A Week on the Wrist with the Nomadic Fior 555 – a killer GMT watch with real personality

If there's one style of watch which has been quietly bubbling under the surface in recent years, it's the GMT watch. Often seen as the quirky, jet-setting sibling of the hardy dive watch, these models are often a fantastic alternative for those who travel often.

Recently, I've been testing the Nomadic Fior 555. That's a GMT watch in the classic style, albeit with a few neat sprinkles of the brand's personality thrown in for good measure.

For the unaware, Nomadic is a brand forged in the shipbuilding city of Belfast. Its yellow hands are a nod to the cranes in the harbour, with a ships wheel as its rotor. The brand ensures each piece is filled with meaning – even if you might not know it at first glance.

Nomadic Fior 555: key specs

Let's start with some specs. The Nomadic Fior 555 features a 41mm case diameter, and sits neat and tidy at just 12.5mm thick. That's a respectable size all round, and ensures it should sit pretty on a variety of different wrists types.

Inside, the piece is powered by a Sellita SW330-2 movement. That offers a 4Hz beat rate and a cool 56 hours of power reserve, meaning you can party all weekend with a different watch on and still find this ticking away when Monday rears its ugly head.

It's also got some fairly substantial dive watch credentials, with 200m of water resistance on offer. There's even a decent degree of X1-grade Super-LumiNova, though the bezel is a bi-directional GMT style so it's probably better for those who paddle than those who plunge.

The model comes as standard on a five-link bracelet, though it can be swapped out for any other watch strap relatively easily thanks to the quick-change system employed.

What is the Nomadic Fior 555 like on the wrist?

In use, the Nomadic Fior 555 feels like a really solid, well-built piece. The 41mm case diameter is neat and tidy on the wrist, and I'd wager it even feels smaller than the case height would suggest, thanks to the protruding caseback design.

The bracelet is fantastically comfortable, too, with a really sleek design. The taper from 20mm down to 16mm is a little dramatic for my taste, though that does seem to be the trend these days.

When I reviewed the Nomadic Marai 401 and the Turas 914, I mentioned a similarity with Christopher Ward. That's no slight – the Maidenhead-based brand produce some of the best watches out there right now – but it certainly rings true here.

One of my daily drivers is a Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT, and the Nomadic here almost feels like a long-lost cousin of that model. It's got a bit more edge – both figuratively and literally – but will feel right at home for anyone who has experience with the brand.

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

Is the Nomadic Fior 555 worth the money?

Here lies the one thing I think is a slight drawback for the brand – price. At £1,595 (approx. €1,850 / US$2,150 / AU$3,250), it's on the pricier end of this circa-£1,000 price segment. In fact, you could even wager that it has blown right through it.

That's problematic, because beyond that lies an established pool of midrange brands which have proper legacy and recognition – think TAG Heuer and Grand Seiko as just two examples.

The brand can definitely keep pace where it is, and will almost certainly enjoy a tight-knit base of fans who buy into the story. If you're not sold on that, though, there are a lot of alternatives which might tempt you away.

Still, make no mistake – this is a killer timepiece which feels great on the wrist, and will be sure to please just about any watch lover.