Lorier Neptune SIV – $499 (pre-order August ’23)
NOTE: While the no-date option sold out a while back, there were some date-wheel-equipped Neptune’s available up until recently. Key word: were. They’re now taking pre-orders for the next batch which should ship sometime in August.
We are living in a golden age of gilt-accented wristwatches. A renaissance of retro-designed wristwear, inspired by timepieces made in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. And the Lorier Neptune SIV doesn’t just tonally look the part, its geometry is appropriately sized down too.
39mm diameter with 20mm lugs.
Shown on a 7.25″ – 7.5″ wrist
At 39mm with a 20mm lug width and bracelet that tapers to 16mm at the clasp, it’s a dive watch for those who are more modestly sized, have slimmer wrists, and/or want something that looks and acts tough without the weight of a sizable slab of metal chained to their wrist. Now if you ARE a larger human, have larger upper appendages, and/or prefer the feel of something larger, then the Neptune may not be for you. But hey, the rest of the watch industry has you covered. There are plenty of 40mm and greater diameter watches out there.
Lots of classic design elements.
Lorier was founded in 2017 by a husband and wife team in New York City, and the Neptune has been their flagship (flag… submersible?) since their start. Now onto the fourth edition, they have improved and evolved the Neptune along the way (see our review of the II here). Minor changes have come with each version, while it has retained its amalgamation of details gently lifted from watches priced at 10x its own reasonable cost.
Bracelet is a flat-link style, and the new IV gets new,
slightly rounded edges to those links.
Makes it look simultaneously vintage and modern.
The big crown feels like something off a Tudor. The broad arrow hand looks like it was pulled from an Omega. And the thin, luminous acrylic bezel, flat link bracelet (now with gently rounded/smoothed edges) and domed hesalite crystal are all features you’d find on watches that were made when they were the owner’s main resource for telling the time.
Smaller watch. Big crown.
Looks good. Looks sporty. Operates great.
This fourth edition has slightly shortened lugs compared to its previous incarnations, which when combined with the 20mm -> 16mm bracelet taper and thinner flat-links, it wears perhaps a bit smaller than its 39mm case diameter. Shine is kept to a minimum (thank you) with almost the entirety of the watch, clasp, and bracelet being brushed stainless steel. Only a few chosen edges get the polished treatment, which is plenty to keep it from looking like something you’d store next to a crescent wrench.
Left: 39mm Right: 42.5mm
Both have a case length of 46mm lug-to-lug
The 20mm lugs are drilled for easy-ish bracelet/strap change outs, the double button clasp works great, and there are three micro-adjustment holes in that clasp for getting a precise fit. Lorier even includes a screwdriver with each purchase, so you don’t have to reach any farther than the FedEx or UPS box upon arrival. Also included is a microsuede travel pouch as well as a tube of polywatch & poshing cloth for when that “period correct” hesalite crystal starts to pick up scratches.
Water resistance is 200m so the (big) crown screws down. Caseback is solid and there’s plenty of space to have some engraving done if that’s your thing. Both the date and no-date options are powered by Miyota hacking and hand-winding movements, which generate a super satisfying “wobble” if you flick the case “just-so” (kinda like a Valjoux 7750.)
Guts. The Neptune has good guts.
The Lorier Neptune’s full kit. Impressive.
The date option has a “roulette” style date wheel. That means there are red numbers on even dates and black numbers on odd. It’s pretty freakin’ cool, and so well executed that it seems odd that the no-date option sells out long before the date does.
Like, are people really out there going “AH! DATE! I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ DATE ON MY WATCH!”
Date version shown. Also made in a no-date.
Both are up for pre-order for estimated August delivery.
C’mon, man. Admit it that you often forget what date it is. A lot of us forget what DAY it is. Furthermore, some of us are still writing 2022 on our checks.
…. *sheepishly admits to still writing checks*
The Neptune IV is half a grand, looks awesome, comes with nice extras, feels great on the wrist, and continues to evolve with each edition.
Will they release an even further updated Neptune V in a few years?
Probably.
Although with the IV it feels like they may have run out of things to improve.
