Baselworld 2013: H. Moser Nomad – dual time simplified (with specs and price)

The latest from H. Moser & Cie. is the Nomad dual time, an elegant and simple take on the traditional GMT timepiece. All it has is a second time zone hand, which can disappear, and a small day and night indicator.

Moser Nomad in rose gold

Like the Perpetual 1, H. Moser’s flagship timepiece, the new Nomad dual time takes a complication and simplifies it. The Nomad has nothing extraneous – the red home hand which can be hidden under the hour hand, and a small round day and night indicator at 12 o’clock. Though the Nomad is not quite as sparse as the two-handed Jaquet Droz Grande Heure GMT, which takes the idea of simplicity to the extreme. Adjusted via the crown in one hour increments, the second time zone (or home time) hand is linked to the small day and night window. When not in use, the red home time hand can be hidden under the hour hand, leaving the Nomad looking like a normal time-only watch.

The day and night indicator shows white from midnight to 12 noon, and then black from noon till midnight. That is unconventional, since such indicators change at 6 am and 6 pm, in order to indicate day and night time. In any case, it works via a spring that slowly accumulates energy over eight hours, before releasing and causing the instantaneous change at 12. This means the movement of the day and night indicator does not affect the amplitude and timekeeping of the watch. Inside is the HMC 346, an in-house automatic with a three day power reserve. It is equipped with an interchangeable escapement module utilising a hairspring manufactured by Straumann, Moser’s sister company. This escapement module can be conveniently swapped out during servicing, reducing the time necessary for an overhaul.

Available in platinum with grey dial or rose gold and silver, the Nomad has a 40.8 mm case with the convex case flanks that are distinctive to H. Moser.