A little bit of bling is always good – the Cior 928 from Nomadic

Every brand and every watch needs a good background story. Not only because they are selling an object that is no longer needed in the traditional sense of the word, but because people need to connect with it.

We are not saying that the stories are false or over exaggerated, but let’s face it, a telling time artifact is not the most exciting thing for many people. That said for some of us, is everything. From the intrinsic details to that connection mentioned earlier, everything on that ticking device makes us stop.

The main reason to this affection, is that a watch reminds us of special occasions, and when the object is well designed, it’s something that we want to keep for a long time.

I came across Nomadic a while ago, I never had the chance to handle one and to be completely honest, I was a bit burnt out from all the diving watches on the scene. This is not to say that their Marai 401 is not truly beautiful, but I wanted to see something different, a bang.

On our last visit at the British Watchmaker show, I was hooked by some lovely Whiskey smell, and to my surprise they guys from Nomadic where one of the most popular stands from the show. I approach them and shorty I got a big hand on my back while I was asked to try their new GMT but, in the corner of my eye was something special and sparkly. It was their new integrated bracelet Cior 928 watch, more specifically their Starry Night variant.

As soon as I got my hands on it, I couldn’t let it go and because we had a friend in common (this is why I love this industry), they asked me if I wanted to review it. Fast forward a month and here we have the exclusive hands on with the actual watch, which I am very excited to handle.

The Belfast based brand wants to tell the watch world  that this vibrant city not only has a story to tell but also great heritage in terms of craftsmanship, let’s not forget that this is the city where the White Star Line shipping line was born, innovative and disruptive.

Back on the watch, the Cior 928 has all the characteristics that I adore: size, looks and of course and integrated case and bracelet. It is one of those watches that can be worn on a very formal and informal occasion alike. Join me to discover what a hidden gem feels to wear. Let’s begin.

The specifications

 Brands usually get wrong the size of an integrated bracelet sports watch; it really needs to be small because the lugs tend to go over the wrist. The Cior 928 doesn’t make this mistake, it is sized at 36mm which fits my 6.25 inch wrist to perfection. Something very odd is that this watch was design with women in mind and also, the bezel is covered 0.6ct natural diamonds. It is a no go for a guy like me, right? or is it?

The truth is that I enjoy the Cior 928 even more than regular pieces in my collection, the black aventurine dial looks deep and well executed. There is sub seconds dial at 6 o clock to separate the complication from the hour and minute hands, and the date is hidden by a black disc, it all works to perfection.

The case is also very strong, the lines are sharp and contrast well with the different types of finishing. The sparkles of the bezel and the dial give good presence to the Cior 928 but, it is very tamed because of its size, it is very classy.

Turn the watch over and you are greeted with a mechanical Sellita SW260. It is very impressive as it occupies the whole back of the watch, it a high grade movement and offers 38 hours of power reserve with an impressive 100 meters of water resistance, a true chich sports watch.

On the wrist

The wearing experience of the Cior 928 is also helped by the short lug to lug distance of 37mm but in reality, it goes further than that because of that first end link. That said, I still have plenty of clearance on both sides. The watch Looks good with a leather jacket or a simple long sleeve cardigan as by nature, it is dressy but make no mistake, put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and would look just as home.

The thickness of lack of it is also a good point to highlight as the watch is only 11.1mm in height. That is a very impressive number for an automatic watch with these proportions, added with the see-trough caseback and in my opinion, the Cior 928 is elevated in terms of sophistication.

Legibility was one of my main concerns when photographing the Cior 928. There is a lot going on in such a small place but somehow it works. The large baton hands are filled with Superluminova and they match the markers shape quite well. Unlike the other version of the watch, the guilloche pattern is not present, which creates this symmetrical vibe. The date snaps nicely at twelve giving that quality jump and the diamonds, well they are making me happy.

I wore the Nomadic mostly at the office. If I am honest, it was the first watch I wore with precious stones and I was a bit scared to bang it around. That said the watch performed admirably and in no time, people started to approach me to ask what it was, it is a bit of a showstopper.

Another concern was that the watch was going to be too feminine for me, after all, the Cior 928 is in the women section at the Nomadic website, but the more I wore it , the more made sense as a companion. It felt masculine because of the integrated bracelet design but it also felt delicate because of the craft, it was a nice contrast.

Concluding thoughts

Using something different always makes me happy. As mentioned, I love diving watches, but the market has become a tad saturated and the Cior 928 has proven to be a breath of fresh air.

The construction is something that won me over, the bracelet flows quite well and although it has no micro adjustment, it was easy enough to fit. Then there is the dial which is very attractive given the material and the cheery on the top was the diamond setting, just makes it stand out from the rest, in a good way of course.

Another point that we haven’t touch upon is the price and it is also a good one. The Cior 928 collection starts at 1250 GBP which is already in line with the competition but, our version with the extra bling, it is priced at 2750 GBP. For a watch with precious stones and a special dial, this is great value, unique I must say.

So there you go, you can really see me smiling and missing this beautiful watch from Nomadic, the pictures do not make justice but I am sure that the approachability of the guys will be always there. Write them a message and who knows, maybe you will be as lucky as me to see this one in person, it is a special one.

For more information please visit https://nomadicwatches.com/collections/ladies

Technical Specifications

Case: 316L fine brushed and polished stainless steel

Glass: Flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal and caseback

Lume: Extra bright X1 grade Superluminova

Diameter: 36mm

Thickness: 11.1mm

Lug to lug: 37mm

Strap width: Integrated to case tapers to 16mm

Water resistance: 50m

Movement: Sellita SW260-1 Automatic

Tolerance: +5/-5 seconds

Beat rate: 28,800 bph / 4Hz

Power reserve: 38 hours