Quick take: A Made in Thailand stamp on a current Orient is normal. It does not mean the watch is fake. Orient is still a Japanese brand. The Bambino, Kamasu, Mako, and other non-Star watches we send are current production and are marked Made in Thailand. Orient Star is the line still made in Japan.
If the case back in your hand says Made in Thailand, and an older photo of the same model said Movement Japan, you are looking at two real stamps from two periods. This is the short version if you are buying in Australia.
What Orient made in Thailand means
On 10 September 2024, Seiko Epson said it was moving production of Orient mechanical watches to its own factory in Thailand. The factory is Epson Precision (Thailand), at Gateway City Industrial Estate in Chachoengsao. The notice said the text on the dial and case back may change, so you can see where that watch was made.
A factory visit on 28 November 2024 filled in the words the notice left open. The Bangkok Post report of that visit says watches made there are marked Made in Thailand, and that the factory runs from assembling the automatic movement through to the finished watch. A write-up of the same tour, from World of Watches Thailand, says the same thing, and names one exception: Orient Star stayed in Japan.
That is the stamp to expect on a current non-Star Orient. Made in Thailand on the case back is genuine. Movement Japan on an older photo is the earlier stamp. Neither one means the watch is fake. The stamp tells you where that unit was finished.
On the watches we send, read the case back in the box. Current Bambino, Kamasu, and Mako watches are marked Made in Thailand. Do not send one back because a listing photo still says Movement Japan or Made in Japan.
Seiko Epson notice, 10 September 2024 (PDF)
Older photos still say Movement Japan
A catalogue shot from a few years ago can show MOV’T JAPAN on the dial and Movement Japan on the case back. That is what that generation was stamped. The 2024 notice exists because that text was going to change.
If the photo and the watch in the box disagree, believe the watch. Some of our listing photos still show an earlier example. The watch we send is current production, and the case back is marked for where it was made.
Orient Star is still made in Japan
Orient Star is a different line. References start with RE- or RK-. The September notice does not mention it. The factory visit does: Orient Star stayed in Japan when the rest of Orient production moved to Thailand.
A Japan claim is fair on an Orient Star. It is not true of a current Bambino, Kamasu, or Mako if the unit in the box is stamped Thailand. The brand being Japanese does not make every Orient a Japan-made watch.
If you want the Japan-made line, start with Orient Star, and still read the case back of the watch you will actually receive.
A Japan code is not a Japan stamp
Orient uses more than one reference style. Export codes often start with RA-. Japan-market codes often start with RN-. Collectors call the second group JDM. That means the reference was sold for the Japanese domestic market. It does not mean the factory was in Japan.
Finished Orient watches are sent to Japan, then distributed worldwide. A watch can be sold in Japan, carry an RN- code, and still have been made in Thailand. The stamp on the case back is what shows where that unit was made.
| What you are looking at | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Made in Thailand on the case back | Current production. Expected on a non-Star Orient we send. Not a sign the watch is fake. |
| Movement Japan on an old photo | An earlier example. Not proof of what is in a later box. |
| RN- reference (JDM) | Japan-market code. Not proof the watch was made in Japan. |
| Orient Star (RE- / RK-) | The line still made in Japan. |
| Japanese brand | Orient is still owned by Seiko Epson. The brand’s country and the stamp on the case back are different facts. |
What this does not mean
It does not mean every Orient from 2018 is suddenly Thai. Older stock can still be stamped Japan. The change is about current production, not a rewrite of every watch already sold.
It does not mean Orient stopped being a Japanese brand. Japanese brand is fair. Japan-made is only fair when that unit is stamped that way.
It does not mean a Thailand stamp is a lesser watch. Seiko Epson said customers should still get the quality Orient is known for. The Thailand factory is wholly owned by Seiko Epson.
You want a current Orient
Bambino, Kamasu, Mako, and the other non-Star lines we send are marked Made in Thailand. That stamp is expected. Do not reject the watch because an old photo says Movement Japan.
Shop Orient watchesYou want the Japan-made line
Look at Orient Star, not at a Japan claim on a standard Orient page. Star is the line still made in Japan. Read the case back of the watch you receive.
Shop Orient StarYou are comparing Orient and Seiko
Where the watch was made is a separate question from which brand to buy. Case, crystal, water resistance, and how they wear are in the comparison guide.
Read Orient vs SeikoYou are checking a Kamasu
Older photos of the blue Kamasu show Movement Japan. The watch we send is current production and is marked Made in Thailand. Match the stamp on the watch, not the archive photo.
See the Kamasu RA-AA0002L19BAuthentic stock, inspected before dispatch. Free shipping Australia-wide on eligible orders. Covered by Chronospride’s 12 months warranty, handled by our team. See our authenticity and warranty page.
Sources
- Seiko Epson, “Transfer of production base for Orient products,” 10 September 2024 (PDF). Orient mechanical production moves to Epson Precision (Thailand). Dial and case-back text may change. Quality continues.
- Bangkok Post, 10 December 2024. Report of the 28 November 2024 factory visit. Uses the words Made in Thailand, and describes movement assembly through final finishing.
- World of Watches Thailand, 1 December 2024. Same tour. Production moved except Orient Star, from movement assembly to final casing, then shipment to Japan for distribution.
Is Orient made in Thailand?
Current non-Star Orient watches are made in Thailand. In September 2024 Seiko Epson moved Orient mechanical production to its own factory in Chachoengsao. The Bambino, Kamasu, and Mako watches we send are marked Made in Thailand. Orient Star is the line still made in Japan. Older stock can still be stamped Japan.
Is a Made in Thailand Orient fake?
No. Made in Thailand is the stamp on a current Orient. It does not mean the watch is fake. An older photo that says Movement Japan is an earlier example, not the watch in the box.
Is Orient Star still made in Japan?
Yes. Orient Star is the line still made in Japan. The rest of current Orient production is in Thailand. If you want a Japan-made Orient, shop Orient Star and read the case back of the watch you receive.
Does JDM mean the Orient was made in Japan?
No. An RN- reference is a Japan-market code. Finished Orient watches are sent to Japan for distribution. The stamp on the case back shows where that unit was made.
Where is the Orient movement assembled now?
For a current non-Star Orient, in Thailand. The factory visit reported movement assembly through final casing at Epson Precision in Chachoengsao. Orient Star remains in Japan.