This Lyle & Scott Watch Beats Seiko! Lyle and Scott Automatic Watch Review
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Here’s a sentence I NEVER thought I would be saying on this blog. Fashion brand Lyle and Scott have created a mechanical wristwatch that comfortably beats the likes of Seiko, Orient and Casio…at least on paper!
Surprisingly, this isn’t even clickbait. Let’s get into it.
This one first came to my attention when a viewer of the channel, Tony, dropped me an email, linking me to what appeared to be a ridiculously well-specced watch for an equally ridiculous price. PVD steel construction, 50m water resistance and a Seiko NH35A automatic movement for under £70. At least in the UK, these specs are hard to beat, unless you head to sites like AliExpress and grab a Chinese no-name brand.
So, I got Amazon to cover the cost of the watch for this review. Let’s see if this Scottish knitwear golf brand can beat the horological legends at their own game. By the way, I have no clue who is actually producing these watches, I doubt it’s technically Lyle and Scott, but their badge is on it, so let’s continue nonetheless.
Packaging
First impressions were excellent. Within the outer box, the watch was packaged in a fabric and faux leather roll, that not only looks great but features several pouches and pockets that make this a truly functional item, which could be realistically used to store multiple watches when travelling. This is not what I was expecting at all and is the best packaging I’ve come across for a budget watch. I like the idea that this can continue to be used and not just stored or thrown away after a day. Great work.
Lyle & Scott LS-6006-01 Specifications
It then came to pulling out the watch and we’re gonna stop it here. I half-expected those specifications to be false or the watch itself to be fake. We’ve seen plenty of Amazon listings with specification mistakes and occasionally dodgy third-party sellers are attempting to offload fraudulent goods.
As such, I was pleased to be met with a genuine, functional piece that seemed to align with the advertised specs.
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Specifications |
Lyle & Scott Stealth Watch |
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Lug to Lug |
46.8 mm |
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Case Diameter |
41.5 mm |
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Case Thickness |
13 mm |
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Lug Width |
20 mm |
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Water Resistance |
50 metres |
I’m going to be upfront here, this watch isn’t to my taste visually. It’s also a little too large for my wrist too, at 41.5mm wide, 13mm deep and 46.8mm lug to lug. That thickness does include the domed crystal, which I’ll mention in a moment, so it wears slightly smaller than the measurement suggests. Either way, there doesn’t seem to be a smaller version of this watch available, limiting this model to average and larger wrist sizes; unless you like the bulky look.
Case Construction
This watch has a nickname of the ‘stealth watch’ for good reason. This matte black PVD steel case feels extremely substantial and durable. According to my research, this covering should aid the scratch resistance and corrosion resistance; though I could imagine scratches showing up rather badly if they did occur. Other than that, it’s a dream when it comes to fingerprints (they simply don’t happen), along with a tactical aesthetic that even Bruce Wayne would be fond of. The only part that isn’t so stealthy is the inscription down the left flank of the watch. Whilst slightly muted by the blasted finish and not on the same scale as that featured on many Invictas…yikes…it’s still a loud indicator that this is a Lyle & Scott wristwatch.
If you like this brand, you may think it’s cool; otherwise, it just looks a bit cringy.
Things do improve when we look at the case rear. This has an exhibition case-back, allowing you to see the mechanical movement within. Whilst the finishing on said movement is nothing special, it does come with a custom black rotor featuring the eagle logo. I expected this to be a standard stock unit; so this was an interesting surprise.
Watch Movement
With a beat rate of 6 per second or 21,600 per hour; the NH35A gives a reasonable amount of smoothness to the tick and offers modern features such as hand-winding capability and hacking; allowing you to stop the second hand for precise adjustments. The crown is particularly smooth and responsive when altering the time too.
Not only is this movement an improvement on those featured in comparably priced Seiko 5s, but the 5 bar water resistance is too. This takes the water from splashproof to a more palatable and submergible level. This has always been one of the trade-offs made with budget Seiko 5 watches, so it’s pleasing to have a small boost.
Glass
Also present is a piece of domed mineral crystal and an unexpectedly strong NATO strap that matches the colour scheme of the dial. While the quality is good, unfortunately, the thickness doesn’t make it the best fit for this watch. The double-layered fabric turns this into a 17mm spaceship that hovers off the wrist. Good look getting a long sleeve over the top of this beast.
Dial Design
As a hybrid fashion watch/proper watch, the way the watch looks is going to be of primary importance. Despite my distaste for this particular aesthetic, I’ll run you through each part, in case you come to a different conclusion.
The dial surface has a grainy, almost stone-like texture to it, which I think works well with the matte finish. From what I can tell, I think it is slightly curved at the edges towards the chapter ring, though it could be an optical illusion from the glass.
It features an applied, fairly detailed crest just below the noon position; along with lightly raised numbers at each hour. Surprisingly, the amount of text here is nice and minimal, with two lines indicating the movement type below the central stem. There’s then an inner 24-hour ring, reminiscent of that on the Timex Weekender, along with yellow pips around the perimeter; which surprisingly houses no luminescence.
Fortunately, this is found on the numbers instead and when combined with the hands, it gives very legible low-light readability despite not being the brightest out there.
While it has some impressive qualities, some areas fall short. First up is the date window. You’ll notice it’s awkwardly butted right up to the number 3, without that integer being cut away as you often find on watches with similarly placed date wheels. To me, this looks extremely clumsy and lacks a sense of finesse that you generally find with more established watch brands.
Something else I noticed pretty quickly is the rough finishing on the hands. They do have a good amount of lume but the brushing is sloppy; especially on the second hand, which looks like it’s had a pretty hard life.
Final Thoughts
Despite the flaws, I think it’s undeniable that there is value to be had here. This watch packs a lot of punch, especially for a brand not associated with wristwatches, but I’m not sure exactly who this is for. Perhaps this could prove a good entry point into mechanical watches for young people familiar with fashion brands like this? If so, at least it’s currently at a great price, unlike alternative offerings from the likes of Vincero, MVMT and Filippo Loreti.
