Friends, Romans, Watch Snobs, lend me your ears: The affordable, mechanical GMT trend continues. While I’m all for forking out the $1,410+ for a Monta Atlas GMT (review forthcoming), perhaps you don’t have over $1,000 for a mechanical watch, but still can’t get the idea of a mechanical GMT out of your head. Well, we may have found your ideal timepiece. And it’s from a New Jersey-based brand, too. Fans of James Gandolfini, Long Beach Island and the highly underrated NJ PAC, rejoice.
The Nomad GMT from Mercer features a 41mm stainless steel case, a screw-down crown, a respectable 100m of water resistance, and the Soprod C125 automatic GMT movement, which beats at 28,800 bph and features a power reserve of 42 hours and an independently adjustable GMT hand and date function (much like the ETA 2893-2 and Sellita SW330). A fixed 24-hour bezel means that you can only track two time zones — as opposed to three, like on the Rolex GMT Master II — but that’s generally plenty for most people.
A handsome matte dial available in either black or white is complemented in both cases by an orange seconds hand and orange-tipped GMT hand, as well as white, Super-LumiNova BG W9-filled hour and minute hands. The case backs of both colorways are embossed with a raised world map showing North and South America, and a 316L Oyster-style bracelet with screw-in pins (thank God) and a ratcheting, adjustable clasp finishes out the package.
Pre-order pricing for both models (with delivery set for January 2020) is $629, while regular pricing will be fixed at $799. Additionally, the first 15 pre-orders will ship with a free Bristol leather tote, a $70 value. Mercer says these are “great for carrying cords, extra camera batteries or anything else you need to bring along on your next adventure.”
While we haven’t had our hands on the Nomad yet, they certainly look like handsome GMTs, and the value proposition is solid.
