We love a watch with a story. It’s why we’re huge fans of the Omega Speedmaster, and why we can’t get enough of anything by Marloe. It’s also why we’re intrigued by a new watchmaker from Ireland called Nomadic.
Based in Belfast, Nomadic leans into the city’s shipbuilding history to give more context to its Maraí 401 collection. The name means ‘seafarer’ in Irish and the number is the same as the Titanic’s production name. The sweeping second hand of the Swiss mechanical movement is yellow, in a nod to the similarly coloured gantry cranes of Belfast’s shipyards.
The Nomadic name is also a nod to Irish shipbuilding, with it also being the name of the last remaining ship to be built by White Star Line, which also built the Titanic. The SS Nomadic was used to ferry passengers to and from larger transatlantic liners, then saw active service during both World Wars before being turned into a party venue moored beside the Eiffel Tower.
As for the watch itself, the Maraí 401 has a 40mm case diameter and is available with (£870) or without (£820) a date complication at the three o’clock position. Colour options include black, green, blue and crimson, plus a black option with gold indices in both the dial and the unidirectional rotating bezel, with a red marker at 12 o’clock. This model shares more than a passing resemblance with the Tudor Black Bay 58, with a hint of Rolex Submariner thrown into the mix too.
The glass is a domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating, while the bezel is made from ceramic and the indices are coated in SuperLumiNova for nighttime legibility. Water resistance is 200 metres and the case features a screw-down crown and stainless steel caseback.
Geared toward divers, the watch comes with a waxed canvas watch roll, spring bar tool and mini screwdriver, as well as a notebook for keeping a record of every time you dive with the Nomadic.
The watches come with a stainless steel strap as standard, with rubber and Nato straps available as alternative options. A bundle is also available that includes all three strap options.
Inside, the watch uses a Sellita SW200-1 calibre Swiss movement with 26 jewels and up to 41 hours of power reserve.
