Trackside panache
I am rarely surprised by watches. If we accept to review a timepiece, it is because we like it. We’re not into hatcheting someone’s work and dreams. But I have decided that I don’t like the Neotype LM02 Type C chronograph. I love it.
The LM02 is the greatest argument one can make for a microbrand. It’s a visual feast in all its four iterations. It’s beefy in all the right ways. It commands the real estate on your wrist. And it demands that you lookdown at it. Often.
Advertisement
Key Features of NEOTYPE LM02 Type C
While the watch measures 41mm in diameter with a lug to lug of 48.5mm and a case thickness of 13.8mm, it weighs very little. This is due in part to its lack of a bracelet, but also to the mecaquartz calibre on the inside. I have gone back and forth on my feelings about mecaquartz over the years. I have loved them and I have also decided to leave them. But I have settled, finally, somewhere in between.
I love the visceral response of mechanical column wheel movement. But that experience carries a hefty cost. Mecaquartz mitigates this. It’s not a perfect solution, but you get a glimpse of that intimacy. And when the watch looks and feels like the LM02 Type C, you can live with that.
The Seiko VK64 promises an accuracy of +/-20 seconds a month, which wipes the floor with many mechanical alternatives. It also provides you with the clean sweep of a chronograph hand that regular quartz movements do not.
The crystal on the LM02 is a glorious 3.5mm thick double-domed piece of sapphire glass, which contributes to the overall thickness. But the watch would not be the same without it. The case is largely brushed with a clean, matte ceramic tachymeter insert. The lug width here is an athletic 22mm and really suits the case design. The case back, crown, and pushers are all screw-down, and the watch is rated to 200m of water resistance. On the FKM rubber strap, it weighs only 113g; on nylon, even less.
Neotype have borrowed from their LM01 Type D diver here to construct the dial. Like that first effort, the LM02 is equipped with a sandwich-style design. This means that the hour markers have been absolutely flooded with Super-LumiNova thanks to the lumed disc underneath. The baton handset and recessed indicators have received equal treatment. And if that weren’t enough, Neotype have also filled the engraved bezel insert, as well.
Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 41mm Diameter 48.5mm Lug to Lug 13.8mm Thick /w Glass 22mm Lug Width Screwed Case Back, Crown & Pushers 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Glass /w AR Black Dial Sandwich Indices Baton Handset BGW9/Old Radium Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Seiko VK64 Mecaquartz |
| Strap | FKM Rubber Strap or Nylon NATO |
Neotype LM02 Type C Chronograph
Advertisement
Final Thoughts
There isn’t a bad version of the Neotype LM02 Type C. The black-ops iterations look badass. The steel provides you with a more traditional automotive feel. But, personally, I keep going back to the Old Radium steel on the nylon NATO (LM02C1A). The visual design of these watches feels complete and unified with no extraneous details. It’s clean and balanced. The sandblasted bezel insert, and the way it slopes off like an extension of the dome, is perfect. This is a tool watch, you’ll be proud to wear.
Pricing & Availability
The Neotype LM02 Type C retails for $597USD on rubber. For more information, please visit the brand website.
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.
2 thoughts on “Neotype LM02 Type C Chronograph”