.
You must look out to new Seiko 5 th snzg1* competitor, it has 4r36 movement, 39mm case, applied numerials, hardlex cristal and "seiko" price (
Someone else mentioned that as well. I wasn't paying attention to the announcement of them. I'll try to find one.
Not sure on this one, probably it would look a lot better if it had vintage colour lume and not white as the white looks a bit cheap against the khaki dial
Hope you can review the new Seiko 5 field watches that are coming out in June.
I'll try to find one. I'm pretty curious.
How about the SRPG27? Thanks!
I guess I wasn't paying attention. I didn't hear about that one when they announced it. I'll have to take a look.
Another nonstarter for me due to size. Thankfully there are plenty of smaller watches available.
What is the dive watch pictured at 1:00 ?
That's the Vaer D 5 Tropic
th-cam.com/video/b1kbdge0px4/w-d-xo.html
As a fan of field watches, I'm kind of ashamed I haven't picked one of these up yet. Is the original Defender still available?
I think you can find one if you look, but they are getting harder everyday.
Nice review.Pros and cons with both pieces,tough call move on.
Too many new pieces coming down the pike. Let Orient sort it out.
This is true. With watches, there is always something else around the corner.
The narrow bezel leads to it looking like a dinner plate on the wrist. 38mm would have been better but the overall dial layout isn't particularly pleasing.
Just received mine today. Great watch for the money.
Did you get the same color?
Actually no...black with a green military nato strap. Really cool imho. Paid 183 euros. Orient is my best entry level brand. Also have a mako 1 and they stand out compared to other much more expensive watches I own. Besides their accuracy is really stunning to me !!!
I have an OD-II. I don't wear it anymore. It was too big. If it was 40mm, it would be perfect. Oh, and a saphire crystal would be nice.
41.5 would've been perfect for me
Amazon says it is 50m water resistant. Other places have all said 100, so I guess Amazon is wrong.
Yah, they don't always get it right. If you pause the shot with the caseback you might be able to make out the 10bar on the back.
ORIENT makes good watches
I wish Orient made this a little smaller, not larger.
Love the watch...but you're quite right, too big. Especially the dumb crown...pokey into wrists. As a member of Jenny Elle's IBWC, this is a hard no from me.
Yeah, it just makes no sense. I mean the quality is there but does a field watch really need a day complication? If they lost that, they could easily take it down to forty. It was already big at forty two. A big field watch is a contradiction in terms IMO. What is frustrating is that Orient has the capacity to make a giant killer of field watches, and this is what they come up with.
Yep that's a nice one, I just wish they would sell out to Seiko, keep the design language, move forward from there, Seiko just has brand recognition!
The hands are terrible! The huge black overhang on the back end obscures one of the sub-dials most of the time!! Fail. Like the color though.
Thankfully someone said it still has mineral crystal in the comments. Saved me 10 minutes...
Well I mention it early on, but yah.
"business casual field watch"
oxymoron entry noted
Your business could be war... 😎
But seriously that's the best way I can think to describe it. As well as it's a call back to the Seiko Cocktail time video, which due to it's size may be the business casual of dress watches.
@@RelativeTime lol. Yeah, I can't think of any better way to describe it either. I'm just picturing this watch being popular with army upper echelon admin types, y'know, the career pencil pusher chair-borne rangers that were last out in the field in basic training. Private Clerk: "Oh crap. The staff sergeant is wearing his Defender today. I'll bet he's got some crazy gung-ho thing for us to do. Damn, where's my lip balm?"
@@maingun07 😄
Too big... Otherwise - perfect!
Mineral crystal 🙄
I don’t get why they make them so big? No one will complain if this was 40mm, but almost everyone will dislike the 43mm size. They could’ve easily make it smaller by eliminating that minute track otter ring. .
Orient has some of the worst mineral crystals! They scratch, chip, and break without you even knowing how it happened! Their newer movements run really fast when worn after the power reserve is full! I speak from experience from owning more than a half dozen of them.
As far as the Defender 2, I don't like them.
Define really fast? I haven't noticed that, but haven't been looking. Are you talking a +5 extra sec a day or like 15?
yeah too big
Orient needs to change the DESIGN of watches
I'm sorry.but to me every orient dial seems cheap.like something you'd get from an ali express cheap Chinese dress watch.