The design of the Lawless dates back to 2009. Developed in collaboration with Australian diver Brendan Lawless, who also gave the watch its name, the goal was to create a diver's watch with a clean yet distinctive identity. At a time when many manufacturers were producing little more than Submariner-inspired designs, Tourby deliberately chose a different path. The company wanted to add a professional dive watch to its collection, but creating another Submariner clone was never an option. For a small independent watchmaker, establishing a unique design in the market was no easy task.

From the very beginning, Brendan Lawless insisted that the watch should meet the highest technical standards. While many well-established brands still relied on bezels with a basic 60-click mechanism, Tourby already featured a more precise 120-click bezel. A water resistance of 500 meters represented the highest technical standard achievable at the time, reflecting the uncompromising engineering behind the watch. Naturally, the bezel featured a ceramic insert rather than the metal inserts commonly used by many manufacturers. The dial and hands were carefully designed to provide outstanding legibility under water, while the watch itself had to remain exceptionally secure on the wrist. To achieve this, Tourby developed a custom rubber strap that integrates seamlessly into the lugs without leaving even the slightest gap. What may seem like a simple detail today was, at the time, a remarkable engineering achievement.

Tourby has long been renowned for its beautifully decorated movements. However, the pressure requirements of a professional dive watch made a sapphire exhibition case back impossible. Instead, the company created a case back that is every bit as impressive as one of its decorated movements. To produce the deeply embossed three-dimensional engraving, a particularly rare and comparatively soft grade of stainless steel was selected. This was essential, as the stamping equipment is typically designed to work only with materials such as brass or copper. The result is a dive watch crafted with exceptional attention to detail—one that remains both technically advanced and visually distinctive to this day.