Venezianico Nereide GMT Watch

The Nereide GMT: A Diver for Travellers

It seems impossible to stop micro and independent brands from making GMTs. For a trend which roughly started in 2022, we’ve seen many takes on this genre of timekeeping devices in different styles and numerous price points. And what’s great is that there are now many options under the magical $1000 USD mark. This is thanks to the fact that Seiko released the NH34 caliber in 2022 making GMTs de facto more approachable. The NH34, just like the iconic NH35 and NH38 movements, is affordable, reliable, and readily available to anyone who wishes to make a travel watch. With this, added to the ever-growing popularity of tool watches, we get ourselves a winning combination: underwater timekeeping devices which double as travel watches.

Venezianico Nereide GMT Diver Watch for Travellers — Venezianico Nereide GMT @mainspring.watch

Indeed, whenever and wherever a brand makes a good diver, they tend to transform it into a great GMT. This is the case of Venezianico, an Italian brand founded in 2017, which repurposed the Nereide diver, shrunk it down a bit, and swapped the dive-time bezel for a GMT one. The brand also had the good idea of replacing the Sellita SW200-1 with the Seiko NH34 to keep the price tag to roughly $680 USD—give or take a few dollars based on the conversation rate. This way, we have a GMT with 200 meters of water resistance, a distinct and very Venezianico look, that many of us can afford to add to our collection without having to sell another one of our favourite watches (or a body part, for that matter).

Key Features of the Venezianico Nereide GMT

What’s perhaps the most important here is the fact that Venezianico preserved the purposefulness of the Nereide—its water resistance—and paired it with a well-proportioned case. In other words, one that will fit most wrists in the world. With a diameter of 39mm, a lug-to-lug of 45.5mm, a thickness of 13.3m, and a lug width of 20mm, the Nereide GMT does indeed fit well on my 6.25”/16cm wrist. The 13.3mm thickness is–for a 200 meter watch with a GMT complication–arguably quite thin, and the wearing comfort is enhanced by the fact that the lugs turn down towards the wrist and that the end-links of the bracelet are of the female variety. This means the bracelet, which tapers from 20mm at the lugs to 16mm at the clasp, contours the wrist in a natural fashion.

As we know, the movement inside is the Seiko NH34 with a jumping GMT hand. I find the latter more useful and easier to use than a “true” GMT. But that’s just me. It beats at 21,600 BPH (3Hz) and has 41 hours of power reserve. Although, officially, it has a stated accuracy of -20/+40 seconds per day, the unit I reviewed runs in the positive single digits. The robust calibre within is complemented by a scratch-proof sapphire crystal, a bezel insert made of BK7 crystal (more resistant than mineral glass) a screw-down crown and case-back. Therefore, the whole package is well made and will be appropriate for many of your adventures. Nighttime legibility is assured thanks to a good application of BGW9 SuperLuminova on the hands and applied hour markers.

SPECS

Case	316L Stainless Steel 39mm Diameter 45.5mm Lug to Lug 13.3mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 24-Hour Bezel Screwed Crown & Case Back 200m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Sapphire Crystal Pencil Handset Applied Markers BGW9 Super-LumiNova
Movement	NH24 21 600bph 24 Jewels 41-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	Stainless Steel Bracelet

Venezianico Nereide GMT

Advertisement

Of Interest

More than its specs, the Venezianico Nereide GMT shines through to its superior construction and finish. For a little less than $700 USD, I didn’t expect to see this level of finishing and attention to detail coupled with this type of design. I do find the Nereide to have a look of its own, oscillating between classic and novel, without ever going too much in either direction. It certainly looks elegant given the applied hour markers with polished surrounds, the sunburst effect on the grey dial, and the polished hands. This, paired with the bezel insert and its mirror-like appearance from the 06:00 to 18:00 hours, makes for an overall pleasing look that I’d feel comfortable wearing at a cocktail party.

And the Nereide GMT is indeed well made. The horizontal brushing on the case sides, polished upper lug surfaces, and vertically brushed areas on the bracelet are well executed. The polished center links of the bracelets, moreover, fit well with the design of the watch. While I normally don’t fancy polished links on a bracelet, but something would have been missing here should Venezianico have opted for a fully brushed treatment. What’s more is that the 120-click unidirectional bezel has a satisfying—and precise—springy action and that the double-pusher butterfly clasp is well-machined. The laser engraved logo on the clasp and applied one on the dial above the pinion are a nice touch.

P.S. The bezel aligns perfectly. Take that Seiko!

Quibbles

You know me, I don’t like to quibble but quibbling I must. If I were to point out one element of the Nereide GMT which I believe could be improved upon is how the links are attached to one another. Indeed, the Nereide uses push-pins instead of screws which are neither the most reliable nor the easiest to remove/add to adjust the bracelet. However, with a little bit of practice and the right tools, adjusting the bracelet is not that big of a deal. However, I wanted to put it out there so that you get a full picture of the watch.

Final Thoughts

The Venezianico Nereide GMT is therefore a very strong contender to be your next GMT. If you like the way it looks, its specs and price, then I would be hard-pressed to find a better option at this price point. True, there are many GMTs powered by the NH34 that can be had for half the price. However, where the Nereide GMT shines is in its superior construction and the quality of its finish. It showcases just the right amount of polished surfaces to make it shine (literally), but in a way that doesn’t make it look over the top. And given its 200 meters of water resistance, it’s also a solid travel watch that can accompany you in all of your adventures.

In total, the Nereide GMT comes in six colour variants. At the time of writing, two of them are sold out and the ones that are currently available are: grey, dark blue, sky blue, and pink. (That’s how I describe them, at least.) Venezianico also released a variant of the Nereide GMT called Ceratung which not only comes with a Soprod V3290 caliber but also with a bezel insert made of ceramic and tungsten. The latter retails for roughly $1,330 which makes sense given its superior components. As a reminder, the regular Nereide GMT—the one I wrote about today—retails for $680 USD and can be bought directly from the brand’s website here.

Vincent Deschamps is a museum professional, originally from France, with more than 10 years experience as a researcher, producing visitor experiences for national and international organizations. He is also the founder of mainspring.watch. You can follow Vincent on Instagram.

Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.

Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.