Lorier is a New York-based watch company that aims to make vintage-inspired timepieces more accessible to more users.
The microbrand targets the budget and mid-range markets with their mechanical watches that feature classic designs.
The Lorier Neptune is their entry into the diving watch market.
If you want to wear a functional and stylish dive watch that comes from a different brand, this is the timepiece to consider.
Why Lorier Watches Are Making A Splash?
The Lorier Neptune is a dive watch with a vintage design that’s reminiscent of classic dive watches like the Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, and Blancpain like the Seiko Fifty Fathoms..
However, the Lorier Neptune doesn’t try hard to be any of these watches.
Instead, it presents a style of its own that makes it worthy to be added to your collection.
The Lorier Neptune is a robust and modern watch with a vintage appearance.
Its reliable performance and affordable price make it a top choice among budget watch lovers.
Design and Movement
The Lorier Neptune has a stainless steel case that measures 38.5mm x 14.3mm.
The watch is quite thick on the wrist, but its weight and thickness are evenly distributed across the watch.
The watch also has a stainless steel bracelet to match the case.
It’s smaller than most dive watches that have widths measuring at least 40mm.
But if you have a small wrist, the sub-40mm Lorier Neptune is an excellent choice to consider.
The bracelet is consistently brushed, making the transition from the case to the bracelet seamless.
Usually, budget diver watches use different brushing on the case and the bracelet which can make them look cheap.
The Lorier Neptune is fitted with a flat-link bracelet with solid end links and screw pins.
It has two micro-adjustment holes for making minute changes in the tightness of the strap.
The timepiece has a screw-down crown befitting of a diver’s watch.
This feature helps improve the water-resistance of the components inside the timepiece and is a standard among dive watches.
The crown of the Lorier Neptune is a bit larger than usual and has finely grooved edges.
It may be hard to grip when you’re wearing gloves, but otherwise, it’s generally easy to maneuver.
The Lorier Neptune has a 120-click unidirectional bezel made of stainless steel with an aluminium insert.
Aluminium was the popular material used in bezel inserts before being replaced by ceramic and acrylic.
The bezel has a coin edge for easier grip.
You’ll find that there’s no play when you turn it, which is ideal for a diver’s watch.
The bezel features minute markers in 10-minute progressions.
On the 12 o’clock position, you’ll find a triangular pip that’s a standard among diver watches.
The Lorier Neptune stays true to the vintage diver watch design with how the hour indices are presented.
The indices on the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions are triangles, while the rest of the indices are dots.
The arrow-tipped and pointed hands are neither polished nor blasted, giving them a nice glint when hit with light.
The hands and hour markers of the Neptune are both filled with Super-LumiNova BG W9 material to make the most vital elements of the watch visible even underwater or in low-light conditions.
The watch face is covered by a domed plexiglass crystal that makes the watch resistant against impacts and accidental drops.
The curved lens adds to the watch’s vintage look, completing the accessory’s classic theme.
The use of plexiglass instead of a sapphire crystal is also a good decision for Lorier.
The crystal gives the watch a warm and familiar vibe without bringing the cost up or sacrificing durability.
Its Superdome shape also creates a distorted effect on the dial that’s fitting for a diver watch.
The Lorier Neptune features the 24-jewel SII (Seiko) NH35A automatic movement.
It has a 41-hour power reserve and has both hand-winding and second hacking functions.
The movement’s accuracy is recorded to be around -20 to +40 seconds per day, which is still acceptable since it doesn’t present any noticeable problems in everyday use.
How Does It Wear On The Wrist?
Here are some points to consider that will help you decide whether you should buy the Neptune Lorier or not.
Comfortability
It may take some time to get used to the thickness of the watch.
However, the balanced distribution of its weight over its size and height, makes the watch comfortable to wear.
Scratch resistance
The acrylic crystal scratches easily.
However, it can be removed using scratch-removal polish.
Variants
There are three variants of the Lorier Neptune: a black dial, matte gold or ‘gilt’ dial, and a blue dial, all combined with white text.
All variants have white index hour markers for enhanced contrast and better legibility.
Pricing
The Lorier Neptune sells for around $390, which can be considered fair given the build and features of the watch.
Don’t forget that this runs on an automatic movement and not the usual quartz you find on budget diver watches.
Questions
Is the Lorier water-resistant?
The Lorier Neptune is water-resistant up to 200 meters.
It’s suitable for snorkelling, swimming, and other popular water sports.
However, it’s not designed for serious scuba diving activities.
You can take it on shallow dives, but it would be better not to risk it.
Why is the bezel hard to turn?
The bezel of the Lorier Neptune is built to have no play at all which is why it’s quite hard to turn.
You can flush it with soap and water to loosen it up a bit and make it easier to turn.
Can I manually wind the watch to recharge it?
The Lorier Neptune allows manual winding, thanks to the NH35A movement.
It will take around 55 full turns of the crown to fully wind the coil spring.
Conclusion
The Lorier Neptune strikes the right balance between vintage design and modern components.
Although it’s quite thick, it has the right size that makes it comfortable to wear.
And its cheap, many say it’s in competition with brands like Seiko, but if you want something different for an every-day beater then the Lorier Neptune watch is a strong contender to consider.
