This $549 Automatic Watch Might Be the Best Cartier Alternative You Can Buy

The watch industry has evolved to a place where many former start-ups are now well established and stand toe-to-toe with the old guard Swiss and Japanese brands.

To the untrained eye, a $500 watch from a ten-year-old brand can look just as impressive as a $15,000 watch from a century-old brand.

Lorier

A perfect example is the Zephyr from New York-based boutique brand Lorier. This elliptical Art Deco masterpiece is a timeless dress watch with daily-wear appeal.

At arm’s length, the Zephyr blends in seamlessly with luxury watches from household names that cost 20 times the price. Even the non-watch-obsessed can appreciate its understated beauty.

Lorier

The best part is that the Zephyr only costs $549, an absolute steal for an automatic dress watch of this quality. It runs on a customized Miyota caliber 9029 automatic movement, has a polished stainless steel case and an intricately decorated dial.

An Art Deco masterpiece

What makes the Zephyr so special is the dial, more specifically, how the brand approached classic influence with a light touch. Minimalist but era-authentic hands and tracks balance the rich rippling guilloché dial texture.

Lorier

The railroad minute and hour track, quintessential to the 1930s, is stretched out to minimize its interference with the pearly white texture. The dauphine hands, lightened up by shedding the second hand, provide a hint of color with a heat-treated blue hue.

Lorier

Lorier isn’t afraid to cite its sources, displaying 1930s vintage examples of a Rolex Tonneau, a Cartier Tank Louis and a JLC Reverso on the Zephyr’s product page. This confident lack of pretense speaks volumes for such a young brand.

Lorier

The Art Deco influence carries over to the polished stainless steel case with a flat-ended elliptical shape also derived from Cartier and Rolex. The smooth edges meet the bezel at an obtuse angle, which holds the anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal.

Back for more

The Zephyr was first released in October 2022 with a white dial and a black dial. Later that year, a regular production crimson dial was released along with a limited edition collaboration with the renowned Grand Central Watch.

Lorier

Limited to 99 individually numbered pieces, it had a green and gilt dial that matched the ceiling of the world-famous train terminal. Grand Central Watch’s logo was etched into the case back.

Since then, limited restocks of the white and black dials have come in 2023 and 2024, but each sold out almost immediately. Fortunately, Lorier has confirmed another restock is coming in late July 2025.

If you’re in the market for an affordable daily dress watch, a fan of Art Deco design or need to scratch that Cartier and JLC itch without breaking the bank, this is your chance to land a brand new Zephyr.

Lorier

Considering Lorier also includes two leather quick-release straps, a black and a brown, there really is no better bargain in the classic dress watch category.

Now, if only Lorier would bring back the green dial.

Availability and pricing

The Lorier Zephyr with the white dial will be back in stock in late July 2025 for $549.

Lorier offers an email sign-up to inform you as soon as the Zephyr is available.

Lorier

Lorier Zephyr

Specs

Case Size	31mm
Movement	Miyota caliber 9029 autoamtic
Water Resistance	30m

• $549 at Lorier

Related Topics