Lorca - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Lorca is an independent watch company founded in 2022 in New York by Swiss-Canadian musician and designer Jesse Marchant, with a clear ambition to create everyday Swiss-made watches that are compact, robust, and elegant, equally at home on tour and in city life.

From New York with Swiss roots: Jesse Marchant’s path

The brand’s origin story traces back to the founder’s European tours, during which he missed a genuinely ideal travel watch and decided to build one that was strictly useful yet emotionally engaging — a romantic but rational watch guided by a crisp, fully intentional brief.

Born to a Swiss mother and Canadian father, Marchant embraces a dual sensibility that blends Swiss precision with North American creativity, resulting in an aesthetic vocabulary of restraint and efficiency — Swiss-Made production and New York design define the maison’s DNA from day one.

The aim is narrow and explicit: a compact catalog of waterproof, wearable, serviceable, tightly regulated watches where every detail serves a real purpose — the brand avoids decorative overkill in favor of legibility, compact sizing, and durability.

Model No.1 GMT: 36 mm compactness with 200-meter water resistance

The debut piece, Lorca Model No.1 GMT, plants firm stakes: 36 mm case (37 mm at the bezel), 44 mm lug-to-lug, 11.2 mm thick, and 200 meters of water resistance, placing it between a true tool watch and a dressy daily — a fixed engraved 24-hour bezel and an independently adjustable GMT hand target practical multi-timezone use.

The dial (gloss black or silver sunburst) pairs applied indices with a sober typeface; beveled dauphine hands filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova privilege readability without losing charm — the double-domed sapphire with internal AR and a screw-down crown help reconcile classic looks with modern specifications.

Inside ticks the Swiss automatic Soprod C125 (brand-quoted regulation to ±4 s/day, GMT + date), chosen for accuracy, reliability, and serviceability beneath a closed screw-in caseback — the global service posture underlines a commitment to real-world ownership beyond spec sheets.

The nine-row steel bracelet remains a highlight, now featuring a slim, milled clasp with on-the-fly micro-adjust for everyday comfort and seasonal changes — overall ergonomics favor wrist-hugging ease and a deliberately compact silhouette.

• Lorca Model No.1 GMT — 36 mm, fixed 24-hour bezel, 200 m, double-domed sapphire, Soprod C125 automatic, gloss black or silver sunburst dials; built as a go-anywhere daily traveler.

Model No.2 Chronograph: a measured step up with a guilloché 12-hour bezel

The follow-up, Lorca Model No.2 Chronograph, shows another facet: 37 mm (38 mm at the bezel), 46 mm lug-to-lug, 14.1 mm overall (11.6 mm case alone) and 100 meters of water resistance, powered by the hand-wound Sellita SW510 M — a bidirectional ball-bearing 12-hour bezel with numerals emerging from the guilloché translates the brand’s idea of elegant utility.

Three dial tones (satin black, silver sunray, warm golden-gray with silver sub-registers) pair with applied beveled indices and BGW9 lume, and the supple nine-row bracelet returns with a refined clasp — the triple-register layout feels familiar while the bezel replaces a tachymeter with a second time-zone tracker.

The SW510 M (élaboré/soigné) beats at 4 Hz with ~63 hours of power reserve and a quoted regulation of ±5 s/day under a screw-in solid back; manual winding deepens the “instrument” character and keeps thickness reasonable given the WR rating — the spec sheet favors genuine daily utility, swimming included, over purely nostalgic gestures.

• Lorca Model No.2 Chronograph — 37 mm, bidirectional guilloché 12-hour bezel, 100 m, double-domed sapphire, SW510 M hand-wound, three dial options.

Calibers, servicing, and longevity: regulated, repairable, and purpose-driven

The guiding line is to use proven Swiss movements (Soprod C125 for the GMT, Sellita SW510 M for the chronograph) to ensure parts availability, service networks, and long-term stability — the goal isn’t to reinvent mechanics but to regulate, protect, and integrate them into a coherent architecture.

A solid screw-down back, the absence of a display crystal, and a 200-meter screw-down crown (GMT) protect integrity; the internally AR-coated double-domed sapphire promotes natural legibility with minimal glare — the design vocabulary consistently prioritizes use and serviceability over showroom theatrics.

Finally, the brand’s specific bracelets (nine rows, fine articulation, milled clasp with quick micro-adjust) are engineered as ergonomic components rather than mere styling, with clear compatibility for smaller wrists — this explains the “airy” on-wrist feel despite dense construction.

Pricing, distribution, and audience: direct-to-consumer with strong editorial visibility

On the official site, the Lorca Model No.1 GMT lists around USD 1,750 (recent series), while the Lorca Model No.2 Chronograph launched at USD 2,650 for its initial pre-order, framing the brand in the “accessible premium” bracket — exact figures vary by series, currency, and taxes, but the target buyer is the enthusiast who scrutinizes value through real-world specs.

Distribution is primarily direct (brand site) with global shipping, a few selective retailers, and strong coverage from specialist media — the strategy trims intermediaries, fosters dialogue with buyers, and keeps focus on the object itself.

The core clientele includes travelers, fans of quiet design, collectors who value compact dimensions and credible ratings (200 m, 100 m, stated tight regulation), and younger wearers tired of oversized cases — the promise is a watch to live with, not a loud manifesto.

Helpful comparisons and market reading: where Lorca fits

Against “neo-vintage” peers (Baltic, Serica, Furlan Marri) and clean-lined references (Nomos, Junghans, Longines Spirit in smaller sizes), Lorca leans on two distinctions: real waterproofing and genuine compactness — a 36-mm 200-meter GMT and a 100-meter hand-wound chronograph with a 12-hour bezel make a distinctive two-watch system.

Among micro-brands, perceived case quality, applied indices, and coherent typography help avoid the trap of homage; compared with major houses, pricing remains below like-for-like offerings while retaining key finishing cues — specialist press has noted the tightrope walk between old-world charm and modern specifications.

Ultimately, competition is better understood through use cases (travel, daily wear, compact comfort) than raw spec lists, since the catalog is intentionally narrow to preserve clarity and product follow-through — this minimalism remains a strength as long as production cadence stays controlled.

Conclusion

A New York label with Swiss heart, Lorca delivers a compact GMT and a hand-wound chronograph configured with care for legibility, waterproofing, and comfort, appealing to collectors and everyday wearers alike; to decide, choose the Lorca Model No.1 GMT if you travel often or want a universal, 200-meter “daily,” and the Lorca Model No.2 Chronograph if you prefer hands-on mechanics and the versatility of a 12-hour bezel; beyond design coherence and serviceable calibers, the final word belongs to wrist time and Dialicious customer reviews.

(Updated August 2025)