One of the things I love about the best watches on the market is that there really are no rules. Whether you can afford the most intricate and lusted-after models on the market, or are just on the hunt for something that offers brilliant bang for the buck, everyone is catered for.
More than ever before, that's true on the more affordable end of the spectrum. In recent years, great swathes of new brands have emerged, offering users great specs without breaking the bank.
That's especially true of the Belfast-based watch brand, Nomadic Watches. They employ a range of neat designs, which are stylish and have a great spec sheet, with a couple of neat personal nods.
Their newest design has just launched, forming part of their Turas 914 collection. Let's dive in with the Landfall, to see what we find.
Let's kick off with some specs. The big news here is that new dial, which is a flat green hue. It's a brighter green than other models from the brand, too.
That sits within a 39mm stainless steel case. Sitting just 11mm thick – and with a lug-to-lug width of just 47.5mm, this is a nicely sized piece which should be perfect for a range of different wrist sizes.
A simple three-hand design sits on top of that green dial. The hour and minute hands are slightly chunkier, with a yellow seconds hand. That's a brand trait, offering a nod to two of the shipbuilding cranes which sit in the Belfast skyline.
Inside, a Sellita SW200-1 movement powers the watch. That's a common movement in watches around this price point – we see it in things like the Christopher Ward C60 Atoll 300 – offering top specs and reliability. You'll find a 4Hz beat rate employed, with up to 41 hours of power reserve on offer.
What is the Nomadic Turas 914 like to wear?
Specs are all well and good, but they don't count for much if the watch doesn't wear well. Fortunately, that's not the case here.
Strapped on, the Turas 914's diminutive spec sheet proves itself, with a slim presence. It's perfect for slipping under a shirt cuff.
While there is very little going on with this watch, that makes it incredibly easy to use. For the kind of exploration and adventure this watch was designed for, there is no need for crazy complications.
Instead, it's a simple affair with numerals at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions and bar indexes everywhere else. In practice, it's brilliantly easy to read.
If I had to find one gripe here, it would be the flat nature of the dial. Having spotted the other finishes recently at the British Watchmaker's Day, I fell in love with the texture on those. Without it, this model has a really different personality, and I'd have liked to see the texture remain on this model.
Is the Nomadic Turas 914 worth the money?
There's no question that the Nomadic Turas 914 is worth the cash. At £1,050 the spec sheet alone is well worth the cost of admission.
It does enter a particularly crowded market, though. We've already mentioned Christopher Ward, but I'm keen to bring them up again because this watch feels so similar to their pieces.
The build quality and overall fit and finish is just fantastic, with a reassuring weightiness. For me, Nomadic absolutely deserve consideration in the same vein as brands like that. And given my noted admiration of those brands, that's high praise indeed.
