Orient has hit the ground running this 2026 as it expands its popular Bambino line. For the first time, Orient has released five new Bambino 38 models without a date display. This watch creates an even cleaner dial than what the Bambino is already known for. Also, Orient has released six new fresh dial designs for its 40.5mm Bambino with date.
The Orient Bambino has been universally regarded as a watch which punches way above its weight class and is generally respected throughout the watch community.
Orient Bambino 38
The new Orient Bambino 38 model takes the elegance of the Bambino higher up a notch as it focuses on the core of watches which is timekeeping. The three-hand dial without a date display ensures that the wearer of the watch focuses purely on timekeeping. All five dials of the Bambino 38 give off a classic look which provides versatility to the wearer.
Taking cue from the classic Bambino design, the new model features an alternating Roman numeral markers and bar indices. Available dial colors are the white, ivory, green, brown, and a gray version, limited to 3,300 pieces.
The Orient Bambino 38 emphasizes a very minimalist design and is as pure as a watch can get.
Orient Bambino
The Orient Bambino with a 40.5mm case size and date display is now presented with dials in white, ivory, green, light blue, and purple. The hour markers for the new versions of the Orient Bambino with date are the simple bar indices.
The new dials of the Orient Bambino adapt to more contemporary design hues while maintaining the classic design which it is known for.
Common to both models are the exhibition caseback and the easy exchange leather strap which allows for swapping of straps without need of tools.
Both models also feature in-house automatic movements with a 40-hour power reserve and an accuracy ranging from +25 seconds to -15 seconds per day.
All of the Bambino models are in stainless steel, except for one version with date which is gold-plated.
The new Bambino models are a welcome addition to Orient’s current lineup.
This article was written in partnership with Orient.
Orient is available in the Philippines through select boutiques and stores.
Square watches have always been somewhat cool, but they never really sold that well. However, in the past few years, there has been a visible renaissance of square and rectangular watches, wherein these have landed on more wrists than at any other point in recent history. The release of the Patek Philippe Cubitus late last year officially brought square watches into the limelight.
The idea of square watches is not new. In fact, one of the earliest pilot’s wristwatches happens to be square, the Cartier Santos. In 1904, Alberto Santos-Dumont, an aviator, was presented with a wristwatch by Louis Cartier so that Alberto would not need to pull out his pocket watch whenever he needed to check the time while flying. Little did they know, the Cartier Santos would become one of the most important watches in history.
Cartier Santos de Cartier Dual Time. Courtesy of Cartier.
Aside from the Cartier Santos, Tag Heuer had also created its own iconic square watch in 1969 through the Monaco, an ode to the famous Grand Prix. The Monaco was popularised by Steve McQueen when he chose to wear the watch in the 1971 film, Le Mans. From then on, the Monaco has been one of the most recognisable racing-inspired watches.
Other leading Swiss manufacturers decided to take a crack at designing square watches to little or no avail. Jaeger-LeCoultre, one of the most respected watch manufacturers, even took its already iconic Reverso model and produced square versions of it, the Reverso Squadra. The watch only enjoyed a short and relative success before it was eventually discontinued after around a decade of production.
From the millennium up to the early 2020s, the world witnessed the incredible rise of steel sports watches. These watches were mostly round or angular at best. The Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A, one of the most highly-coveted watches of that time period and up to this day, has a case shape in between what you would call round and square. By 2021, the watch was discontinued, leaving the world with mostly rounded watches once again. It was somewhere at this point when square watches started to pick up due to a confluence of circumstances.
Vintage-inspired
One of the open secrets of the world of fashion and style is that it is cyclical. Old trends will fade but can come back in some way, shape or form in the future. The watch industry is not exempt from this phenomenon. As such, watches that became symbols in their days like the Cartier Santos, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and the Tag Heuer Monaco started to creep their way back into favour with the watch community towards the end of the 2010s.
In 2019, Cartier released the Santos-Dumont line that reintroduced the design of its first pilot’s watch dating back to 1904. Not long after, Hublot introduced the Square Bang Unico in 2022, a square version of their popular Big Bang model line. Finally in 2024, Patek Philippe, after much anticipation, released the polarising Cubitus line. Upon examination of these new releases, clearly, these are modern watches that honour design cues from the past.
Anti-sports watch hype
At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, all of the hype was with stainless-steel sports watches. During that period, everyone seemed to be wearing or yearning for a stainless-steel sports watch. Eventually, people got tired of hearing about and participating in this hype and started to explore the beauty of other watches. With this shift, the square watch design was one of those that benefitted the most when people started to go beyond the stainless-steel sports watch hype.
Readily available
In relation to the previous point, one of the reasons why the square watches emerged in recent years is because of their relative availability. Except for the Patek Philippe Cubitus, square watches are usually not subjected to long waitlists and purchase history for you to buy or try one on at the boutique or authorised dealer. This availability is very much a stark contrast to stainless-steel sports watches, wherein up to today, there is still a considerable waitlist for you to be allocated one.
Conversation starter
In addition to what was previously mentioned, square watches have always possessed this cool design code that makes them stand out. If you want to blend in with the crowd, a square watch is definitely out of the question. Whenever you wear a square watch, you can easily catch the eyes of other watch enthusiasts at the opposite end of the room, which can then lead to interactions and meaningful conversations. Ultimately, these square watches or those that have unconventional designs may indirectly lead to networking with different people.
This is a repost of an article written by Watch Manila Founder Atty. Sieg Suarez for L’Officiel. You may access the L’Officiel post here.
A rare and collectible vintage Rolex Cosmograph ‘Daytona’ at Salcedo Auctions has the world of avid watch enthusiasts buzzing. It is one of the highlight timepieces at the forthcoming Finer Pursuits sale that features an array of intricate details – from its rare “Sigma dial” and stainless steel bracelets to its chronograph functionality and its movements that are all still in pristine condition.
“A Rolex watch is something you can hand down for generations,” says Sieg Suarez, a lawyer and watch connoisseur, and the owner of the Instagram account @watch_mnl. When asked to comment on the legacy of Rolex as one of leading luxury watch brands in the world. Suarez shares his experience with handling centuries old Rolex watches, having personally wound them for the first time in years, and praising the brilliant quality and design of these watches as they continue to function. Indeed, the longevity of a Rolex watch defines its prestige and, because these are produced in limited editions, the demand for them also increases over time.
Suarez describes this coveted watch as the “perfect marriage of the old with the new models of the ‘Daytona,’ where the “technical capabilities of the watch is more modern, but also gives you that classic and historical feel.”
In addition to its design and aesthetics, the chronograph feature that allows the user to measure the minutes, seconds, and hours remains the highlight of the ‘Daytona’ watch. Ever since it was introduced in the 1960s, the ‘Daytona’ has remained an icon in the world of motor sport and with its association to the Hollywood legend Paul Newman who owned several models has become Rolex’s most prestigious line of chronograph watches. “No one was interested in these watches at first, but with media and advertising – suddenly, the ‘Daytona’ [became] unattainable,” comments Suarez.
Another intriguing detail that this rare Daytona watch has is the “Sigma dial” markings which is a special feature that also defines the rarity of the watch. “Throughout Rolex history, they would release a very few quantities of special dials. Some watches would also feature special markings such as the ones you can find on the so-called ‘Sigma dials,’” Suarez adds, commenting on the markings found at the bottom of the dial. Besides the standard dials, Rolex would also release different colored dials of the same watch. “For collectors,” Suarez notes, “the really minute difference in the dial really matters. Even if it is a dot or an error, a difference will add several thousands of dollars to the watch.”
Hence, the added exquisiteness of this fine Rolex timepiece is found in the delicate markings positioned at six o’clock. Suarez explains that this means the indices and hands are made of gold. “At the time of its production, the trend in popularity was going to steel watches, and so they wanted to highlight the precious materials by adding it as a specialty,” he says. These rare Sigma dials also promoted Rolex’s premium materials during a time in the 70s and 80s when the world was shifting to quartz which was a relatively inexpensive movement.
“Rolex wanted to highlight that timepieces should still be made with the best materials possible,” comments Suarez. The emphasis on their precious materials and gold makes this rare timepiece a testament to Rolex’s fine craftsmanship – and indeed one of historical significance in the world of watches that the most fervent of watch collectors will be racing to pursue.
The Rolex ‘Daytona’ watch accompanied by its original presentation box, papers, and service record
The Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles auction takes place live and online on Saturday, 25 June 2022 at 2PM. Click here to view the catalogue.
This article first appeared at Salcedo Auctions’ website in the run up to their auction on 25 June 2022.
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