Ocean To Orbit put their new Lhotse through its paces, sending it to the top of the Himalayas
Borna Bošnjak
Micro Mondays has been a mainstay on Time+Tide for a few years now, giving us a chance to showcase new and exciting micros and independents. But every once in a while, Micro Mondays becomes more than just showing off a cool new watch. Today’s article concerns the birth of a new brand, Ocean To Orbit, and their first model, the Lhotse. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Ocean To Orbit is the brainchild of David Dewitt and Siddhartha Kazami, two ex-car designers who swapped penning the new Ford Ranger Raptor to obsessing over the width of polished chamfers and the minutiae of clasp logo engravings. As you may have guessed, the watch gets its name from the fourth-tallest mountain in the world, rising to 8,516 metres above sea level, taking inspiration from ’50s mountaineering watches for its design.
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The coolest thing about it? The Lhotse earned its stripes, a prototype actually accompanying mountaineer Purnima Shrestha to the summit in 2022, as well as joining her ascent of Makalu, the fifth-tallest peak a few days later. For all of those who will not be surmounting any 8000ers any time soon (my guess being the majority of people reading this, yours truly included), read on to discover the details that make the Lhotse a complete daily package, too.
The dials
For a 1950s explorer’s watch, you might expect the dial to be a fully printed, monochromatic affair. Dewitt and Kazami had different ideas, fitting the Lhotse with a rich, vertically brushed dial. There’s a choice of three base colours – green, blue, or black – with the latter executed with silver or gilt printing. All of the models have applied indices, combined with the applied brand logo below the triangle at 12 o’clock. Just like the dial colours, there’s no overly blingy finishing, just legible shapes with enough lume to keep the visibility decent at night. The hands at first appear quite simplistic too, though they hide what Ocean To Orbit is hoping will become somewhat of a brand signature. Look closely at the hours hand, and you’ll notice a flared base that supposedly emulates a rocket, tying into the brand name.
I’m usually not a big fan of overly wordy dials, as anything more than four lines of text is a bit too much in my opinion. The Lhotse toes this line but balances the text with two lines on either side of the pinion. The bottom text in particular looks to be executed as such on purpose, with a clear segmentation between the model name and depth rating.
Though it’s a limited edition, the Lhotse WEM edition also deserves a mention. The blue and white tuxedo dial was created in collaboration with Watch Enthusiasts Melbourne, a local community of enthusiasts, and is limited to 50 numbered pieces. It’s a departure from the regular Lhotse form, but that combination of a tuxedo dial and the red tip of the seconds hand is handsome enough to warrant it.
The case
Getting the proportions right is important for any watch, but especially so for the Lhotse given its ambitions of being the perfect daily wearer. A diameter of 38.5mm, thickness of 11.5mm and lug-to-lug of 47mm is a great start dimension-wise, and right in line with most successful GADA pieces. A box-domed sapphire crystal with AR coating and a screw-down crown locking in 100 metres of water resistance round out the specs that most will expect from a watch like this.
The finishing of the case is particularly well-executed, though yet again, not overly flashy. The very top of the bezel is flat and vertically brushed, before descending down a polished slope, meeting the brushed tops of the lugs. This surface is flanked by two chamfers that frame it nicely, the inner helping the bracelet integrate more easily, while the outer runs the entire length of the case.
Most importantly, though, how does it feel on the wrist? For me, 38.5mm is pretty much the sweet spot for a sportier everyday piece, and the Lhotse is slender enough to hide under a shirt cuff if necessary, too, though I would recommend something smaller in that instance. The tips of the lugs reach just slightly below the flat caseback, curving just enough to accommodate the wrist. The best way I can describe the Lhotse on the wrist is like a less slab-sided variant of the bezel-less Black Bay. Most surprising of all was the weightiness of the head of the watch, as it felt really substantial despite its moderate dimensions. It never got uncomfortable, but my guess is that the slender, tapering bracelet doesn’t quite even out the weight of the head when you remove as many links as I needed to.
The bracelet
Speaking of the bracelet, photos will tell a fairly straightforward story owing to its fully brushed, three-link design. In reality, however, I was pleased to see that the obround-shaped links (that’s apparently what you call a straight-sided oval) are really well-articulated, tapering all the way down to 16mm at the clasp. This gives the Lhotse a bit more of that 1950s vibe it was inspired by, though like I mentioned previously, makes the watch a tad top-heavy.
The links are secured with screws, ending in a deeply engraved milled clasp that was one of the biggest design headaches for the Ocean To Orbit team. It offers plenty of micro-adjust holes, though there’s no fancy on-the-fly adjustment that would make the value proposition even better, though it’s not a must at this price point. Remember that certain competitors will happily sell you a pin-and-collar bracelet and pressed clasp for US$1,000.
The movement
And what’s hiding behind that logo-engraved closed caseback? A closer look at the dial gives the hint that it’s Swiss-made, though rather than the usual suspect Sellita, Ocean To Orbit have opted for an STP 1-21. This ETA 2824 clone is found in a few microbrands, and most notably Zodiac watches, as the two are both owned by the Fossil group. It’s a true no-date movement, meaning no ghost crown position, with hacking and hand-winding functionality, beating at 4Hz for up to 40 hours.
Ocean To Orbit Lhotse pricing & availability
The Ocean To Orbit Lhotse is available now for pre-orders. Price: US$795 (pre-order), US$895 (RRP), US$925 (WEM LE)
| Brand | Ocean To Orbit |
| Model | Lhotse |
| Case Dimensions | 38.5mm (D) x 11.5mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Box-domed sapphire, AR coating |
| Dial | Vertically brushed blue, gilt black, black, green Tuxedo white and blue |
| Bracelet | Three-link steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | STP 1-21, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now, for pre-orders 50 numbered pieces (WEM LE) |
| Price | US$795 (pre-order) US$895 (RRP) US$925 (WEM LE) |
Made in partnership with Ocean To Orbit. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.