Lorierwatches Arvostelua 6

I bought the Lorier Hyperion 2 with Soprod movement. The most beautiful watch in my collection and without intending it, it became my everyday watch.

The reason for being my everyday watch:
- it's slim and sits comfortably as a result
- it's well proportioned diameter 38/39mm
- the colours are really nice, the gold hands provide warmth. Not too much gilt. The gmt hand is a nice dark red. The bezel colours are subtle and effective.
- I can swim with it, and do every week
- the roulette wheel date window looks really nice
- I've not had any quality control or mechanical issues over a few years.
- acrylic/ plastic crystal is my preferred choice over sapphire.  Acrylic looks better, feels better to touch and doesn't smudge with fingerprints like sapphire does. I wish all watch makers would offer acrylic.

Generally speaking having dabbled with a few micro brands I found Lorier to be reputable and good quality for the price point. They're excellent for their class. The hyperion is my go to and has made me pause going forward with other watches because I don't know what another watch can give me now I've the hyperion (except METAS certification, that would be nice)

I'm impressed with Lorier.

I bought a Lorier Neptune IV (no date) around August 2024. It took a little while to arrive.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the watch. The brand they have built around providing vintage watches is what appealed to me. Before buying, these are the criticisms I’ve seen:

1. There is no glass option, plastic only. Why would they cheap out on the watch?

Well, if you’ve ever been to a supermarket, you might have noticed a glass bottle costs next to nothing. They’re not being cheap, they’re providing a true vintage experience, just like what Omega is doing with their hesalite moonwatches. And the scratching complaints are overblown, it’s been 6 months and I’ve yet to scratch the watch.

2. The rotor is too loud. I can hear it “in a loud restaurant”

Yeah, that’s a bit overblown. It’s loud when you push it to its limit. You don’t usually push it to its limit, so you don’t hear it in normal use.

I didn’t see any other complaints, and I don’t have any of my own. The watch tries to make you feel like you picked up a “factory new” condition relic from the 1950s while still looking good to the modern eye. I think they do that better than anyone at the moment, with competitors trying to copy old styles with new watches, rather than fully committing to making an old watch.

They make great watches at a great pricing and their customer service is very responsive and facilitating. Could not recommend more

I own the Neptune with the serene black dial. It is a good watch with a simple Myota Japanese movement. Truly enjoy the BGW9 Superluminova on its hands, markers, and bezel.

Where do I begin with how excellent the Neptune Series II is? I came across Lorier on the Urban Gentry Youtube channel, and was immediately intrigued. After some further reading and deliberation, I pre-ordered the second series of the Neptune in all black as I just couldn't resist at $400. About 3 months later (absolutely worth the wait), I received the watch in the mail, and I couldn't be more impressed.

Let's begin with the dial and THAT acrylic crystal. I don't have any vintage pieces of my own and thus everything I own currently is some sort of mineral or sapphire; and yes I'm aware that scratches are a concern with acrylic, but I can honestly say that the distortion and light play that you get from various viewing angles is just mesmerizing! The dial is deliciously symmetric (this coming from a mathematician) and really strikes a balance between calling for rugged adventure and maintaining a sophisticated timeless elegance. The lume is perhaps the heaviest application I have ever seen (nice and puffy) and is blazing bright when charged!

Next, let's talk about the bracelet. This is the best bracelet I've ever owned when taking into account the value proposition. Screwed links, solid end links, one micro adjustment, fully articulating links, and a link geometry (flat faces and sharp exterior edges) that makes the bracelet play with the light similar to how an AP Royal Oak does. Sizing is an absolute dawdle with the included spring bar and screwdriver as well (though it may be the case that only pre-orders get these tools along with a nato with *period-correct* colors).

Finally, let's discuss the QC. All I can say is that it's superb. The dive bezel is perfectly aligned at 12 and has no play whatsoever. So far the NH-35A in my watch is operating at -3.5 seconds (yeah, that's COSC spec, no big deal, gotta love Seiko). The finishing on the case is sharp as can be at transitions between brushed and polished. The crown threads and hand-winds very smoothly. Also, given the huge thickness of the domed acrylic and the large amount of lensing that it produces, I'd imagine that perfect alignment of the crystal itself is probably a challenge, and sure enough, at a perpendicular viewing angle the dial edges are perfectly concentric with the bezel.

What more can you ask for at $400? I must tip my hat to Lauren and Lorenzo, they have made a life-long fan in me and I will be eagerly awaiting future releases (and perhaps grabbing another of their current offerings). If they release a GMT with the Neptune dial I'm fairly sure the cash will actually just leave my wallet on its own accord.

Bravo!