|
|
|||||||
| |||||||
Watch Freeks > General Watch Discussions > Reviews: > Watch Review > WATCH REVIEW: Orca Military Diving Watches (Prototypes) | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
| |||||||
Watch Freeks > General Watch Discussions > Reviews: > Watch Review > WATCH REVIEW: Orca Military Diving Watches (Prototypes) | |||||||
A Watch Forum For Wrists Of All Sizes! Do you love watches and talking about them? Join the fastest growing (and friendliest) community of wrist watch enthusiasts! You must be a member to post in the topics and interact with everyone! So stop lurking and join today -
Registration is fast and free! |
| Moderated by: TVDinner | Page: 1 2 3   |
|
|||||||||||||
| WATCH REVIEW: Orca Military Diving Watches (Prototypes) | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Wed Oct 31st, 2012 05:54 pm |
|
1st Post |
|
andrema Professional Watch Critic 
|
Reviewer: Mark A. (aka "andrema") Watch reviewed: Orca Military Diving Watch - Raw Titanium Prototype watch provided by Orca for review Company Information:  Orca Military Diving Germany Berliner Str. 24 13189 Berlin Tel: + 49 (0) 30 509 138 73 Email: info@orcatimepieces.com Website: http://www.orcatimepieces.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ORCA-Timepieces/394231600635890 Don (Tattoo Chef) and I were fortunate enough to be offered prototypes of the upcoming Orca Military Diving Watches for review. The watches are not in their "final production" state, however we were given an advanced preview of the models to provide our initial impressions as well as detailed observations on the new model. The watch comes in several versions and finishes. I was provided the "Diver" model with a "pure titanium" finish and Swiss quartz movement. Stock Photos from company website:   Watch Specifications from company website: Versions: Military or Diver dial. Case Material: Full titanium (full titanium case, caseback, crown, bezel) Movement: Swiss Rhonda quartz or Swiss Automatic ETA 2824-2 Functions: 3 hands, date Water resistant: 30 atm / 300 meters / 990 feet Dial: Flat black / date at 4 o clock Dial versions: Diver and military version Diameter at Bezel: 46,80 mm without crown / 50,55 mm with crown, Case Diameter: 44,50 without bezel and without crown / 49,50 without bezel and with crown Height: 12,30 mm Crown: 5,5 mm Height, 8 mm diameter Weight: 60 grams without watchstrap Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective coating Bezel: Uni-directional rotation, 120-clicks Bezel versions: Diver bezel / Countdown bezel Illumination: Swiss Super-LumiNova photo-luminescent material / Grade A Watchstrap: Natural rubber strap, vanilla scent, 22mm International Warranty: 2 years SWISS MADE Prices: Titanium Quartz: 850,-* Euro Black Titanium Quartz: 880,-* Euro Titanium Automatic: 1150,-* Euro Black Titanium Automatic: 1180,-* Euro (*prices include the German "Mehrwertsteuer"/VAT – 19%) For reference purposes, my wrist is 7.25 inches in diameter. Initial Impressions: The design is military inspired, with a large, very legible dial and blasted finish. The watch is strikingly light at 60g without the rubber strap. The titanium case is well finished and bezel integrates very nicely into the overall watch design and provides tactical feel. Watch Packaging: I have to admit, the packaging for this watch is absolutely awesome! When the watch arrived at my home, I didn't know what to expect for packaging. When I opened the box and pulled the watch out, I was pleasantly surprised to find a nylon travel case with zippered closure. In keeping with the military theme of the brand, the outside of the case has a large Velcro style panel, which included two Orca rubber patches. The watch was safely secured in the wool lined case, with the warranty card as well as a nice Orca branded pen. This case is one of the best soft carry cases that I have seen. It has the capacity to hold two watches securely within it and is small enough to fit into your coat pocket. I have already used it on several occasions to transport some of my watches to a local GTG and it worked like a charm.  Scan of Orca rubber patch on travel pouch:  Watch Case and Dial: The custom designed case has a nice, evenly applied bead blasted finish and a nice military design to it. Although the watch design is very similar to other models in the market, it maintains its own identity with slight revisions and updates that help it stand on its own. The case is made from aerospace grade titanium with a bead blasted finish. It is very well machined, no rough edges and the blasted finish has a nicely textured finish to it. As you can see the lugs extend downward from the case and are slightly angled down towards the wrist. The lugs are drilled and the strap is held secure with hex screws, which are easily removed with the supplied allen wrenches. The unidirectional (120 clicks) bezel has nicely finished and has deeply notched grips that make it very easy to grip and rotate. Its square grip shape is very similar to those used in Kobold models and add a very aggressive look to the watch. The titanium bezel has an engraved countdown scale and an illuminated pip at 12 o'clock position, which is filled with white Super Luminova. The watch includes a 4mm thick, flat sapphire crystal. The crystal has antireflective coating on the inside to provide a glare-free view of the dial. As you can see from the photos, the crystal is very clear and has virtually no reflection.    Close-up of Crown: The 8mm diameter crown is very nicely executed and it blends in very nicely with the shape of the case. It has nice, sharp grips that make it easy to unscrew the crown and secure it while screwing it back in. The crown is signed with Orca's "A" logo.  The dial is a matte black dial with stark white hands, numbers, hour and minute markers. The dial has a date window at the 4 o’clock position, which has white numbers and a black background. The minute and hour hand are broadsword/pilot styled hands and I think they are the perfect length and width for the dial. The second had is fairly thin, with lume at its tip. One cool feature of the dial is that the brand logo is also painted with lume.    The caseback of the watch is fairly basic. It contains all of the typical information, including the Orca logo in the center. The caseback on the watch provided for review is made of stainless steel, with a circular brushed finish. As I understand it, the final versions of these models will come with a titanium caseback to match the case.  Watch Lume:  Watch Strap: The military dive watch is offered with several different rubber straps. The model that I was provided with came with an Italian “vent style” rubber strap. The strap has a nice vanilla scent to it and is fairly pliable right out of the box. The design style is very similar to the Seiko vent style wave straps (Z-20 & Z-22), but a lot less stiff. The prototype that I was provided had a stainless steel branded clasp. The final models will be fitted with titanium clasps, which will match the finish of the watch head. Currently, Orca is developing a metal bracelet for the military diver model. At the time of this review, the bracelet was in the preliminary design stage and unavailable. There is, however, an initial photo of the design. Please see Don’s review below for more details.  Wrist shots of the watch on my wrist: The watch is very comfortable on the wrist. In fact, once you put it on, you forget that you are wearing it after a while. The watch wears a tad bigger than it's 44mm diameter and is right at the outer limits of I would wear. Despite how it appears in the photos below, the watch does not overhang my wrist, the ends of the lugs are just inside the outer edges of my wrist.   Overall impression: Overall, the Orca Military Diver is a very nice dive watch and initial offering. Considering that the model reviewed is a prototype, I was rather impressed with the quality as well as the finish of the wach and recognize that this will only improve for the final production models. I am a big fan of pilot/Flieger style watches as well as tactical/tool divers and this watch definitely delivers in both areas. The blasted finish gives the watch a more casual look and titanium materials used give it a nice feel on the wrist as well as good balance. In summary, if you are in the market for a nice military styled, tool diver, the Orca is definitely a model that should be seriously considered and will prove to be a great addition to any collection -- Well Done Orca!! Given that this watch is a prototype, there are several areas that still need to be addressed and finalized prior to it's release. The following is a listing of the items that I noted during my review as well as a few features the Orca that, I feel, could be addressed. These points are nit-picky, but warrant mention: - The bezel turned smoothly and had nice, firm clicks. However, the positioning of the bezel is a bit loose and had some “play” in it. The brand was well aware of this when the prototypes were shipped and are currently refining the bezel to eliminate this. - Currently, the caseback is brushed stainless steel. I would have preferred it to match the case materials. I was informed by Orca that the final versions of the watch will have a titanium caseback and finishing to match the case. - The drilled lugs on the watch are too close to the top edge of the lugs. I would have preferred that the drilled lugs be more cantered on the lug. This would provide a more symmetrical, refined look to the watch. If this was not possible due to the strap designs or another design consideration, perhaps another means of attachment could be considered – such as a smaller screw, traditional drilled lugs with springbars or non-drilled lugs with springbars. - Although the second hand is more than adequate, I would have preferred a thicker hand with more lume and/or red/orange tip. This point is really a personal preference, but I believe that it would add to the already very good legibility of the watch as well as add a little more character. - The guards are adequately sized, but they are designed with a straight edge on the crown side of th e guards. I would have preferred that these be machined to flow with the crown shape. This would give the watch a more refined look when viewed from the side as well as a nicer transition between the components and a more sleek appearance. - I have never been a fan of vent/wave style straps. However, I believe that Orca has improved on this well know design by utilizing a more pliable and soft Italian rubber. This is definitely an upgrade to the typical, stiff Seiko wave style straps, but I tend to prefer a straighter design due to the overall look and the way that the watch wears on my wrist. Although the strap provided is well made and comfortable to wear, I am a big fan of IsoFrane straps and will more than likely transfer an Orca diver onto one for daily wear. Thanks for reading ~ Mark
____________________ ˙sʇunoɔ pǝʇunoɔ ǝq uɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ ʇou puɐ 'pǝʇunoɔ ǝq uɐɔ sʇunoɔ ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ ʇoN |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Oct 31st, 2012 06:30 pm |
|
2nd Post |
|
Tattoo Chef Moderator 
|
Reviewer: Don aka Tattoo Chef Prototype donated for review. Watch Being Reviewed: Orca Military PVD Sar with Diver Bezel Quartz(Prototype) First Impressions: Upon opening the packaging, I initally was like,..okay, large watch. Because of the thinner style bezel and wide open dial, this watch does have a presence. I was also impressed by the packaging itself and the nice even coating of PVD on the case and bezel. Packaging: Love love this type of packaging. A simple nylon and rubber zippered case, which holds the watch, warranty and info cards , and has another pouch on the left side to be able to carry another watch or extra straps/bracelet, etc. I hope this pouch stays for production models as well. Its useful, cool looking, plays into the tactical theme and won't take up any space in the drawer either.   Dial: This is the military dial version. Dial opening is 36mm, making for a very large , legible dial. It has arabic numerals everywhere but the 12,6,3,9, where those have rectangle markers. Minute markers on the outer track, large sword style hands. I wish the second hand had a bigger tip at end, would make it easier to see. I also love the fact that the date window(located at the 4) is done in orange with black numbers. Makes the date very easy to see at a glance.   Case, Bezel and Crystal: My measurements: Case 9-3 46mm 10-4 with crown 50mm Lug to lug 54mm Thickness 12.3mm Crown, just about 8mm Case design does remind you of some Fricker divers, but it still has its own uniqueness about it. I really like the crown at the 10 position and the way the crown guards are done, makes it very seamless and not out of proportion to the rest of the case. The lugs use hex head screws bars, and the tools are included with the packaging which will make strap changing a breeze. Even though it is 54mm long, the lugs curve down very nicely and sits well on the wrist, as you will see in the wrist shots down below. Crown has a little wobble to it when unscrewed , but does wind pretty smoothly. I like how the crown is signed with Orca, and also open and close with arrows. I think most know how and what direction to open and close the crown, but I think its a neat idea to put that on the crown, and I don't recall seeing that on another watch. Note: This is the wrong bezel for this model. This is the dive bezel, and the military Sar model should come with the military bezel. Keep in mind, again this is a prototype. The bezel itself, is a 120 click bezel. I was told ahead of time that it has play and squeaks as well when turning. That is very correct, as I have found out. Basically, the bezel clicks nice, but when you position it, you can move it back slightly to the last marker. So there definitely is play in the bezel, but it does stay in place mostly, and have not found myself having to put it back into postion alot. All of these things will be fixed for production models, and hopefully they will have a perfectly smooth bezel at that point. The crystal is sapphire and rises slightly above the bezel. It has an inner AR coating, though I do think it could be better. Hopefully that will be improved.        Case back: Note: Being prototype, this might not be the final case back, and it is also stainless steel, not titanium, as it should be. With that being said, pretty standard steel engraved case back, with the Orca logo engraved into the middle and the water resistance, crystal type, and Swiss Made. The production models will be titanium, but I am also hoping for the PVD models that they are coated black as well, to complete the look.   Rubber Strap: Note: The clasp is stainless steel, the production model will be PVD titanium. The rubber strap is a very nice substantial Italian rubber, with a carbon fiber weave pattern applied to the top and down the middle of it. At its thickest point it is 5mm thick and tapers to 3.5mm towards the end. At the lugs it is 22mm and tapers to 20mm. Its length is 120mm/75mm and I am wearing it on the 4th hole in. Very comfortable natural rubber, with the vanilla scent as well. The buckle is also signed with the Orca name.   Below is a prototype pic of the titanium bracelet that will be an option come production. They will have both pvd and non pvd versions.  Wrist shot on my 7 1/2" wrist:   Movement: Movement is listed as a Swiss Ronda Quartz. We were not provided with exactly which quartz movement it was, but as it is quartz, there are no issues with time keeping. Hopefully they will state exactly which movement is being used come production time. There will also be Eta automatic versions. Lume: Lume glows very bright, it looks stark white in the photos, but that is just how the camera picked it up. In person it has more of a yellowish tinge to it, but it is that bright. No editing on these lume shots at all. I also love how the Orca name is done in lume. Just a nice touch and makes it look cool in the dark. The lume also lasts pretty much through the night. I have had no issues waking up a 4am after being asleep for 4-5 hours and easily being able to tell the time. Very good job on the lume.     Summary: Overall, I think this is a great military style diver. I like the light weight of it, the large dial opening, easy to read dial, and the thinness of it. The crown at the 10 position is one of my favorite parts of the watch, and I like the way the watch wears and feels on the wrist. As noted throughout my review, this is a prototype, and not without faults. In my communication with Carsten from Orca, I believe that they will have all these issues fixed(bezel, case back, strap buckle) come production and seem truly passionate about making a great product. With the exception of the couple of issues, everything else is very nice, and I think based on the improvements they are making, they will have a winner on their hands. I look forward to seeing the production models and the titanium bracelet when they are finished. Thank you for reading, I look forward to your comments. 
____________________ I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. .......and Im all out of bubblegum.  |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 04:27 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
UKWolfeman The Extreme 
|
Very well done guys. Looks like they will be a success. The biggest area of concern for me at this stage Mark mentions with the lug holes and the proximity to the top of the lug. I hope Orca modifies as Mark suggested prior to release.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 06:19 pm |
|
4th Post |
|
Tattoo Chef Moderator
|
UKWolfeman wrote:Very well done guys. Looks like they will be a success. The biggest area of concern for me at this stage Mark mentions with the lug holes and the proximity to the top of the lug. I hope Orca modifies as Mark suggested prior to release. I didnt realize what you meant, until looking at it further. I see what you and Mark mean, that the lug hole itself is positioned at the top edge of the lug, instead of being centered in the lug space. I show a picture below with an arrow, showing what I mean, the lug hole needs to be further down and centered in the lug. 
____________________ I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. .......and Im all out of bubblegum. |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 06:44 pm |
|
5th Post |
|
carsten stasch ORCA Military Diving Germany 
|
This is an extremely nice review for our prototypes. Improvements are already made for bezel, caseback etc. Hope to hear from you soon. Carsten
____________________ 
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 06:56 pm |
|
6th Post |
|
sdwalt Walt 
|
Excellent reviews and pictures. I really appreciate all the time and effort you guys put into these reviews.
____________________ I got players with bad watches - they can't tell midnight from noon. Casey Stengel |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 07:39 pm |
|
7th Post |
|
andrema Professional Watch Critic
|
carsten stasch wrote: This is an extremely nice review for our prototypes. Thank you, I appreciate it. You have designed and built a very nice watch and we appreciate the opportunity to take a "first look"!
____________________ ˙sʇunoɔ pǝʇunoɔ ǝq uɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ ʇou puɐ 'pǝʇunoɔ ǝq uɐɔ sʇunoɔ ʇɐɥʇ ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ ʇoN |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 08:05 pm |
|
8th Post |
|
four20 laissez les bons temps rouler! 
|
good stuff, guys  i have to say i like these much better than the Kalmar! the funky lugs did nothing for me.
____________________ "It might be twelve o'clock and it might be three Time doesn't mean that much to me Ain't felt this way since I don't know when Might not feel this way again...." |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 08:21 pm |
|
9th Post |
|
Tattoo Chef Moderator
|
four20 wrote:good stuff, guys Think you are thinking of H2O. Different companies. This is brand name Orca, whereas the H2O is brand name with model coming out called the Orca.
____________________ I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. .......and Im all out of bubblegum. |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 08:32 pm |
|
10th Post |
|
four20 laissez les bons temps rouler!
|
Tattoo Chef wrote:four20 wrote:    i still like it better than the Kalmar  
____________________ "It might be twelve o'clock and it might be three Time doesn't mean that much to me Ain't felt this way since I don't know when Might not feel this way again...." |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 08:57 pm |
|
11th Post |
|
mikesr Watch Freek
|
NICE REVIEW, REALLY NICE WATCH. GREAT PICTURES.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 09:46 pm |
|
12th Post |
|
Caddymon reliefcp/C.J.Moderator 
|
Cool watches! Good job on the reviews.
____________________ Seiko Ananta Hamilton X-Patrol Perrelet Seacraft SWI LE Porsche Design 6612 Ebel Aquatica Breitling SOH Accutron VX 200 chrono Seiko Solar |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 9th, 2012 10:33 pm |
|
13th Post |
|
Abdullah Watch Freek 
|
Great review guys. It's a very attractive watch, specially the one with the orange marks. Great lume shot andrema ! But the white is so great. I have never seen that before. Last edited on Fri Nov 9th, 2012 10:35 pm by Abdullah ____________________ The truth of a person lies in his HEART |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 12:03 am |
|
14th Post |
|
DenFromNM It's DOOMSDAY! 
|
Very good reviews guys. I don't know which one I like the best. If I had the money I'd take me both..LOL Great looking watch.
____________________  Never assume cause a man has no eyes, he can not see. |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 12:49 am |
|
15th Post |
|
jade4x4 Watch Freek 
|
Very good reviews as usual. I like the clean look of a straight up three hand dial. Add to the some serious lume and you've got a winner in this line. Thanks again for breakdown!
____________________ "The nice thing about being a pessimist is that your either always being proven right or your pleasantly surprised!" George F. Will LUM-TEC Combat B17 Casio G-Shock GW7900B-1 Solar/Atomic Rolex Submariner 16610 DEEP BLUE DayNight Flat T100 DEEP BLUE Sea Diver 1000 iPhone 4s |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 12:26 pm |
|
16th Post |
|
litlmn Watch Freek 
|
Great reviews guys. Agree about the lug hole positioning, and is it me or are the numbers on the bezel a little too close together? I could be way off base on that.
____________________ Boschett Cave Dweller WF LE (Pre Order) Enzo Mechana Olivier Bronze 500M Omega Seamaster 166.0066 UTS 500M G-Shock GD350-1B |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 01:29 pm |
|
17th Post |
|
carsten stasch ORCA Military Diving Germany
|
litlmn wrote: ...is it me or are the numbers on the bezel a little too close together? It is not just you ;-) The engravement on the bezel is a lot better now (see picture). We are discussing a few things internally right now because of the review: - Visibility of the second (make the hand wider? add more superluminova?) - Round the crownguard towards the crown? (VERY neat idea!) - Smaller over all diameter of the watch? - Positioning of the lug hole? The clasp in titanium is discussed the most: Titanium rather breaks under force, while stainless steel bends. Do we want the coolest look, or the safest way of operation/handling? I myself tend towards "timetool", meaning: Stainless steel for reliability. Caseback WILL be titanium and match the case. Thanks to all for liking the watch, we put 4 Years of thought in it :-) Best regards Carsten Head of Design Attachment: bezel_new.jpg (Downloaded 514 times)
____________________
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 01:36 pm |
|
18th Post |
|
four20 laissez les bons temps rouler!
|
Carsten, i appreciate what you're saying in regards to the Ti vs SS clasp, but i'd like to point out that the ratcheting extension clasp Seiko uses on the Marine Master 300 (and the Velatura diver) is Ti. if you're unfamiliar with it, it is a traditional fold-over clasp with a ratcheting diver's extension. i'm unaware of any issues regarding breakage with these clasps (the irony is, they use these Ti clasps in a SS bracelet)
____________________ "It might be twelve o'clock and it might be three Time doesn't mean that much to me Ain't felt this way since I don't know when Might not feel this way again...." |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 01:38 pm |
|
19th Post |
|
Isdaako Watch Freek
|
Well done. Thanks.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Nov 10th, 2012 01:53 pm |
|
20th Post |
|
carsten stasch ORCA Military Diving Germany
|
@four20 This is only about our natural-rubber bracelet. The titanium bracelet will be full titanium with titanium folding clasp. Carsten
____________________
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Current time is 01:50 pm | Page: 1 2 3 |
| Watch Freeks > General Watch Discussions > Reviews: > Watch Review > WATCH REVIEW: Orca Military Diving Watches (Prototypes) | Top |
HOME | ADVERTISE | BLOG | CONTACT
Accutron |
Ball |
Bell & Ross |
Breitling |
Bulova |
Casio |
Citizen |
Croton |
Deep Blue |
Glycine |
H2O |
Hamilton |
Hublot |
Invicta |
IWC
Lum-Tec |
Movado |
NFW |
Omega |
Orient |
Oris |
Panerai |
Patek Philippe |
Prometheus |
Reactor |
Renato |
Rolex |
Seiko |
Steinhart
Stolas |
Stuhrling |
Tag Heuer |
Victorinox Swiss Army
| Zenith |
Zodiac
