Mako / Ray

The line is born in 2004, when Orient presents an automatic dive watch internally identified by the reference EM65 and the caliber 46943, recognizable by its double crown (one for the inner bezel, one for winding/setting). At first the model has no particularly emphasized official commercial name: it is the online community of enthusiasts, particularly in English-language watch forums, who nickname it "Mako" — after the shark — an informal label that Orient itself eventually adopts officially, a sign of how much word of mouth among collectors contributed to the model's success, far more than traditional advertising.

The Mako quickly earns a reputation as one of the best "value for money" options in the automatic diver segment: a sturdy 41.5 mm case, a stated water resistance of 200 meters, a unidirectional bezel and an automatic movement of its own manufacture, all at a fraction of the price of Swiss competitors or Japan's own high end. In 2009 a first yellow variant arrives, conceived as a U.S.-market exclusive — later the subject of a small tenth-anniversary reissue in 2014 — a testament to how central the North American market already was for the line at that time.

2010 brings the most significant evolution from a design standpoint: the "Ray" debuts, a variant with a bezel and case redesigned in a more classic key compared to the original Mako, accompanied by a 44.5 mm XL version designed to answer public demand for a more generous case. From that point on, Mako and Ray coexist in the Orient catalogue as two aesthetic variations of the same technical platform, rather than as two entirely separate lines.

The most significant technical leap comes in 2016, when the movement is upgraded to the F6922 caliber: the new generation eliminates the double crown (superseded by manual-winding and hacking functions integrated into a single screw-down crown) and, in the U.S. market, introduces improvements requested directly by the enthusiast community — a sapphire crystal instead of mineral, higher-quality Nemoto luminescence, a 120-click bezel and a drilled lug for the strap (spring bars removable without tools). A third generation arrives in 2023 with a further revised design, new colorways and a solid-link bracelet, while 2024 celebrates the line's twentieth anniversary with a limited edition numbered to 3,000 pieces.

The moment of greatest recent visibility for Mako and Ray comes, paradoxically, from a decision made by the competition: when Seiko discontinues the celebrated SKX, much of the community of budget automatic diver enthusiasts moves precisely to Orient, which, thanks to specifications that are often superior (sapphire crystal, more refined case) at a comparable price, is widely described by trade press as the most natural alternative to fill the gap left by the SKX.