Simple, Practical and Ridiculously Good Value

There are watches you buy because they're interesting, watches you buy because they're collectible, and then there are watches that simply end up spending more time on your wrist than almost anything else.

For me, this Lorus Lumibrite field watch falls firmly into that last category. I wear it almost every evening.

I bought mine last month brand new for around £35, which already makes it an inexpensive watch, but they regularly appear in sales for even less. At that sort of money, it's very difficult to find much to complain about. In fact, if I spot one heavily discounted, there's every chance I'll end up buying another one — or perhaps a few!

At its heart this is exactly what I think a field watch should be: simple, lightweight, comfortable, durable and incredibly easy to read.

A Proper Field Watch Design

There's nothing unnecessary going on here.

The large black Arabic numerals contrast brilliantly against the pale Lumibrite dial, while the smaller 13–24 hour markings add that traditional military/field-watch character without cluttering things up.

You also get a day and date window at 3 o'clock, something I personally find genuinely useful on an everyday watch.

The case is stainless steel and the watch offers 100 metres of water resistance, making it far more capable than its modest price might suggest. Argos currently lists it at £35 and specifies a quartz movement, stainless-steel case, 100m water resistance and day/date display.

It's a watch designed around practicality rather than decoration, and that's exactly why I like it.

That Lumibrite Dial

Obviously, the star of the show is the dial.

Rather than simply having luminous hands and hour markers, essentially the entire dial glows, leaving the dark hands and numerals silhouetted against it.

And the lume isn't just a gimmick.

If mine has received a decent amount of light during the day, I can still read it right through the night. Naturally it becomes considerably dimmer as the hours pass, but I've woken during the early hours and still been able to easily make out the time.

For a watch at this price, that's seriously impressive.

Lorus describes Lumibrite as a luminous material developed by Seiko that absorbs light and then releases that energy in darkness.

Changing the Strap

The watch originally comes on a fabric strap, but I decided to replace mine with the olive/khaki canvas strap shown in the photos.

For me, it completely changes the watch.

The colour works beautifully with the slightly greenish cream Lumibrite dial and gives it a much more convincing field-watch appearance. It feels like the strap the watch should have come with in the first place.

More importantly, it hasn't compromised one of this watch's biggest strengths: comfort.

It's still extremely lightweight and easy to wear for long periods. It's one of those watches you can put on first thing in the morning and almost forget you're wearing.

The Watch I Keep Picking Up

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the Lorus is simply this:

It's probably the field watch I pick up most often.

That's quite an achievement for something costing around £35.

There are more expensive watches, watches with more impressive specifications and certainly watches carrying more prestigious names. But when I want something uncomplicated that I know will be comfortable, readable and dependable, this is regularly the one I reach for.

And really, isn't that exactly what a field watch is supposed to do?

The Casio Collector Verdict

The Lorus Lumibrite isn't trying to be luxurious, fashionable or complicated.

It's simply a very good field watch.

It's lightweight, extremely comfortable, wonderfully legible, has useful day/date functionality, 100 metres of water resistance and one of the best luminous displays I've encountered on such an inexpensive watch.

Changing mine onto an olive canvas strap has only made me like it more.

At the £35 I paid, I think it's excellent value. Find one during an Argos sale or elsewhere for even less and, in my opinion, it becomes something of a no-brainer.

In fact, if I see them cheap enough again, I can genuinely see myself buying another one.

Or two.

Because apparently that's how watch collecting works. 😂

For me, this ticks pretty much every box a proper field watch should.

Specifications

Brand: Lorus
Style: Field / Military
Movement: Quartz
Movement family: Seiko/Lorus VJ33
Display: Analogue
Dial: Full Lumibrite luminous dial
Calendar: Day & Date
Case: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 100 metres
Crystal: Mineral glass
Lug Width: 18mm
Original Strap: Fabric/webbing
My Strap: Olive/khaki canvas
Power: Battery
Typical Price: Around £35, often less during sales

Not just a Gimmick.

The lume dial is incredible, I’m still able to easily tell the time in the early hours of the morning. This is one of my top 10 favourite watches in my whole collection, not bad for something that only costs £35.

A Video Review will be added once created and edited

Lorus Lumibrite