INTRODUCING: The new Fratello x Nomos Zürich Weltzeit “The Hague” Limited Edition

Ricardo Sime

What is the pinnacle of time telling? Some would say accuracy. Others would say it’s the ability to count time as experienced with a chronograph. I would argue that nothing beats the benefit of a world timer. To be able to quickly reference a time, anywhere around the world, is almost a magical experience. One brand/magician that makes world timers is Nomos, with their Zürich Weltzeit (worldtime) collection. The Weltzeit is one of the most popular worldtimers out there, with it’s layered dial and multi-part case. Which makes it no surprise then that Fratello has partnered with Nomos to make their own special version.

Introducing the Fratello x Nomos Zürich Weltzeit “The Hague” Limited Edition.

The Hague starts off in the Zürich Weltzeit’s classic 39.9mm case. Its thickness only comes in at 10.9mm, erasing any chance of the watch sitting too tall and refusing to fit under a cuff.  The lug-to-lug is 49mm and before that dissuades many of our readers, note that its long, individually applied lugs, curve downward, thus hugging the wrist. As you continue making your way around the watch, you’ll notice that soft edges abound, with every surface, bar the sapphire crystal used on the front and back, being polished.

From there, we make our way to the biggest attraction on the Hague; the black and white dial. It’s a big departure from the mostly white and mostly navy dials of the previous Weltzeit models. Instead, we’re given a creamy white dial with black text, surrounded by a black chapter ring and highlighted by a black seconds subdial. This completely changes the overall aesthetic of the watch, giving it a more every day casual appearance. It all works, with the icing on the cake being the orange, Netherlands themed, arrow pointing to home time.

Inside the Hague you’ll find the Nomos in-house DUW 5201 calibre movement. It beats at 21600 bph, with a 42 hour power reserve and is adjusted to six positions. As for the actual worldtime functionality, Nomos does the complication a bit differently. Firstly, one would set their home time using the crown at three, which the orange arrow points to. Secondly, you would use the pusher at two to align the triangle at 12 with the city that home time is referencing. Lastly, using a small pointed tool to engage a pusher located on the side of the case, above the bottom left lug, you would set your local time. All this means that the watch has more in common with a GMT, as a true worldtimer displays the time in all labelled cities all at once.

Overall, the Nomos Zürich Weltzeit presents a great platform on which to build a collaborative piece. On this watch, Fratello was able to include subtle design cues such as the orange arrow home time and “The Hague” on the city wheel. They were also able to incorporate a major change with this new colour scheme (a one-eyed panda dial). However, all these changes occur without Nomos’ design language suffering in the least bit. That’s why it’s so easy for me to label the Hague as one of the best collaborations of 2021.  I just wish we could get more than 25 pieces.

Fratello x Nomos Zürich Weltzeit “The Hague” Limited Edition pricing and availability:

The Hague will be €4,620, inclusive of VAT, when it goes on sale at 6 am CEST (GMT+2) on September 30th. Only 25 pieces will be made.