When I started my watch journey in 2016, micro brands were pretty much unheard of. No one was willing to invest in first production watches without any historical backing. And for me, I wasn’t about to invest in a brand that may disappear after a couple of launches. More importantly, for the same price, I had plenty of options in Seiko, Tissot, just to name a few. And the designs that were being pushed out that the time wasn’t impressive.
Fast forward to 2023, microbrands offer some of the best-value for money watches. Especially with Seiko’s price increases, micro brands have become royalty in the affordable segment. You’ve got the special dials and beautifully machined bracelets from Zelos. Baltic with their vintage styling cues, and Lorier with their nod to midcentury designs.
Lorier
I can’t talk about the Neptune, without first giving props to the Lorier Team. Founded in 2017 by a husband-and-wife team out of NYC, Lorenzo and Lauren Ortega. Lorier was created to offer vintage watches with robust movements and built quality. At the same time, providing vintage aesthetics from the mid 20th century.
Lorier Neptune V3 Inspiration
Their very first model, the Lorier Neptune V1 was released in 2017. This was their first venture at capturing the vintage warmth from popular midcentury pieces. The inspiration was simple:
- Omega Seamester Ref CK14755
- Blancpain Bathyscaphe ref MC4
- Rolex Submariner ref.6538
Since then, the Lorier Neptune has gone through several versions and upgrades. Staying true to their design elements, the Lorier Neptune V3 is possibly their best release yet.
At the sub $500 price point, I’d argue it’s the new Seiko SKX013 for those with smaller wrists. It might not be ISO-certified, and lacks the all in-house credentials. But, I cannot think of any other areas where the Lorier Neptune V3 isn’t superior to the SKX013.
Enough babbling, let’s find out what’s so special about the Lorier Neptune V3.
Case size: 39mm
Lug to lug: 47mm
Thickness: 12.7mm including dome crystal (10.3mm without)
Lug width: 20mm
Case: 316L Stainless steel, mixture of brushed and polished finish
Dial: Black dial with gilt hands and minute track
Crystal: Dome hesalite crystal
Movement: Miyota 90S5 (No Date)
Water Resistant: 200m / 660ft
Strap: Solid link steel bracelet (tapers from 20mm to 16mm at the clasp)
Case & Bezel
The case is the highlight of the Lorier Neptune V3. At first, I thought the lugs were going to be too straight and long for my 6 inch wrist. On the contrary, it makes the watch sit even nicer on the wrist. I always prefer smaller lug-to-lug measurements, but the 47mm on the Neptune really helps to distribute the weight of the case.
The Neptune mainly consists of brushed finishing, with a chamfered edge that’s polished. This means the Neptune won’t be a scratch-magnet. You can wear it as a daily and not worry about putting an excessive amount of marks on it.
The bezel is a typical 120-click unidirectional bezel. It’s a real mixture between the Bathyscaphe and Sean Connery’s sub. I’m a desk diver myself so I can’t comment on the usability of the bezel. However, the vintage aesthetics is excellent here.
The crown is my personal favorite. It’s by far the most comfortable crown I’ve had the pleasure of operating. The size, and the lack of crown guards makes it so that I’ve never missed the screw-in mechanism. With my DS Action Diver, I always have a hard time.
The proverbial nail, is hit directly on the head when it comes to the sizing and the vintage vibes.
Dial & Hands
The Lorier Neptune V3 comes in gilt. For those interested, gilt just means materials that are typically coated in gold. Unfortunately, the coating on the hands and dial isn’t real gold, but it’s done nicely. Personally, I’m not a fan of gilt dial watches. But on the Neptune, especially with the vintage nods, it works and I can’t complain. Unlike other gilt watches I’ve owned, the Neptune does it subtly and is relatively understated.
The indices comprise of large circular lume plots all round except for triangular lume indices at the 3,6,9, and 12. Very reminiscent of the Bathyscaphe here.
The lume is BWG9, which means it glows blue. The lume plots are applied pretty thickly so it does glow brightly in the dark.
Crystal on the Lorier Neptune V3
The piece the resistance however, is the dome Hesalite crystal. It completes the whole midcentury aesthetic and gives it a vintage warmth that can’t be replicated using Sapphire. Personally, I don’t get the whole hype around Sapphire. I don’t wear my watches that hard to shit on Hardlex or Hesalite. The Neptune will scratch much easier, but luckily for us, the whole package comes with Polywatch.
Bracelet
The bracelet on the Lorier Neptune V3 is really well made. Each link is solid and the pieces are individually articulating. It is a bit of a scratch-magnet but it’s only ever visible under direct lighting. I always love a tapering bracelet. The milled-clasp is excellent and the 3-hole micro adjust works fine.
Personally, I don’t believe the bracelet fits the watch head and the overall aesthetics it’s trying to achieve. It seems to be over-engineered. The finishing and angles seems just slightly too sharp. It takes away from the vintage warmth that the watch head excudes. I’d much prefer a president-style bracelet. Better yet, put it on a nato and it’ll be the perfect modern midcentury diver.
Comfort & Wearability
Think Seiko SKX013 but without the thickness, and remove the top-heaviness. The Lorier Neptune V3 is a joy to wear for small wrists. It blends into the wrists really well with the lugs angling down, and the thinness of the case. I have to give props to the bracelet too, it hugs the wrist nicely.
It’s absolutely SIXIW-Certified.
The Neptune is also extremely versatile. During the mid century, people would buy one watch and wear it for all occasions. The Neptune is built and can handle the same sentiment. This could very well be your one-watch collection, if you ever consider one. You can wear it on the bracelet, a bond nato, a golden eye, go nuts.
Who is the Lorier Neptune V3 for?
If you’re looking for an affordable diver around the $500 mark, the Lorier Neptune V3 is a good option. If your requirements include vintage appeal and aesthetics, then just go buy it. Stop looking through YouTube for alternatives. Stop the hunt now, and purchase the Neptune.
For those just getting into the watch hobby and maybe is in search a midsize diver, this is a good option. The SKX013 is discontinued and can be difficult to source. For the plot, I’d still suggesting picking up the 013, and if you have some spare cash, go for the Neptune.
How does it compare with my favorite mid-size diver, the Certina DS Action? Overall I’d still prefer the Certina, but if I had a budget constraint, this would be it.
To Close
Aesthetics? Love the mash-up of mid century divers. Well done Lorier.
Comfort? Hugs the wrist nicely, got a good heft but not heavy.
Price? For under $500, not a lot of competition out there.
