Have you heard of Lorier? The cool watch brand from New York City? I have and I bet you have too. Lorier is one of these brands that release one great watch after another great watch after another one. It’s also a brand that has created a highly recognizable visual identity that can be seen in all of their collections and that is something that I admire and respect as it means that I’ll love whatever model they release. This creates a continuity that not many brands can claim to do. Lorier started with an all-purpose diver in the Neptune–now in its third iteration–and while the brand now has six models in their catalogue, today we’re taking a look at the Falcon Mark II. In short: what Sir Edmund Hillary could have worn for the Mount Everest ascent should Lorier had been around back then. 

The first Falcon, if I remember correctly, had a 39mm case while the Mark II, reviewed here, comes in with a 36mm case in diameter. A Goldie Locks sweet spot for vintage sports watch lovers and aspiring old school, debonair explorers. Adding to this great case diameter one will find a 44mm lug-to-lug distance, an 11mm case thickness and a 20mm lug width (lugs are drilled). This little vintage timepiece is powered by the slim and reliable Miyota 90S5 which beats at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) and offers 42 hours of power reserve. The movement is housed in 316L stainless steel case that is complemented by a fully articulated bracelet, one of the best built and finished at this price point. 

Although the watch used to come in various dial colors—black/gilt, blue, and white—it now seems to only be available in black/gilt. As the name suggests, the hands and markers have gilt surrounds, which matched with a black waffle dial, oozes vintage goodness. One key visual element of the Falcon Mark II is the oversized crown which is reminiscent of certain old Submariner and Explorer references. 

By the way, the Falcon Mark II has been so popular that it rapidly sold out; however, it is scheduled to be back in stock in the summer of 2022.

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Specs

Case	316L Stainless Steel 36mm Diameter 44mm Lug to Lug 11mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screwed Crown & Caseback 100m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Domed Plexi Applied Indices BGW9 Super-LumiNova
Movement	Miyota 90S5 28 800bph 24 Jewels 42-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	316L Stainless Steel Bracelet

^{Lorier Falcon II}

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Of Interest 

Now that we’ve got the specs out of the way, let’s talk about what makes this watch so interesting. First of all, it has to be mentioned that Lorier made a habit of writing long-form blogs about each one of their releases to explain how they came up with the design. I wish more brands would go to that length as it clearly shows how much care and attention Lorenzo and Lauren—the founders—put into the design this watch. Furthermore, it also indicates that they are perfectly transparent regarding which iconic watches they were inspired by–in this case the Omega Railmaster 2914, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580, and the Rolex Explorer 6350. If you look at photos of these watches on their website, you will know what I’m talking about. 

What Lorier did by releasing a 36mm version of the Falcon—and they were probably one of the first brands going back to this case size, globally—was to take a gamble by going the opposite direction of where most brands were going two years ago: larger watches. Although we now rarely see mastodon-sized watches hit the market, most sports watches that come out nevertheless orbit around the 40mm case diameter. So 36mm is much smaller and that’s what I love about it: it truly reminds me of the very first Rolex Explorer which epitomized debonair explorers of times past. The Falcon II is a true exploration watch in all senses of the word.  

On the wrist, the Falcon 2 wears like a dream. It sits flat on the wrist and fits under cuffs easily. The domed crystal sits proudly atop the watch head and displays intense distortions when looking at the watch from certain angles. The movement winds smoothly and the crown action is decisive and solid; so much so that I would just unscrew the crown more times than I should have just to feel the satisfying pop of the crown. The combination of the oversized crown, the waffle dial, and smaller dimensions would make anyone feel like Ian Fleming sitting in front of a typewriter penning James Bond novels, or Like Sir Edmund Hillary climbing Mount Everest. 

Quibbles 

One of the quibbles I may have about the Falcon II—and the reason I have not mentioned the crystal in length before—is because it is made of plexiglass (sorry, Lauren and Lorenzo!). To be honest, it is not a full-scale quibble because I do adore how the plexiglass looks and feels to the touch. It doesn’t hoard fingerprints like sapphire does and it gives warmth to the crystal. So where is the quibble here? Well, I use my watches a lot, for any task I can think of, so my watches get banged around, knocked on furniture and door frames, and therefore I have to regularly pull out my tube of Polywatch to remove the scratches from the crystal. This is not a big quibble, but I did want to mention it so that you are all aware. 

The second quibble I have is about the bracelet. While it is very well made and finished, I wish the links would be thinner to match the thinner case. The links seem to be of the same thickness as the ones from their other and slightly bigger watches, which to me means the bracelet commands too much presence on the wrist. This is not a big quibble either since the Falcon II is a strap monster: leather strap, rubber strap, bonklip or rivet bracelet, it looks good with many shoes, adding to its versatility. For the price, neither the bracelet nor the plexiglass crystal are dealbreakers for me. 

Final Thoughts 

Over the past two years I had been lucky enough to get my hands on two other Lorier watches: the Hyperion—their first GMT—and the Hydra II—a do-it-all timepiece with an inner-rotating bezel. The Falcon 2 is my favorite of all as it 100% matches who I am/aspire to be: a world explorer who only carries the bare essential. Although the Falcon II is not perfect (no watch is), it ticks many boxes for both vintage horology enthusiasts and for wannabe explorers: it’s small, well-made, versatile, and can be serviced by anyone anywhere in the world for a small fee—all of the core principles with which Lauren and Lorenzo infused Lorier to begin. 

The Falcon II retails for $499USD. For more information, contact the brand website.

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Vincent Deschamps is a museum professional, originally from France, with more than 10 years experience as a researcher, producing visitor experiences for national and international organizations. He is also the founder of mainspring.watch. You can follow Vincent on Instagram.

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