Orient Neo 70's Neo 70's Solar Panda Sporty Watch, Dark Gray

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One of the most notable aspects of this Omega chronograph timepiece is its use of a pulsometer bezel. This is a more vintage take to the Speedmaster watch model and features prominent Alpha-shaped hands and a sleek 39.7mm diameter steel case. The case itself delivers on the visual side of things with its alternating brushed and polished finish.

It’s a pretty awesome movement, and considering the price is about the same as the Neo70s, you do need to decide what you value more. Do you prefer the beautiful aesthetics and unique design of the Orient Panda? Or do you prefer to have a watch with a fully mechanical movement? PROS As fellow bloggers Two Broke Watch Snobs mentioned in their Neo70s review, the movement in this watch is a bit puzzling. The Seiko Solar Chronograph Watch SSC446manages to one-up most panda dial watch designs with a simple yet highly effective design tweak – the inclusion of gold accents. This gave the Seiko Solar Chrono SSC446 a luxury charm that makes it a certifiable head turner. The Orient Neo70s is a chronograph on the larger side, especially when considering the vintage nature of the watch. Typically, vintage watches, even sporty chronographs, are seen under 40mm.In addition, the date wheel is a stark white, which contrasts with the warm and milky off-white dial in a not-so-complimentary way. The date window is relatively small, so you may be unbothered, or it might just drive you crazy if you’re a very detail-oriented enthusiast (and as watch enthusiasts, I’m sure we all are detail-oriented, to an extent). A dark navy alligator strap with cream stitching would emphasize both the navy blue subdials and cream dial perfectly. But you can try something like emerald green, or a dark burgundy if you want to get a little funky. It uses a stainless-steel case that measures 41mm in diameter and comes with the mandatory unidirectional bezel which is ever-present in all dive watches. This Longines dive panda dial watch is also quite durable which is further enhanced by the sapphire crystal window. It also has impressive 300-meter water resistance, as is expected from a top-tier dive watch series. It’s a moderately sized 38mm chronograph which gives the watch a vintage appeal, period-correct to the 1964 model name. It’s also quite refreshing compared to the modern state of watches, often too large for my taste and honestly, sometimes gaudy. My personal preference is a 22mm Milanese Mesh bracelet that I think perfectly emphasizes the vintage styling of the watch.

Solar meca-quartz movement combines accuracy and a large power reserve of a quartz watch, but the smooth second hand of a mechanical.

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I can’t say I’m entirely surprised, as this is my third Orient watch, and all of them have had superb case finishing, especially for the low price of these affordable watches. Lastly, consider a padded exotic leather strap, such as a padded alligator strap, to emphasize the sporty nature of the strap. Since the watch is generally neutral in color, you can have a little fun with the colors.

There isn’t a huge variety of affordable and good-looking panda dial chronographs on a budget, though I’ve written an entire article about them if you want to learn more. The really sweet thing about meca-quartz movements, like this one before us, is the smooth sweeping chronograph second hand that sweeps smoothly like a mechanical watch. It has a very 70’s flair, with a modern twist and sizing, that makes it perfect for the new-retro watch lover. Something about the script font combined with the creamy not-quite-white dial creates a slightly ‘classy’ vibe on an otherwise sporty watch.The Neo70s seems to be a completely unique design, at least. as far as I know. Feel free to correct me in the comments if I am wrong.

One of the most notable elements of the Rolex Daytona (aside from the panda dial) is its incorporation of a ceramic bezel. Specifically, Rolex uses a type of ceramic called Cerachrom which is has a distinct diamond polish appearance. This ceramic bezel is virtually scratch-resistant and does not fade. It’s built completely in-house from Orient (aside from the possibility of the ‘Orient’ Solar movement actually being a Seiko movement, but we aren’t certain about that). Personally, I like their logo and think it is done very tastefully. Of course, it reads Orient, and underneath ‘Chronograph’ in a script font that, again, I personally find to be very tasteful and compelling.

The one complaint that seems to pop up about this watch time and time again is the recessed date window between the 4 and 5 hour markers.