Lorus Gents Military Titanium Watch RG877CX9 (Formally RXD425L8)

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t survives my 'Sauna Test' - placing it in the hottest corner of the sauna for 1 hour - no problem. And then I wear it in the sauna and swimming pool.

The second hand strikes each mark more or less spot on - I am very pleased with the fit, finish, features, feel on the wrist, accuracy and quality control. The handset is very clean for a watch at this price, while the vintage typeface used on the numbers helps it look just like a doppelganger of many real trench watches that saw action during World War 1. Even the Art Deco style brand logo is in keeping with the era that Vario is targeting.

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As with the RXD Titanium my only gripe is the crystal - it's Hardlex and durable and adequately scratchproof - but it is slightly 'boxed' and protrudes a fraction of a mm above the bezel - it should be recessed ever so slightly as the slight recess means a lip of the bezel will protect it against bangs. While production of the originals ceased many decades ago, the design lives on through enthusiastic microbrands like Baltany, with the cream dial automatic being a particular standout. This boasts a stunning, glistening finish that adds an extra dimension to what would otherwise be a rather basic design. I'm yet to see another brand provide such a unique take on the Dirty Dozen aesthetic, though this could yet be a direct copy of something that I'm unfamiliar with, as is commonplace with these 'Chinese specials.' This is a very stylish and high quality wristwatch, the satin sandblasted case is of very high quality for the price - it is very pleasing to the eye and has a nice feel to it (as Steel is heavier than Ti it weighs more than the other watch)

In the Pool and Shower it performed as expected - without any talking points - the Dial was very legible under water and even at oblique angles.

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Now the question everyone may be asking is "is this RXF Lumibrite a better buy than the RXD Titanium?"

Within is a Miyota 82S5 automatic movement, a variant of that in the Bulova mentioned earlier. It has the same pros and cons, meaning the rotor is quite noisy, but it is reliable overall. Even though it's visually much too large for me, the watch surprisingly remains comfortable on the wrist and doesn't wobble about once the bracelet is secured to the correct size. So an excellent overall watch, a true Field Watch, a true Outdoorsman watch and if this had a sapphire with applied indices - with longer minute hand - I'd gladly pay 5x as much for it. One of my favorite parts of this watch is the exhibition rear. This is screw-down and advertises a 5bar water resistance, which is decent for this watch style. Honestly, I think it could withstand more than that from the secure feeling alone, though it's admittedly never going to be a diver's best friend. This rating is superior to most similarly styled Seiko 5 models, which typically offer just 3bar splash resistance.

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. Their best-selling models are those based on the 'Dirty Dozen' watches, which were the first military watches adopted by the British armed forces. These custom pieces, initially produced by 12 different brands during the second world war, had to meet a strict set of specifications that resulted in comparable styling across the board.

More versatility - easier to dress up with a leather or different styled strap for different occasions

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. Here are some snaps - I dressed it up in the Bond NATO - I think I shall buy a Grey Bond NATO to go with this one and let the one pictured stay with the RXD Titanium. 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.