This blog is generally about fountain pens as the name suggests, but I write to relate a recent tale in the world of watches. My excuse for this digression is that many people who enjoy fountain pens feel the same way about mechanical watches.
Whilst I have more than my fair share of high quality fountain pens, I do also enjoy seeing how good a writing experience can be had for minimal outlay. I regularly use a Cross Bailey Light which cost about £20.00 and various inexpensive pens from China. To a lesser extent, this curiosity sometimes spills over to watches.
Having owned several high-end watches I thought I knew a reasonable amount about automatics. It turns out that there were some glaring gaps in my knowledge.
First of all, I had looked down rather snobbishly on the brand Lorus, but learned only recently that the brand was formed by the Seiko Watch Corporation, the mighty Japanese giant and introduced in Europe in 1982. They are aimed at the lower end of the market for people seeking quality watches at affordable prices.
On a recent stay in Chichester, I was strolling the high street when I came across a display of Lorus automatics, in H Samuels. The one that caught my eye was the black dial, military-style watch with a day/date window. Given that Seiko automatics now start at around £260.00, a Lorus at £129.99 is one of the cheapest entry level options. Furthermore, H Samuel were offering 20% off, bring the price of this model to around £103.00. I walked on.
A week or so later, back home in London I visited my local H Samuel branch hoping to take a closer look at this model. Alas, they told me that they no longer sold Lorus watches in their branch but only online. That particular model was (and still is) available on the H Samuel website but I did not pursue it. The price was certainly attractive but I was deterred by the day and the date window, envisaging that for a watch worn only occasionally, I would be forever resetting these.
A little later, whilst in John Lewis and enjoying my customary look at their watch displays, I saw a cabinet marked “Clearance”, in which I noticed a Lorus automatic watch, with a silvery white textured dial and hands in a style reminiscent of a grandfather clock. Remarkably, it was just £43.50. John Lewis is currently having its January sales, with large red signs urging shoppers to “Succumb to the sale.” This watch had a price ticket of £72.50 previously but was reduced by 40%. It had been put out just that day.
It was not the military style field watch that I had seen, but nonetheless I quite liked the whitish face, the vintage hands, and large size (42mm diameter case). There was no luminescence and there was still the issue of the day and date hassle. I asked to have a look at it.
Handling the watch, the finish and quality looked and felt impressive, with its highly polished plated steel case and a black leather strap. There was even an exhibition window in the screw-down back, showing the automatic movement and the swinging rotor, on which “TWENTY-ONE JEWELS” was stamped. For a mere £43.50, it was one sixth of the price of the nearest Seiko automatic, and I felt it was a fun purchase and in need of a home.
Even the packaging was quite decent and appropriate: a small cardboard lidded box and the watch strapped around a soft brown pillow. The instructions and two year guarantee documents were below.
I was pleasantly surprised that the initial setting up of the day and date was no trouble at all and took only a minute: pull out the crown to the first click, turn it one way to advance the date and the other way to advance the day. Set them to the previous day, then pull out the crown to the second click, and advance the hour and minute hands to the correct time, (remembering to go past 12 o’clock twice if it is after mid-day).
However, what was not so easy was then getting the watch to start. Having no power at all, it was necessary to wind it sufficiently to start working before putting it on and allowing the automatic movement to keep the watch wound through the movement of the wrist. I tried to wind the watch manually but felt no resistance from the crown. Peering in at the movement, I began to fear that the mainspring was broken. I had wound the crown perhaps a hundred times and the second hand had not budged.
The instruction leaflet did not mention winding the watch with the crown but suggested that the watch be swung back and forth, horizontally, for 30 seconds. In practice, it needed considerably longer than 30 seconds but did start eventually and the second hand came to life, in the joyous way that mechanical watches do.
I looked online for some reviews of the watch. I found one at benswatchclub.com, for a similar model where it was stated that the movement appeared to be the same as that used in the Seiko 5 models. He states “To my understanding, the mechanism labelled as a ‘Y676C’ is a rebadged Seiko 7S26C, identical to that in most last-gen Seiko 5 watches” and “If you’re familiar with the 7S26, you’ll know that this movement is durable but rudimentary, with no hacking or hand-winding capabilities. You’ll have to rotate the watch to get it going manually.”
This was a revelation. The good news was that my mainspring was not broken. But here was the second big gap in my knowledge: I am embarrassed to say that I did not know that some automatic watches could not be wound by hand.
I also learned that “hacking” refers to the ability to stop the second hand by pulling out the winding crown, necessary for military watches in order that they could be synchronised. Mine did not have that facility either.
Whilst I admired the intricate design and finish of the watch and obviously its price, (the leather strap alone must be worth half of this), I was put off by the lack of a manual winding option.
I am sad to say that ultimately the watch and I agreed that each of us was not what the other wanted. I wanted an automatic, but one which I could wind up quickly for occasional use. I like to wear a different watch at weekends from the one I wear on weekdays.
The watch, on the other hand, wanted an owner for whom it was his only watch, perhaps his first ever grown-up watch, and to be worn every day so that the absence of a manual wind option was immaterial. It did not want an owner who would compare it unfavourably and unreasonably with other, vastly more costly timepieces but would enjoy it for its own merits, not only for its cheapness.
And so, with some regret, I returned the watch to John Lewis for a refund early the next day, still a little sad to see it go but having learnt from the experience. This turned out to be a “catch and release” or as my late father used to say “easy come, easy go.”
Fountain pen blog 
Sometimes a bargain proves to be a joy, and sometimes it just shows us the true value of the non-bargain purchases. I’m pleased that you gained some solid insight from your brief flirtation with this watch. As you say, it will be wonderful for the right person.
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Thanks for reading Pamela. Yes, I learnt something from this episode. I know a little more about automatic watch movements but more generally the moral of the tale is not to buy something you do not need, just because it is a bargain.
I do hope the watch finds a suitable owner. I feel a lingering responsibility for it now.
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I’m also starting to get more into watches (along with fountain pens) and got my first two automatic watches last year. I got an inexpensive Seiko 5, one of the field watch versions, for about $100 USD. I like it a lot. But like the Lorus you cannot wind it, which I’m guessing is because of its inexpensive nature.
I agree with the observation that you should not buy something you do not need, just because it is a bargain. And I know it’s also a moot point now. But I will defend this style of watch and ask you to not be so hard on it. Yes, winding up a mechanical watch to start it is easier than performing the “Seiko Shake” as it’s called, but honestly it’s not a big deal. When I go back to that Seiko 5 I’ll shake it for maybe up to a half-minute (often a lot less) and when it gets going, I’ll let the natural movements of my wrist do the rest. And I wish that it hacked but I realize that this feature costs more money, and after a while I don’t mind.
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Thank you very much for your comments and it is great to hear from someone with experience of owning a watch with a similar movement. I had not heard of the Seiko Shake!
What was the other automatic watch that you acquired?
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I got a Timex Waterbury Dive Automatic:
https://timex.com/products/waterbury-dive-automatic-40mm-leather-strap-watch-tw2v24700
It’s a nice watch and does also wind, but even at the higher price point it does not hack.
I’m a bit partial to Timex as it is based where I used to live–Waterbury, Connecticut was just down the road from me. I just got another Timex for Christmas, a Waterbury GMT, but it is quartz. It would be nicer to have an automatic GMT, but they are at least a couple hundred dollars more than a quartz version.
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Those both look great. I also like the Timex brand as it reminds me of my first watch, as a child. The GMT function is very useful too. It’s nice to support a local business if you can!
I have the Rotary GMT version, which is also a quartz movement.
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Well, Timex is hardly local, as I live on the other side of the US now. And like most companies, Timex gets 99% of their stuff manufactured overseas. Though they have started making limited runs of watches at their HQ in CT, so that’s good.
Back to fountain pens: When Waterman was an American company, one of their factories was in Seymour, Connecticut, also in my neck of the woods (I went to one year of high school there.) One of my fountain pen wishes is to find a working US-made Waterman. The whole story about how Waterman became a “French” company is pretty fascinating…
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I use Lorus RL421BX9 Automatic Sports, also without manual winding, and I have really no problem with it and I really like this watch. No real need of manual winding.
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Thanks. If you wear an automatic every day, then I agree, that an ability to wind manually is not needed or used.
It’s great that you found a watch that you like. I eventually bought a Seiko automatic diver, which I am delighted with.
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Your watch does look very attractive: it reminds me of the Rolex Milgauss.
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Thanks, rupertarzeian!
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Rupert another interesting article and very good catch. You can’t go wrong with a Seiko and that movement though elderly is as solid and reliable as they come. I hop eit gives you as much pleasure as mine have given me over the last 20 years or so.
I like , as you say, many others who are interested in pens I also have several watches covering a range of names, sophistication and at varying prices though generally and as I get older iI refuse to pay a lot for a watch.
The 7s26 Seiko movement if I remember correctly is the non-hacking movement that was in all SKX models, The seiko dive watch was discontinued in the mid to late 90s I think (without looking anything up) that were favourites of many outdoors people as they were extremely reliable and ‘bullet-proof.
I’m fortunate enough to have 2 SKX 007s black 42.5mm case size (they actually wear smaller) one has been modded with new face, hands chapter ring and bezl insert the other is standard. I aslo have a SKX009 which is the ‘Pepsi’ (red and blue bezel insert) version of the SKX007. Lovely watches so sticking with Seiko is a good move. Recently I picked a beater to replace some watches that have died, an Invicta Pro Diver 200m divers watch for £90.00 +/- (Amazon) another Seiko offshoot this time with a fully hacking movement. It is a nice watch, pretty good timekeeper but the lume isn’t good and no match for SKXs which are superb.
I also, like you, have several Timex watches and they are very good value and pretty tough into the bargain. One of my very first watches as a young lad was a timex and I still wear them today but the electronics do evetually give up the ghost….
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Many thanks Charles.
My short flirtation with this bargain priced Lorus came to a premature halt, whether rightly or wrongly and I took it back for a refund. It was an impulse buy and I had not done my homework. Not being familiar with the Seiko divers you mention, I was surprised to learn that it was not hand-windable.
Your comments set me off down a very enjoyable rabbit hole, reading about the SKX007 on wornandwound.com. it seems there is a lot of affection for this model. I shall view the Seiko displays with renewed interest!
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Rupert
Thank you for your reply apologies forgot to mention not only non-hacking but no hand wind capability with 7s26 movement – irritating at first but have become so used to gently shaking my SKX in action when I pick it after a break that I don’t even think about not being able to hand wind.
Yes, they seem to have become the iconic dive/rugged outdoor watch for many who love them and have got something near to a cult following and although old there remains a strong demand for second hand models.
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I have the black version of that very same watch, with black dial, silver Roman numerals and silver hands, and I simply love it. Granted, it is more of a dress watch. But it’s damn beautiful. And I do wear it quite often, inspite of owning/ wearing more expensive ones. As for the hacking…not really necessary. It’s power reserve is more than enough to keep it running until the next time I choose to wear it. But, no criticismo here. If the manual hacking is such a big to you, then you no doubt did the right thing. I just think you’ve unnecessarily parted with a very affordable, beautiful, high quality piece of watchmaking. Your loss, I guess.
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Thankyou Carlos. I was interested to see that you have the same watch (in a different colour) and are very happy with it. I am sure you are right about my unnecessarily parting with mine.
Later in the year, I did buy a Seiko automatic, diver’s “turtle” case watch and now wear this every day, with a comfortable navy blue Marine Nationale elastic strap. I have been using the watch for 5 months and am still delighted with it.
Best wishes to you, and thanks for reading!
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