Orient Ray Raven II FAA02003B9 Review & Complete Guide
Affordable doesn’t necessarily have to mean ”cheap” or ”bad”. In fact, there is a huge difference between affordable watches and cheap, lousy watches, in an endless of ways.
Orient is a watch brand that is known for making affordable watches, but also high-quality, well-finished, and high-performing timepieces, just at affordable prices.
This is one of the reasons why Orient is so popular. And it is particularly its dive watches that are greatly appreciated due to the fact that they have stylish designs, but also punch well above their own weight when it comes to all of the factors discussed above.
Because Orient’s dive watches have proven to be so immensely popular, the brand now has many divers in its lineup. This includes the Mako, the Orient Star, of course, the Ray Rave II, and many more.
In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at a sporty, cool, and masculine dive watch from Orient, the Ray Rave II FAA02003B9. The II stands for version 2 and is an upgraded and revised version.
This is a dive watch that offers everything we have come to expect from an Orient diver, but this time with an all-black finish which gives it a masculine and sporty appeal.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
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Case
The Orient Ray Raven II FAA02003B9 features a stainless steel case with a diameter of 41.5mm. The lug-to-lug measures 47mm, and the thickness 13mm. Of course, the case is PVD treated to give it a black and sporty finish.
In terms of size, 41.5mm is a rather good size which is considered not too big, nor too small for a sports watch. It has some wrist presence, but it shouldn’t feel huge for most male wrists.
The case design looks good and reminds of a classic dive watch design, in many ways reminiscent of the iconic Rolex Submariner 16610 case. It has a crown at 3 o’clock which sits protected between two crown guards. To ensure water resistance, the crown is of course screw-down.
It’s a bit tricky to talk about the case finish, but the top of the case is slightly satin-finished with a circular brushed pattern. The sides, on the other hand, are polished, and because the watch is PVD treated, it gives it a very unique appearance, compared to the classic polished and brushed finish on a regular stainless steel case.
As a dive watch should, it is of course equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel with a 60-minute graduation scale. The bezel has teeth around it which helps improve the grip. The bezel in turn has a matte black aluminum insert and the markers are large and painted in silver. To help with the legibility, the bezel has a luminous pip at 12 o’clock.
A dive watch also needs good water resistance, and the Ray Raven II is water-resistant to 200m/660 feet. This means it is suitable for both diving and swimming. You generally won’t have to worry about its water resistance unless you are deep diving.
On top of the case sits a mineral crystal, and this can be considered a downside since it would have been nice to see sapphire be used, but for a watch at this price point, it’s not something that we can require, at least in my opinion. And this watch outperforms in so many other aspects that I feel it is something that can be overlooked.
The case is presented on a PVD-treated stainless steel bracelet which matches the all-black theme perfectly. The bracelet has a fold-over push-button safety clasp that locks it in place. There is some room for improvement when it comes to the bracelet’s build quality and robustness. The bracelet isn’t terrible in any way, but generally, when it comes to affordable watches with metal bracelets, the bracelet is generally one of those parts that are compromised with the most.
Dial
To match the case and the black theme, the watch is of course equipped with a black dial. It has a matte finish which adds texture and gives the watch personality. The dial has applied hour markers with metal frames around them. To go with the black theme, the metal frames have been PVD-treated. The hour markers are generously filled with luminescent material which is of course an important characteristic of a dive watch.
The good news is that the dial has exceptional luminescence which glows brightly and long.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, the watch has a day and date window. Whilst this isn’t crucial when diving 100 meters below the surface, the fact is still that most people will never go diving with this watch, and for everyday use, this function is rather convenient.
The hands are brand and sword-shaped and have luminescence on them as well. They provide excellent contrast against the black background, allowing you to instantly read the time without any issues.
As a nice contrast, the tip of the seconds hand has a red arrow tip which gives the otherwise monochrome watch a touch of color and adds to its personality.
When it comes to the dial and its finishing, Orient has really done an exceptional job with attention to detail.
Movement
Inside the watch beats the in-house automatic Orient caliber F6922. This is a movement with Hand-winding & Hacking functions. The movement is an upgrade from the one that could be found in the Ray Raven, which previously didn’t have a manual-winding function. In fact, the predecessor used the basic Orient caliber 46943 with 21 jewels and without a hacking option.
But the Ray Raven II, Orient made some significant upgrades to the movement, thus significantly improving its performance but also its value proposition.
The F6922 movement has a power reserve of 40 hours and has proven to be a true workhorse. This movement has proven to be able to continue to tick for years without needing maintenance or servicing.
Specifications
- Lug width: 22mm
- Clasp: folding push-button
- Bezel: unidirectional rotating with 120 clicks
- Crown: screw-down
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Thickness: 13mm
- Lug-to-lug: 47mm
- Diameter: 41.5mm
- Crystal: mineral
- Power reserve: 40 hours
- Movement: Orient in-house caliber F6922. Hand-winding & Hacking functions
Conclusion
All in all, the Orient Ray Raven II FAA02003B9 is a dive watch that offers exceptional value for money.
Orient has done a great job in upgrading the predecessor to version 2, where the major upgrades relate to a new and improved movement. Considering the watch’s price, there really is a lot to appreciate, including its robust and durable in-house movement (something that only a few watches in this price range have), a robust and durable case construction, as well as a beautiful dial with impressive attention to detail.
If you appreciate traditional dive watch designs and want something a bit more masculine and sporty, the Orient Ray Raven II FAA02003B9 is certainly a watch worth considering.
The Orient Ray Raven II FAA02003B9 is available to order on Amazon.
