Lorus

Founded 1982 · Tokyo, Japan (a Seiko group brand; launched commercially in Europe) · Seiko Watch Corporation (a corporate brand, with no individual founder)

Lorus is the affordable watch brand of Japan's Seiko group, launched in Europe in 1982 to bring Seiko's reliability and quartz technology to a smaller budget. It remains one of the best-selling entry-level brands in the world, with a broad catalogue of analogue and digital models for men, women and children, built to the same standards as the rest of the group.

History

The Lorus name first appeared in the late seventies on wall clocks and alarm clocks for export markets. In 1982 Seiko relaunched it as a wristwatch brand in Europe, conceived as an affordable companion to Seiko and Pulsar. In 1983 the brand expanded into the United States. The mid-eighties brought the "One in One – Rainbow" series, with interchangeable coloured strap links, and the end of that decade brought musical watches under Disney licence (Mickey Mouse). Over time Lorus built up sports lines with chronographs and, in some cases, group automatic calibres. In 2014 it launched a charity collection in support of the Novak Djokovic Foundation. It is reckoned that more than 120 million Lorus watches have been sold worldwide over the brand's history.

Iconic models

Lorus Sports collection (chronographs)
The quartz chronograph sports line that defines the brand's accessible, accurate identity
Lorus Novak Djokovic Foundation (refs. R2375KX9, R2389LX9)
A 2014 charity collection supporting the tennis player's foundation, with a digital case, chronograph and rubber strap
Disney / Mickey Mouse musical watches
Late-eighties icons for playing melodies under Disney licence
One in One – Rainbow series
An eighties novelty with interchangeable coloured strap links
Licensed children's line (Disney and characters)
One of Lorus's commercial pillars as an entry-level watch for children

Worth knowing

Although it sells for a good deal less than Seiko, Lorus shares factories and production standards with the parent house; its historic strength is volume — more than 120 million units sold have made it one of the most widespread affordable quartz brands on the planet.