Horizon Nemo

Article by Vincent Deschamps; photos by @a_watchguys_life

A dive into industrial design

The idea of another dive watch is in itself not very exciting. We’ve seen many of those for close to eighty years and they all, globally speaking, look more or less the same. Either their design is inspired by that of the most iconic models (e.g., the Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, and Doxa SUB300T) or they come with a certain vintage/skin diver type of visual aesthetic, or brands try too hard to add a little something that’s different to claim originality in design. As the adage goes, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” We can transpose this saying to our niche world of horology and especially to that of dive watches. The Submariner isn’t broken, after all, so why fix it?

Horizon Nemo Watch Review — Horizon Nemo @a_watchguys_life

However, when we look at the origin story of the most iconic dive watches, we realize that they were created based on somebody’s universe. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms after that of a French Navy Commando, the Rolex Submariner was designed with early sea explorers in mind, and even the skin divers from the 1960s/70s were created for amateur divers and were made to match their particular needs and lifestyles. All of this is to say that as journalists, we rarely come across a brand new design for a diver which is why I’m particularly happy to be telling you about the Horizon Nemo designed by Fred Bekher, a prominent industrial designer.

Key Features of the Horizon Nemo

One of the most important specs we want to know about when reading about divers are the dimensions and how well it could potentially fit on our wrist. The Horizon Nemo has somewhat unusual dimensions although they are very coherent: 41mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 11.85mm thick, and a 22mm lug width. The Nemo, therefore, sits on the wrist with confidence whilst being comfortable to wear on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist. Combined together, the thinness of the case and the larger than normal width of the lugs make it possible for the Nemo to sit firmly. After all, it’s a tool watch so that’s kind of a nice feature to have.

Visually, the Horizon Nemo also appears vertically compact thanks to having a thin mid-case and a protruding “top hat” sapphire crystal. In other words, the crystal alone accounts for a few millimeters of the total height of this model. Inside the case we find a Sellita SW200-1 caliber that beats at 28,800 BPH/4Hz and comes with 38 hours of power reserve. Thanks to a screw-down crown and case-back, the Nemo boasts 200 meters of water resistance. Still being a tool watch, although an elegant one at that, this model comes with generous applications of either Old Radium or BGW9 Super-LumiNova, depending on which colour variant you go for.

Each Horizon Nemo will be shipped on a gorgeous stainless steel bracelet outfitted with a slender butterfly clasp complete with micro-adjustments, and quick-release spring bars, as well as a bespoke FKM rubber strap also equipped with quick-release spring bars. This means that switching between one and the other will be a swift operation.

SPECS

Case	316L Stainless Steel 41mm Diameter 47mm Lug to Lug 11.85mm Thick 22mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Case Back 200m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Domed Sapphire Crystal Textured Wave Dial Applied Markers Custom Pencil Handset Super-LumiNova
Movement	Sellita SW200-1 26 Jewels 28 800bph 38-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	Custom Stainless Steel Bracelet /w Butterfly Clasp

Horizon Nemo Dive Watch

Of Interest

Horizon’s founder and chief designer, Fred Bekher, bases all of his models on the fantastic and intricate world of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, as we had briefly touched upon when looking at the Pilgrim. The model name “Nemo” comes from the character Captain Nemo and represents Fred’s growth as a designer working for Horizon and many other popular independent brands. To me, Fred imbued the Nemo with all his creative might as can be seen looking at…well, every single aspect of the watch design. Starting from the applied hour markers at the cardinal points created from a bespoke typeface, the subtle porthole date aperture lodged inside the four o’clock marker, and the three-part case construction unique to the brand.

While I could easily stare at the dial for hours on end—I mean, look at the deep wave-like grooves on it—I’m the most attracted to the case and crown. The former shows a superb alternation of brushed and mirror polishings endowing the watch with extra sub-aquatic gravitas, and the original case structure with its middle section that extends over the lugs is quite visually striking. The latter is also one of the stars of the shows as I love how its conical shape perfectly integrates with the flared case flanks at the 3 o’clock which double as crown guards. Furthermore, Fred imbued the Nemo with a great visual balance, especially how well proportioned the hands are in relation to the applied hour markers.

As mentioned earlier, there exist several versions of the Horizon Nemo, seven to be exact, all of which can be reserved through a Kickstarter campaign that runs through Saturday, June 1, 2024. There will be the Ocean blue, the Kelp green, the Abyss black, the Clown orange, the Coral gray, the Pistachio bright green, as well as the Golden Hour with its subtle salmon tones.

Final Thoughts

In the introduction I commented that it’s rare to come across a new design for dive watches. And this still stands true at the conclusion of this review. And I would add that it’s even more difficult to propose a new design which is also practical and legible. Although many of the design elements Fred created for the Nemo are unusual, they all work well together and they make this model double as an actual tool watch. After all, it comes with great water resistance, great lume, a solid bracelet, a robust movement, as well as a solid construction for which you wil have to take my word. The Nemo’s intended functionality is also demonstrated in the design of the hands and hour markers and the fully-graduated, 120-click unidirectional bezel which is made of scratch-resistant sapphire.

Pricing & Availability

Pre-order pricing is $630. Retail is $1170. The watch will ship in August of 2024. You can check out the brand’s Kickstarter campaign here.

About the author

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.

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