Within the horological media world we often talk about “darling brands” which are supposedly new players on the international scene which seemingly came out of nowhere and are lauded by all mainstream media as being extremely worthy of our attention. I believe that in most cases these so-called darling brands do not make particularly interesting or innovative watches even though they are presented as doing such by earth’s most renowned journalists. I further believe they acquired this status because their founders are connected or familiar with certain media groups or individuals and have been deambulating within niche circles which endow them with this particular attraction which must be spoken about with blind extravagance. Rarely in fact does a brand which makes actually good watches blind-sides us as seldom do new houses of watchmaking land on the world’s stage with a genuinely good idea. One which is both visually and technically complete and which can easily compete with the biggest of horological players. 

Which brings us to Jesse Marchant’s Lorca and the Model No.2 Golden Gray. I would humbly submit to you that in the past five years I’ve written over 500 hands-on reviews of watches whose price tags range $200-$3,000 USD and that I’ve had the privilege to work with about 200 brands from all over the globe. In most cases, what I see and write about is visually inspired by or technically on par with something that came before it. Rarely do I come across watches whose design is entirely singular or bespoke and whose technical data sheet offers more than the usual affair. And even more rarely are brands which push the technical boundaries typically associated with micro and small independent brands to give us something novel—a new type of machining—or superior to what the masses market—a pretty darn good caliber—or, even better, strike the most perfect of balance between design—a new blend of timeless—and specifications—better components and superior finishing—which messages Fuck You to giants of the industry. 

In other words, and as we will see: the Lorca Model No.2 Golden Gray is the most accomplished watch at its price range—$2,750 USD—and a beautiful song whose words we’re about to surf on. 

Specifications 

I reckon this was a pretty intense introduction. This intensity stems from the fact that I’m quite angry, and I found myself in this emotional state because I’m passionate about horology and more importantly, quiet authenticity. The aforementioned darling brands get spoken about everywhere all the time by everybody because it is the in thing to do. Speak about the latest Serica or Baltic and you will prove yourself as being a journalist in-the-know. Fill up 10 minutes of video with pointless predictions about Rolex and Omega at next month’s Watches & Wonders and you will come across as being insightful and discerning about the niche world around you. As mentioned above, it turns out that these watches and brands we should be talking about ad nauseam do not innovate visually as much as they are said to do, and that technically what they put on the menu has been done before for less. I do not fully understand what makes a brand more worthy of our attention than another but I do know what makes this Lorca rather special. 

But I’m biased. I’ve been following Jesse Marchant’s project from the beginning and I’ve written multiple times about its debut collection aptly named Model No.1, or the most innovative and timeless GMT I’ve ever come across. I’ve met with and spoken to Jesse a few times and I relish doing so again at numerous occasions in the future because of his superb and rare personality—he’s genuine and discreet, passionate and elegant—which is in itself a singularity in our indeed niche world. The Model No.1 was striking on account of its nimble physical dimensions and comprehensive list of specifications, as well as the new timeless nature of its design—looking deep into its dial and case made me feel as if was sucked into a wormhole and spit back at the beginning of the Golden Age of watch design (the 1960s according to many) then swollen back into it and placed again in my present shoes to experience contemporary watchmaking. Spoiler alert: the Model No.2 sparked the same emotions and thoughts as the Model No. 1 did. 

There will be a lot to be said about the outer appearance of the Golden Gray but first we’re going to focus on its mechanics. (Though both domains weave in and out of each other on a continuous and infinite line.) The Model No.1 was surprisingly and refreshingly nimble for a GMT and the second opus is too: it measures a compact 37mm in diameter (38mm at the bezel,) 46mm lug-to-lug, 11.6mm without the crystal and 14.1mm with it, and comes with a universal 20mm lug width. The Model No.2 is, as you’ve noticed, a full-fledged triple-register chronograph and these dimensions size it akin to those from yesteryear’s which were objectively much more elegant and discreet than these machines are today. (They were designed to blend in and not stand out.) To these measurements we measure the caliber within: a soigné/élaboré manual-wind Sellita SW510 M caliber (4Hz/63 hours of power reserve) which is regulated to run at ±5 seconds per day and which comes with a running seconds sub-register, a 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers. 

37mm in diameter is rather small for a chronograph these days and 14.1mm is rather thin given the 2.5mm thickness of the inner-AR coated double-domed sapphire crystal. (This sucker is shaped like a vintage hesalite piece of glass and generates the same warmth.) To this case’s fabulous dimensions which makes the Model No.2 feel and appear cozy on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist, and to this advanced caliber and durable crystal, we must add an impressive 100 meters of water resistance (screw-down case-back and push/pull crown), generous quantities of BGW9 on the hands and applied markers, the beauty of a large 6.9mm unsigned crown giving off gentle vibes of utilitarian horology, and the now iconic IWC Mark XII-inspired Lorca 9-link bracelet, tweaked and improved and presenting: seven links in the middle, two flanking each side and tapering down from the lugs to the clasp to almost resemble the central ones, held by screws, and complemented by a double-trigger deployant clasp with a tool-less micro-adjustment mechanism. 

Design

In my young meanderings of horological journalistic adventures I’ve come across many exceptionally spec’out watches but rarely ones which are elegantly packaged in the way the Mode No.2 is, where the technical aspects of a watch are superior to the average ticking machine on the market however concealed behind a triply timeless design—that of the case, dial, and bracelet. As we’re about to discover, Jesse concocted his own special sauce to bring forward a classic aesthetic whilst in the background roars the engine of a Ferrari fitted inside the chassis of a rally car. (Perhaps a terrible image which I do hope however manages to convey something.) To look at the Model No.2’s nature from a different perspective, take the good looks of a vintage luxurious chronograph—which you would only dream of owning—albeit conceptualized in the second half of the 21st century, and fitted with the best gear $2,750 USD can buy and more. The Model No.2 is thus in fact my ideal type of watch: elegant and discreet, robust and functional. 

If you were kind enough to have consulted my review of the Model No.1 you would have learned of Jesse’s professional backgound—that a globetrotting singer-songwriter—whose career led him to many adventures far and wild, calm and wild, experiences which were infused into the design of the GMT and in the chronograph once again: indeed a timeless elegance which will permit the Model No.2 to traverse through infinite time without having gained a wrinkle and without having missed a beat. Because, as we know, this model is seriously equipped to do about anything you could realistically think of—all but roving on the Moon’s surface or making the impossible trip to Mars’s scathing scurface. And what is most impressive about the Model No.2 is the ageless grace with which it can do it all for you starting with that case we gushed over earlier: straight flanks making up a horizontally brushed narrow mid-case, tapering polished chamfers on its upper sections, small cap-shaped polished chronograph pushers, and a majestic grippy crown. 

Alongside the cautious case we find the supreme nine-link bracelet and a bezel which is a first in the micro and independent industry: not only bi-directional and mounted on ball-bearings, but adorned with tight rows of guillochéd lines and rising numerals manufactured in a singular process which is unheard of indeed. Jesse threw the obsolete tachymeter scale into the trash bin of horological design and outfitted the bezel with a 12-hour GMT scale which is another reminder that the Model No.2 is a tool watch besides being a prime everyday timepiece. The bezel action is sublime to say the least and I particularly appreciate the discreetness of the bezel whilst providing additional functionality—to track the time in a second time-zone or to time a second event which lasts for up to 12 hours whilst using the chronograph for something else. Then at the twelve o’clock we find a diamond-shaped marker which invites us to finally discuss the visual merits of the dial and of its…drumroll…reimagined timeless classicism. 

We are invited to begin the exploration of the dial by way of the twelve o’clock marker shaped akin to a kite or elongated diamond shorter at the base and taller at the apex. It sits proud north of the dial and engages a suite of applied rectangular hour markers composed of four chamfers surmounting four cliffs, all polished to the finest mirror finish. Between the markers there is a fully graduated and painted minute track as well as three pearls of solidified metal marking the three, six, and nine points. (The smallest of details matter the most.) All of these elements are set against the sunburst golden gray dial from which emanate electric brown tones or dark anthracite ones depending on the lighting conditions and angles at which you are being swallowed whole by it. At the three, six, and nice, alongside the metal pearls, we find three perfect silver-finished sub-registers made of black markings, black hands, and radial grooves. Lastly, the icing on the cake: a set of beefy polished and lumed Dauphine hands.  

The Heart of the Matter

I’m starting to believe that Jesse Marchant is an alien in the watch industry. As far as I know and what I’ve seen, he is discreet and soft-spoken, yet sophisticated and eloquant—like his watches. As a brand owner and as a designer, he meticulously overthings every single visual and technical detail of his horological creations to such a high degree that it could be considered a new art form. In the history of watchmaking there are a but a few designers who discovered the watchmaking equivalent of the Philosopher’s Stone—the right proportions for the case and dial, the appropriate amount of visual personality and the necessary quantity of timelessness, and of course the perfect amount of superlative specifications. Together, they create a perfect watch for anyone and anywhere and anytime, the type of horological machine which can be everything for everybody. A heirloom piece, an everyday watch, a creation which begets being at the center of the talks amongst all enthusiasts and journalists the world over. The stuff icons are made of. 

Conclusion 

Circling back to my angry-toned introduction and my rant regarding darling brands and what they are supposed to be and what they actually aren’t, Jesse Marchant’s Lorca could be seen as being one of those as it has been featured on most mainstream horological media. However, it is one of these once-in-a-million-year cases where what the brand outputs is actually good—very good—as it does indeed features the perfect mix of excellent specifications and singularity in the timeless nature of its classical design, in addition to offering something truly unique, for example, the guilloché bezel. As a closing thought, $2,750 USD is little to spend when you look at the Model No.2 Golden Gray in its entirety and put it side-by-side with the icons of the genre of manual-wind triple-register mechanical chronograph. In my eyes, this model is like a hit song Jesse invited us to partake in. 

Thanks for reading.