Good Things Come In Threes: Lorier Debuts The Zephyr & More

Lorier has recently strung together a bunch of announcements that have gotten their loyal following and the entire enthusiast community alike buzzing. Lorier has always focused on making vintage inspired sports watches that blend their own design elements, creating a catalog of distinguishable watches that punch way above their weight. Since Lorier came onto the scene in 2018, we’ve seen their watches evolve in form, function and design, and that story continues as a part of the recent announcements with updates to the Neptune and Falcon. Lorier also announced the Zephyr, which has the microbrand stepping into new territory and exploring the world of dress watches. The saying goes, “Good things come in threes” and that is indeed the case for Lorier within the past week. Let’s take a closer look at their recent releases starting with their first iteration of the dress watch – the Zephyr.

The idea behind the Lorier Zephyr is that a dress watch does not need to be limited to formal occasions. I am in one hundred percent agreement with this as I’m no stranger to rocking a dress watch in a casual setting that involves just a t-shirt and jeans. This is a look that’s been adopted by the suave fellas of the Art Deco period and then carried on in Hollywood and entertainment in the 60’s and 70’s (Think Clark Gable or The Duke wearing the Cartier Tank). Lorier uses these influences and molds them into the Zephyr. The Lorier Zephyr is formed in a tonneau stainless steel case with a polished finishing. The lugs have a “step” design at each corner of the case, and appear to angle slightly from the crystal to where the case meets the leather strap. The case proportions are on point as far as “dress watch proportions” go. The Lorier Zephyr measures 31mm wide, 42mm lug to lug and a svelte 8mm in thickness. According to Lorier, the Zephyr should wear closer to a 35mm watch with a round case. The word “Zephyr” can be defined as a light article of clothing and it’s not a stretch to say that the Lorier Zephyr should wear exactly that way on the wrist.

The Zephyr comes in two variations; a black dial with gold accents and a silvery white dial with black markers and a set of blue steel hands. Each variation displays a hypnotizing guilloché dial that radiates from the center in wave-like fashion. A set of three slim rectangular bars demarcate 12 o’clock while a set of two bars mark the rest of the cardinal hours. Each of the markers are raised and are polished. It’s a subtle touch with the black markers on the silvery white model, but appreciated and goes a long way.

Like the other Lorier models in their catalog, they’ve opted for a blank caseback on the Zephyr with their logo patterned in a way that encircles and frames the blank space. Although this is a regular thing for Lorier, it makes perfect sense for this particular watch. At the core of the Zephyr is the Miyota 9029 automatic no-date movement. The Miyota 9029 is a two-hand movement which explains the absent seconds hand on the dial and comes with a 42 hour power reserve.

In addition to the Zephyr, Lorier announced they were making updates to the Neptune and the Falcon. While some of these changes are minor, it shows that Lauren and Lorenzo have put consistent thought into how to continuously make their watches better. Their Neptune diver now sports a shorter lug to lug and adds a lumed bezel. Lorier also shifts the lug holes closer to the case so that it visually closes the gap when a two-piece strap is attached. A wide gap between the watch head and a strap is a growing pet peeve of mine and seeing this on the Lorier Neptune (as well as the Falcon) is a welcomed sight. Again, the changes are subtle, but it attests the attention to detail that goes into each reference update.

The changes on the Lorier Falcon are not so subtle. It’s no secret that the Falcon draws inspiration from the ultimate explorer watch. In addition to the 36mm sizing and honeycomb dial, the Falcon further resembles the aforementioned explorer watch with a 3-6-9 dial layout and talon markers. Both the Neptune and Falcon also receive a set of newly designed minute and hour hands, as well as a redesigned steel bracelet. Lorier’s steel bracelet has always been one of their major attributes in my book. They’ve always been super comfortable and slim on the wrist. Now with this latest refresh, the edges of the articulating links are rounded (swipe to see the updated bracelet), providing a more streamlined appearance.

The Lorier Zephyr, Neptune and Falcon are each distinguishable in their own right, but the one thing they all have in common is a very friendly $499 price tag. Lorier is easily becoming a one stop shop for any style watch you’re looking for within the sub $500 price range.The Falcon and Neptune are set to release at the end of summer with immediate availability. The Zephyr launches as a special edition and production will be limited. Lorier