In terms of telling time on the watch, this was a breeze. The wide, lume-painted hands stand out nicely against the dark dial, and are simple to read at a glance. Additionally, you’ve got the numerals (at the cardinal positions) printed on the underside of the mineral crystal. Aside from providing an interesting “floating” effect, this also means they’re not obscured at any time. The numerals are not lumed, but that really didn’t impact nighttime visibility.
The Oryx is powered by a Miyota OS20 quartz movement, which of course enables the chronograph and date complications. This also means you’ve got a pretty robust movement in the watch that should provide worry-free service. And, once you have the crown screwed into place, you’ll be able to keep the movement dry, with a WR rating of 100 meters.
In the end, this watch was a bit of a mixed bag. Design-wise, I really appreciated the various automotive nods, as well as the multi-layered (and checkered) dial. To really appreciate the brake disc bezel, though, I feel that it needs to be in a raw finish (rather than IP), which then stands out too much against the IP case (there is a model with this combination, shown here). Regardless, this is a watch for a car enthusiast, no doubt.
For me, the size and weight of the piece really would prevent me from adding a watch like this to my own collection. Of course, that boils down largely to a matter of preference, and mine happens to be for smaller diameters – or at least thinner ones for a case of this size. Additionally, while the asking price of $795 isn’t outrageous, you can start getting into some decent automatics. If you’re a self-professed car guy though, and aren’t looking for a watch that is for a specific brand, this may be the route for you to go. lapizta.com
Necessary Data
>>Brand: Lapizta
>>Model: Oryx
>>Price: $795
>>Would reviewer personally wear it: Not really – it’s a bit too large for my tastes.
>>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone who is into cars, plain and simple.
>>Best characteristic of watch: The automotive elements, led by the disc brake bezel.
>>Worst characteristic of watch: The size of the watch.
