The Nomos Glashütte Zürich World Time Rome x Gioielleria Grande

Introduction

Since we wrote our first lines about a Nomos Glashütte watch, the Zürich World Time held its place as one of the most attractive models from the Saxon manufacturer; today, that watch comes with a special livery as the Nomos Glashütte Zürich World Time Rome, designed in partnership with premium Italian retailer and official AD Gioielleria Grande.

Regarding the Nomos Glashütte limited series

Nomos Glashütte has fostered the production of highly exclusive limited edition models in recent years. Gioielleria Grande fits this strategy brilliantly and is the first-ever top-end boutique to unveil a country-specific LE Zürich. The limited edition Zürich models are much appreciated and highly sought-after. They’re so sophisticated to highlight one of the classiest and hassle-free world timers.

Producing the model in low quantities adds to the “collector’s piece” appeal, offering a rare combination of build quality, functional design and no-frills, pure lines. You won’t find any Zürich Limited Edition up for sale despite their value having grown far beyond retail.

The Nomos Zürich World Time Rome for Gioielleria Grande

Travel the world, and you’ll discover plenty of beautiful cities, but no one can steal your heart and take your breath away like Rome, whose history and magnificence are second to none. The relationship with Gioielleria Grande is a close one; the first jewellery shop opened in Frosinone, but the Grande family soon extended to Rome and opened three boutiques, the last one opening its doors in conjunction with the official launch of the timepiece.

The Limited edition treatment strengthens what makes the Nomos Zürich World Time so admired, like the multi-layer displacement with the Home Time 24-hour disc crossing the outer 24-cities ring, according to the base one-hour-increment time zones. Like most watches in this category, the mechanical movement is not conceived to measure a fraction of an hour in a time zone.

The dial is arranged on a raised plane in line with the minute ring atop the annular cities’ ring. From a design and functionality perspective, the area at three o’clock looks crowded since the hour disc partially covers the 24-cities ring.

However, please keep an eye on the tiny red arrow to quickly read your home time, despite the equally small numbers, and look for its white-bordered sibling to set your local destination instead.

Two arrows on the dial: one to mark Home Time, the second one for Local Time

Despite the small numbers, the tiny red arrow on the right-hand side helps quickly identify the home time and works in conjunction with the white-lined at twelve.

How to set a Zürich World Time Rome

Setting the watch is as simple as it gets. While being the most complicated Nomos watch on offer, the Zürich is the easiest-to-set timepiece in its product category.

The push-in crown has a single outer position; pull it out, and you’ll adjust the home time and move the synchronized minute hand, whose measurement is the same across different time zones.

The first operation to perform is to align local and home time. For instance, if we’re currently in Rome and it’s 1:15 p.m., the button at two o’clock lets you turn the city ring and align Rome with the white triangle at twelve.

Then, take the small pen provided with the package and push it as many times as needed until local and home times are the same.

On the go: your gateway to quickly change a time zone.

Our Nomos Zürich World Time Rome is set and ready to use; if you’re frequently travelling across multiple time zones, press the button at two to match your local time to your upcoming destination. The hour hand jumps in one-hour increments clockwise while the city ring jumps counterclockwise to the following time zone.

It means that if we’re walking in Rome and planning to go to London, we must cross all the time zones from GMT + 1 upwards before matching London’s local time.

The term “World Time” might be confusing despite the timepiece’s layout. The NOMOS Zürich is not a World Timer in the literal sense since it cannot display the 24 timezones hour at a glance; it is a GMT watch with a two-time zone display.

What I like the most is that such a complication is housed in a 39,9 mm large and 10,9 mm thick case. Therefore, it is an ultra-thin worldtimer in the business and perhaps the slimmest in its price range.

The timepiece exclusively crafted for Gioielleria Grande comes with some delicious, unique details; you’ll love the Coliseum to identify the Home Time, while the red-written “ROME” is replacing Berlin: the crown holds the jewellery’s family name, and the strap comes standard with a folding clasp for the first time.

Finally, the dial and strap feature a warm dark brown Pantone to mimic Gioielleria Grande’s corporate colours; it offers plenty of nuances as you turn the watch towards the light.

The DUW 5201 caliber

There is no form without function and the other way round. Here is what we think about the DUW 5201 movement, an entirely manufactured movement measuring an unbelievable 5,7 mm in thickness.

With a three-quarter plate and a skeletonized winding rotor showcasing the signature Glashütte ribbons, each part has been carefully executed and decorated; the movement is a technical and aesthetic marvel on display through the sapphire crystal, where you can also admire the Nomos Swing System.

Last but not least, the wording “Limited edition for Gioielleria Grande” holds its place, along with the number of the series, on the annular ring in steel.

Final thoughts

The new Nomos Glashütte Zürich World Time Rome for Gioielleria Grande is a one-off thirty-piece edition available exclusively at the jewellery boutiques or online. As discussed above, the watch will sell out quickly, as with previous Zürich-based limited edition models.

However, the timepiece offers a few nice tweaks that turn it into a romantic, warm, elegantly Italian and sartorial piece that true watch lovers will appreciate. Zürich is a watch for connoisseurs who set themselves apart from a mainstream audience and solely appreciate beautiful (Saxon) watchmaking.

It offers all the dos and don’ts of any ordinary Zürich World Time but brings the ownership experience to new heights, beyond what we already experienced with similar limited edition models; the combination of Italian taste and flawless Saxon execution raises the “perceived” value like never before, without affecting the price tag too much. The retail price is set at 5,300 Euros.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)

Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®