WatchReviewBlog

Wrist Watch Reviews, Guides & Advice

  • HOME
  • WATCH REVIEWS
  • BY BRAND
  • By Type
    • Automatic Watches
    • Quartz Watches
    • Dive Watches
    • Pilot Watches
    • Chronographs
    • Dress
    • Luxury
    • Sports
    • Women’s
    • Fashion
  • Startups
  • Watch Buying Guides
ShopShow Search
Hide Search
Home » Watch Reviews » Nomos Zürich World Time Midnight Blue Watch Review

Nomos Zürich World Time Midnight Blue Watch Review

September 30, 2020 by Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Nomos Zürich World Time Midnight Blue Watch Review

Nomos Glashütte is one of the premier German watchmakers, and is one of the only ones to make their own in-house movements. Located in Saxony, the imprint has survived World War II and the Communist East German regime. Now, they’re among the fastest-growing watchmakers in the world.

Today, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing their Zürich World Time Midnight Blue. It lives up to its name, allowing you to switch between time zones with a click of its single pusher. In theory, this makes it one of the more functional world time watches I’ve seen. But did it live up to my expectations in other regards? Here’s everything I learned.

Case & Construction

The Nomos Zürich World Time Midnight Blue has a 39.9mm case, which lends it a medium-small wrist presence. It’s also fairly thin for the diameter, at 10.9mm thick. As a result, it has a slender profile. The crystal actually sits fairly far down in the case, which creates an effect that makes the dial appear to be larger than it is.


watchpod shop banner
Nomos Zurich wrist shot

The back of the case also features a sapphire crystal, which is scratch and glare resistant just as the front crystal is. It provides a full view of the DUW 5201 movement, with multicolored nubs and swirls that lend the movement a nautical appearance. The lugs have a width of 20mm, which is suitable for many popular straps. Unfortunately, the water-resistance is only 3 atmospheres, so it’s only splash-resistant. You can wear this watch in the shower, but you’ll want to take it off for any more significant water exposure.

Dial & Cosmetics

As the name implies, the Zürich World Time Midnight Blue has a midnight blue dial. It consists of an outer index and a bare area, as well as an intervening ring I’ll talk about in a second. Inside the central area, you’ll find a date subdial at the 3 o’clock position and a 24-hour dial at the 6 o’clock position.

Zurich Worldtimer in hand

The outer index is understated, with fine white hashes at the single minute marks and small boxes at the five minute marks. The hands are of medium thickness, with sharp tips and lume stripes down the center. There’s no lume paint on the dial, but the angle of the hands is good enough for a ballpark estimate in total darkness.

As I mentioned, the Zürich World Time Midnight Blue allows you to switch time zones at the push of the buttons. The time zones themselves are located on a ring between the inner dial and the outer index. A bright red arrow at the right side of the dial tells you what time zone you’re currently in. Simply set the time while you’re set to your home time zone. Then, each time you activate the pusher, the time will advance a single hour. You can cycle through time zones in just a few clicks so your watch will be accurate when you reach your destination. This sets the Zürich World Time Midnight Blue apart from most other “world time” watches, most of which only cover a few time zones or are difficult to set.

In-House DUW 5201 Movement

DUW 5201 Movement

Nomos Glashütte isn’t just known for their watches. They’re also known for their in-house movements. This is remarkable for a German company, since most German watchmakers simply make use of Swiss movements. Not only does Nomos Glashütte make their own movements, but they’re actually quite well regarded. They’ve even been used by some microbrands for producing their own bespoke watches.

The DUW 5201 movement in the Zürich World Time Midnight Blue is no exception. It has a power reserve of 42 hours, and is generally accurate to about +5-6 seconds a day. One thing I should note is that the DUW 5201 generally runs a bit fast out of the box, as much as +10 seconds a day or more. If you have this experience, try manually winding your spring and letting it run out a few times. This should cause the movement to “settle” into its normal, accurate operation.

Strap & Extras

The watch comes with a gorgeous cordovan strap that’s very easy on the eyes. It’s also sturdy and comfortable. Rugged stitching around the outside provides some added reinforcement, while a soft inner layer is forgiving on your skin. It fastens with a simple stainless steel catch, a classic closure that nonetheless gets the job done.

The kit includes a leather carrying case. This is a high-quality, full grain leather case. Because it’s full grain leather, it can stand up to a lot of abuse, unlike top grain leather, which is only really useful for cosmetic purposes. You also get a simple cardboard box for storing your watch in your drawer.

To have a look at all of the Nomos offerings visit their official website nomos-glashuette.com.

Filed Under: Featured, Luxury, Watch Reviews Tagged With: Automatic Watches

About Matthew Catellier

Matt is the Founder and Executive editor of The Watch Review Blog. For Matt, watches represent self-expression, art and freedom, and his ideal watch combines functionality with intriguing history behind it. Follow
                                him on Instagram @watchreviewblog.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get fresh watch reviews, HD photos and more direct to your inbox.

RECENT POSTS

  • OMEGA’s Latest Moonwatch Now Master Chronometer Certified
  • Bravur BW003 Watch Review
  • Longines Spirit Prestige Edition Watch Review
  • Tissot PR100 Automatic Chronometer Watch Review
  • Introducing the Ball Engineer Master II Waco Glider

BUYING GUIDES

Top 5 Best German Watch Brands

November 10, 2020 By Matthew Catellier 1 Comment

Top 5 Best Automatic Tool Watches Under $500

November 3, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Top 5 Watch Brands With Amazing Customer Service

October 28, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Top 5 Best French Watch Brands

October 19, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Top 4 Most Popular Sinn Watches

October 12, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Top 5 Best Automatic Watches With Power Reserve Indicator

October 5, 2020 By Matthew Catellier 2 Comments

Top 5 Best Watches With Micro-Rotors

October 2, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

Top 5 Most Iconic Watches of All Time

September 28, 2020 By Matthew Catellier 6 Comments

Top 5 Best Sector Dial Watches

February 12, 2020 By Matthew Catellier Leave a Comment

HOW WE WORK

Our blog is about honest and fair reviews of each timepiece we evaluate. We do not have any bias for or against any watch or company and work hard to maintain that neutrality. In this age of corporate placement everywhere, we just wanted to let you know we’re on your side, and always will be.

Get in touch?: If you notice something that needs fixing, or just want to say hello, please tweet us at @watchreviewblog or email us at matt@watchreviewblog.com.

INFORMATION

  • About
  • Masthead
  • Watch Q&A
CONTACT

  • General
  • Advertise
CONNECT
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • youtube
Copyright © 2021 · WatchReviewBlog.com · All Rights Are Reserved! · Powered by Custom Dev · Privacy Policy

WatchReviewBlog.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.