Every Windup has its share of surprises, and the recently completed New York edition of the fair (in our big 10th anniversary year) was no exception. Something I was definitely not expecting was the newest release from Lorier, the Roosevelt. Lorier is a brand that’s on my personal Mt. Rushmore of microbrands – I just find their watches endlessly charming and Lauren and Lorenzo Ortega are among my favorite people to run into at a watch event. The existence of the Roosevelt itself isn’t so much a surprise, but the way it was presented felt different. Lorier didn’t have a booth at this year’s NYC show, but introduced the watch through their partners at Grand Central Watch, who had a space on the second floor of our venue, showing off the Roosevelt and doing some bracelet adjustments and strap changes on the side.
The Roosevelt feels in some ways like a cousin of the Zephyr, Lorier’s Art Deco inspired dress watch from a few years back that felt like a real departure from their midcentury sports watch roots. I was a huge fan of the Zephyr, and remember thinking at the time it could signal an entirely new lane for Lorier to experiment in. Now we get the Roosevelt, which feels like a departure in many of the same, satisfying ways. Inspired by the design of Grand Central Terminal, the Roosevelt is a cushion cased design reminiscent of sports watches from the 1920s. Today, it presents like a dressier piece, but in a lot of ways this watch is very much in line with Lorier’s ongoing mission of reinterpreting classic sports watches, here from a different era and vantage point.
The case measures 36mm across and is just a little over 8mm tall. It wears great, and I think Lorier’s claims that it wears closer to a 38mm case thanks to the slightly squared off shape are spot on. Another factor helping with the wrist presence is the prominent knurled bezel, which adds a lot of depth and visual character when you look down at your wrist to check the time. The dial has a gorgeous sunray finish and Breguet style numerals, all modeled loosely on the iconic brass clock at the center of Grand Central. The watch runs on a Miyota automatic caliber with no date, and is paired with a Horween Shell Cordovan strap. Like most other Lorier watches, this one features an acrylic crystal.
This is also the first bronze watch Lorier has made. That feels like the right choice given the inspiration and the general vibe they’re going for. Steve Kivel from Grand Central Watch was on hand all weekend at his booth wearing his personal Roosevelt, which had several months of patina on the case, and it looked great. I have historically been a bit of a bronze watch skeptic – I just don’t love the look of patina in most cases – but sometimes it just really fits the look of a watch, and the Roosevelt won me over in the subtle ways the case changed in color on Steve’s wrist.
Lorier describes the Roosevelt as a watch made for Grand Central’s retail operation, and as such it is only sold through their website. At the moment, the Roosevelt is sold out (it’s a 250 piece limited edition), however there is an option to be added to a waiting list for those willing to try their luck. The retail price is $799. Lorier
Zach Kazan
2025-10-24 13:00:00