Under the hood, you can see the automatic movement within. This is more than most of the similarly styled Seiko 5 models, which tend to offer the basic 3bar splash resistance. This is screw-down and advertises a 5bar water resistance upon it, which is fairly good for this style of watch and honestly, I think it could probably withstand more than that from the secure feel alone. One of my favourite parts of this watch is the case rear. For the most part, it suffices, though you can wiggle it a little without moving the hands much, making fine adjustments a little difficult a common pet peeve I’ve found before with this movement. Unlike a Seiko 5, the crown isn’t recessed into the case, instead, it sits externally at the regular 3 o’clock position. While these look good, you’ll notice that towards the central stem, there is some visible warping, which is exacerbated by the reflective material. The high-shine surface is replicated on the hands, with the dauphine handset stretching out to the appropriate markers at the circumference. While basic, the alignment is altogether on-point something that can’t be said for too many Seiko 5 watches. Each is spear-tip shaped, with a basic glossy finish on each side. The indexes, on the other hand, are rather standard. Due to the matte finish, it doesn’t particularly glisten, though it provides a unique look nonetheless.
This Lorus houses a finely ribbed ring that cuts through the hour markers and a vertically woven selection of engravings throughout. This is about the most intricately designed dial I’ve come across on a £100 automatic watch, alongside the likes of the SNK361 with its array of microscopic 5s. You see, the product shots showcased a weird ridged texture and a bright green-gold colour scheme that certainly stands out from the competition. The first thing I want to check out though is the dial. At £105, it’s also comparatively priced to most Seiko 5’s here in the UK internationally, it may be a bit cheaper. Thanks to Amazon for covering the cost of this RL439AX9, which looked pretty unusual indeed from the stock images. Of course, we don’t like speculation here at Ben’s Watch Club, I’d rather get my hands on the real thing.
Therefore, how would one of these stack up versus a Seiko 5? After all, that is Seiko’s entry-level automatic lineup and on paper, these Lorus watches appear to be the same sort of thing. Effectively, they’re Seikos but with a different stamp on them.
Like the Pulsar sub-brand, Lorus is an offshoot of Seiko generally targeting the lower end of the market.
Then, out of nowhere, I discovered that Lorus had released a new line of mechanical wristwatches the first in recent memory from that brand. I was after something with more pop to it. For whatever reason, possible the bland colour scheme, I felt it lacked any panache. While the dial was quite nice, it missed the mark. Ever since I’ve been keeping an eye out for something equally cool, especially in the lower price brackets.Ī couple of months back, I pulled the trigger on a similarly styled matte grey titanium watch, which had the same case design as the former. One of my favourite pieces I’ve featured to date is the super-cheap Lorus titanium field watch, that I reviewed on the blog last year. (This page features affiliate links, for more information on them click here.