Introducing: NOMOS Zürich Weltzeit Singapore Edition

To mark the second anniversary of the arrival of NOMOS timepieces at The Hour Glass boutiques in Singapore, the independent German watchmaking company from Glashütte has crafted a 50-piece limited edition version of its ever-popular world-timer Zürich Weltzeit timepiece. There are two different versions, one with a classic white silver-plated dial and the other with a new salmon-colored dial, and both will be available exclusively from The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland in Singapore. Read on for all the details on the two Nomos Red Dot pieces.

NOMOS Glashütte

It’s almost hard to believe now, but only a few years ago, NOMOS Glashütte was still what I would call an “insider” brand. In other words, unless you were a hardcore watch fan who regularly visited watch blogs (like Monochrome) and forums, you’d probably never heard of them. Like a prime fishing spot, or a cool local bar, however, a good secret never stays secret for long, and in the watch world, NOMOS Glashütte was most definitely a good secret. With original designs and an uncompromising focus on quality, it was only a matter of time before the brand, and its typically German timepieces, took the world by storm.

For evidence of this, you need look no further than the brand’s partnership with The Hour Glass. With over 40 boutiques in nine key cities in the Asia Pacific region, The Hour Glass is one of the premiere luxury watch groups in Asia and is about as far away from a small town in Germany as you can get. In 2014, The Hour Glass acquired 100% of the Watches of Switzerland brand in Singapore, which at the time counted five stores and which gave the business a stronger presence in the prestige watch segment of the Asian market. Both The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland are now the exclusive retailers of NOMOS Glashütte timepieces in Asia.

The Zürich Weltzeit Singapore Edition

The Zurich Weltzeit is not a new watch by any stretch. Indeed, the first time we did a hands-on review of this model was all the way back in 2013 and even then, it wasn’t technically “new”. Regardless, it is still one of NOMOS Glashütte’s most popular models, and certainly one of my personal favourites. As you no doubt know already, it’s able to keep track of 24 different timezones with the simple click of a button (well, pusher.) A single press of this pusher at 2 o’clock rotates the city disc counter-clockwise, which subsequently jumps the hour hand forward and allows you to flick through the different time zones with ease, whilst leaving the secondary ‘home’ disc at 3 o’clock untouched for you to track the local time. Simply find the city you want and align it with the arrow at 12 o’clock.

The new limited edition Zürich Weltzeit Singapore from NOMOS Glashütte is a tribute to the bustling city state, with ‘Singapore’ getting its own place on the city disc in red (I believe taking the place of Hong Kong.) As a further reference to the Southeast Asian city state, which is also known as the “Little Red Dot”, an actual little red dot on the right side of the dial shows the wearer what time it is at home. As I mentioned in the introduction, this limited-edition series of watches will be made up of 50 pieces: 35 of which come with a NOMOS’ classic white silver-plated dial, while another 15 are available with a new salmon-colored dial. Personally, I’m quite partial to the salmon dial, although I’m not quite sure how I feel about the red highlights. They do look nice with the classic white silver-plated dial.

On the back side, a sapphire crystal glass back presents a view of the mechanical movement that powers the watch: the NOMOS automatic caliber DUW 5201, developed and constructed in-house in Glashütte, Germany. Equipped with the in-house NOMOS swing system and a bidirectional winding rotor, it features a tempered blue balance spring, movement number visible on three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing and sunburst decoration.

For those that have been following the NOMOS Glashütte story from the beginning, this is yet another reminder of just how far the German brand has come. Of the collaboration, Mr Uwe Ahrendt, CEO of the brand, had this to say:

“It’s a great honour for NOMOS Glashütte to collaborate with The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland to celebrate our young but very successful partnership. The inspiration for this watch came from Singapore’s most knowledgeable watch lovers, who we met when we gathered in 2016 for our first mutual event. I am proud that the Singapore limited edition of NOMOS Glashütte Zürich Weltzeit expresses the manufacture’s close ties to The Hour Glass and that there is still a little twinkle in the eye when you have a closer look at the dial. Watch out for the little red dot.“

The 50 limited editions will be sold in selected The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland stores in Singapore from September 28 for SGD8,560. More info + ordering here: thehourglass.com/nomosreddot/