Lorus Titanium Watch Review - Best Field Watch By A Mile!
(This page features affiliate links, for more information on them click here.)
So, a couple of weeks ago, I was putting some final touches to a new article and I was browsing through different low-cost field watches online. For the most part, it was the typical brands you’d expect; a ton of Timex’s, a few Seiko’s and some unknown Chinese brands.
Then in the recommended section on Amazon, I saw a handsome little piece from Lorus (RXD425L8 model), who I’ve never actually tried before. This field watch was under £40 and had some specifications that smashed the competition, especially at such a low price point. This included mineral glass, but also a titanium case and a whopping 100m of water resistance. As such, I couldn’t resist, I had to buy it so I could try it. Let’s see if it’s a good watch in person or if the specs are just a bit deceiving.
While I haven’t tried this brand before, it is one I am familiar with. Alongside another brand you may have heard of, Pulsar, Lorus is one of these Seiko subsidiary brands. So essentially, they are Seiko watches with a different stamp on them. They launched Lorus in 1982, presenting it as more of a fashion-oriented brand compared to their more mainline Seiko branded products. I guess I’m surprised I’ve never featured them before, given the type of watches I tend to cover here.
The watch arrived in just a simple white box with the logo on the top.
Watch Design
Aesthetically, this is a fairly classic field watch. You have the classic matte case with a really simple design and small crown guards. You’ll notice the watch is fairly small in size, which we’ll talk about in a moment. The cream dial has everything you would expect, it has the bold numbers at each hour, with their 24-hour equivalents closer to the centre. Even the hand choice is unsurprising with the syringe hands being a common feature of other field watches out there.
So really, it’s nothing revolutionary but I think it looks really good. This one does have some tiny circular engravings at every 90 degrees, make of that what you will; I really don’t notice them. I think it looks better than the rubbish product shots online, they don’t do justice to how the piece looks in person.
There is another Lorus field watch that looks incredibly similar to this one. The RXF41AX7 does feature very good water resistance, though has a case constructed of stainless steel instead.
CASE
When I first put this on my wrist, there was something I noticed straight away though. Core blimey, is this a comfortable watch! This just sits there so well, the only thing I can compare the feeling to is my F-91W. That watch is super comfortable, this might even be more so.
Most of that is down to the case material. This watch is constructed of titanium, which is an interesting choice, to say the least. Titanium is hypoallergenic, but importantly is only a fraction of the weight of the typical stainless-steel used in most wristwatches. It’s hard to put a figure on the weight difference because it varies from watch to watch. However, what I can say is you will notice it straight away.
With this one, it’s so lightweight and comfortable that I forget it’s on my wrist; a great feeling that I rarely get. It’s not light where it feels cheap and tinny though, I think it’s perhaps the texture of the metal that helps alleviate that notion. Another big plus is that this watch doesn’t make my wrist clammy. With a ton of watches, I’ll have a little sweaty spot left where the watch was sitting; this titanium case seems to be far less susceptible to heat and it just keeps at a nice temperature.
It is to be noted that these cases are also corrosion resistant and tend to last a long time. Traditionally, the trade-off with titanium is that it would scratch quite easily; especially some of the early titanium models that were introduced around 50 years ago. Nowadays though, the material used by Seiko, aka the people who made this watch, has been developed to perform far better versus scratches, often better than stainless steel.
So, for the most part, I think it’s a great material, though if you like the feel of a weightier watch, it’s probably not going to be to your taste.
DIMENSIONS
As I touched on before, this is quite a small watch, as might be expected given it’s intended purpose. This comes in at 36mm in diameter, excluding the crown, with a depth of just over 8mm. Paired with a lug to lug size of 43.3mm, it’s a great size for medium or small wrists. This looks right at home on my 6 ¼ inch wrist but may look a bit swamped if you have a large one. It’s certainly not a flashy watch, this is one that is just meant to sit there and be durable, whilst looking like a field watch. I think the smaller size matches the purpose just fine.
The crown has a good amount of protection, which is useful if you plan on taking this on your adventures in the wilderness or if you’re in the military. Overall it has a good level of grip and works well, though is on the small side. I like the way this interacts with the movement, as you can feel a slight click as you cycle through each date option.
As previously mentioned, this comes with a really surprising 100m of water resistance. This comes by way of a notched case-back and should be suitable for submersion and even swimming – all you can ask for in a field watch and notably more than its competition. Similar Timex and Seiko watches below £100 have just 30m, so this is a great, practical upgrade.
Following this, the dial is covered by a piece of flat mineral glass. I think this is quite good for less than £40, many other cheap watches just have flat plastic, whereas this should offer a better balance between scratch resistance and shatter-resistance.
WATCH MOVEMENT
Within the watch is a Seiko VX42 quartz movement. It’s my first time reviewing a watch with one of these inside and I have to say, I’m impressed. This has been hitting the second markers near-perfectly since opening the box. The second hand seems to have very little bounce to it as well, which, while it won’t necessarily add to the watch’s accuracy, just looks better. Loads of the Miyota movement’s I’ve covered recently look like they’re jumping around on a pogo stick, not this one. I think that’s extra important when you have a slim syringe second hand, as you’d really notice if that started missing the markers. This movement is a little on the noisy side, I’d say around half the volume of a Timex weekender, but I’ll definitely keep my eye out for these movements in the future.
STRAP
The default strap included with this watch is made of canvas, the green colour does go with that military theme overall. Once more, this is better than I’d imagined. While the quality isn’t top tier, it does feel okay and even features a reinforced section around the holes, for added durability. I think for a strap on a £40 watch it’s pretty solid; though you will need a tool to change it if required.
I’ve praised this watch a lot, but not everything is perfect – maybe there is no such thing as a perfect watch. In this case, there are a couple of little niggles. Firstly, that glass does stand a fraction proud of the bezel. Unless you are incredibly unlucky, I doubt you would ever catch it on anything, it’s maybe half a millimetre at most; however, if it sat flush with the bezel, it would be better. Additionally, the dial may be lacking a bit of texture or depth. It is quite flat and simple really, though I doubt there are any better options in this regard, at this price point.
IS THIS THE BEST FIELD WATCH?
It’s kind of surprising but I think this is the best cheap field watch out there. This is just an objectively better watch than the similarly Timex expedition or weekenders you can get in this price range and I also think it’s better than the Seiko SNK field watches. Those do have a mechanical movement but are heavier and have much worse water performance; plus, they’re almost double the cost.
Rather unexpectedly, I’ve found myself wearing this very frequently since receiving it. This has to be one of the easiest recommendation I’ve made on this blog so far, if you want a field watch for barely any money – make it this one.
