The Nodus Sector is a hugely versatile watch. It’s the foundation upon which Nodus have built sport watches (attendees of Hands On Horology can look forward to a new Tiger’s Eye version of the Sector Sport), divers, field watches and more. In fact, the Sector Deep proved to be so popular that they received a commission from what they call a “[REDACTED] unit” – which reading between the lines implies a military connection. Whatever that secretive partnership was, we may never know, except that Nodus have launched a new watch inspired by it. The Nodus Sector Deep Pioneer, a GMT interpretation of the model.
Structurally, the Sector Deep Pioneer is identical to the original Sector Deep. What that means is a 38mm steel case with an oversized 42mm uni-directional bezel. It also has a 500m water resistance rating, which is really solid for a microbrand dive watch – though not so wildly impressive as the recent Oceaneva Deep Explorer VI with its 6,000m.
Where the Pioneer differs is that it’s a GMT model. That means the 12-hour scale that used to be part of the bezel on the standard Sector Deep is redundant as there’s now a full 24-hour GMT scale around the centre of the dial with dedicated 24-hour hand in a partially skeletonised style. It allows the watch to keep track of two time zones simultaneously, which is great for travelling as you can monitor home time and local time. There’s also a peripheral day/night indicator minute scale.
In place of the 12-hour scale that has been removed from the bezel is now an eight-point compass bezel, fully lumed. It’s one of the fun facts of watch design that they can be used as a compass and with a dedicated bezel it makes it even easier to stick to the correct bearing. How do you do that? In brief you point the hour hand to the sun and then south will be halfway between the hour hand and 12’clock (reversed in the southern hemisphere). Learn more with our full guide on how to use your watch as a compass. What makes it unique is that the dual bezel display means that it retains all of its dive watch utility, rare for a GMT dive watch.
There are two versions of the Nodus Sector Deep Pioneer available, the Forge in black with red accents and the Admiral in blue with light blue accents. Both versions look good and there’s very little between them in terms of choosing a favourite. I might veer slightly on the side of the Forge just because it suits the black bezel better.
Powering the watch is the TMI NH34 which is essentially the GMT version of the NH35 found in the standard model. It has a 41-hour power reserve with a +/- 10 seconds per day accuracy. Like all Nodus watches, the Sector Deep Pioneer is assembled in Los Angeles, a fact commemorated on the solid steel caseback.
Another way in which it maintains Nodus’ signature elements is that it’s very good value. Priced at $625 (approx. £470) it’s something of a steal for a 500m GMT dive watch. I also like the appellation Pioneer because it just feels right for this timepiece – between the compass bezel and GMT scale, it’s more than a dive watch now, its an all-in-one tool for trekking out into the world. You can also picture how it would be useful for [REDACTED] units.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Nodus
Sector Deep Pioneer
Case:
42mm
bezel width x 38mm case width x 13.6mm thickness x 47mm lug-to-lug, stainless steel, ‘destro’ crown, oversized bezel with dual-scale lume
Dial:
Black
or blue, BGW9 Super-LumiNova, standard and 24-hour markers, luminous date
Water resistance:
500m
(50 bar)
Movement:
Seiko
calibre NH34, 24 jewels
Frequency:
21,600
vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve:
41h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds, date, GMT, compass
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet, quick-release, on-the-fly adjustment clasp
Price:
$625
(approx. £495)
More details at Nodus.
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