Best Affordable Style of 2023 – The Watch

The end of one year and the start of another means it’s time to hand out some awards. No there aren’t any little statues to pass along, but over the next few days we’ll still highlight some of the best in affordable men’s style from this past year. Feel free to send in additional nominations to joe@dappered.com.

Note: At post time Lorier is taking pre-orders for the no-date version of the Neputne SIV. The estimated delivery window is sometime this month. Meanwhile, the date-equipped option shown in the post below is currently sold out, but you can sign up on Lorier’s website to be notified for when those are once again on the way.

 

Lorier Neptune SIV – $499

39mm diameter, 46mm case length / lug-to-lug.
Not a clunky dinner-plate-sized-diver.

Full original review is here if you’d like to give it another read.

For half a grand you get a watch that looks like it cost significantly more, hits all of the right retro-points without going too far, and is versatile enough style-wise that it can be worn with everything from a t-shirt and jeans to a suit and tie.

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.

Flat link bracelet with gently rounded edges to each piece.
Mostly brushed case and bracelet = much appreciated by many of us.

Diameter is a wearable by most, smaller but not tiny 39mm (46mm case length / lug-to-lug), with a 20mm wide brushed flat-link bracelet that tapers to 16mm at the clasp.

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).

Looks excellent on an (aftermarket) NATO too.

Made in either a date or no-date version, each of which is popular enough that they sell out almost immediately once Lorier puts them up for sale on their site.

With this latest iteration of their Neptune Dive watch, Lorier has an enormous-yet-modestly-proportioned winner on their hands (and on many of their fan’s wrists). While some bigger & broader fellas will stick with 40mm and larger watches, the Neptune IV is a terrific option for those who want something classically sized… at a price that’s still within the solar system.

Also Receiving Votes (some new models, some classics still in production):

• The new Orient Bambino 38mm  (reviewed here)
• Invicta’s new 1953 Automatic  (reviewed here)
• The Daytona-like Seiko Solar Speedtimer
• Seiko’s 5-sports automatic dive-style (reviewed here)
• Baltic’s Mechanical Chronograph (review here)
• Orient’s Ray Automatic  (review here)
• The tonneau shaped case Lorier Zephyr Automatic
• The Q Timex 1978 which came back in stock for like two days
• Hamilton’s 38mm Murph Automatic