If it’s not obvious by now, I am a fanboy when it comes to GMT watches. And this is despite the fact – which John and Victor will gleefully point out – I really do not travel all that much these days. To them, I say “You do you, I’ll do me” and keep my GMT fires stoked up. Given that, it should be no surprise that the Armand Nicolet JS9-44 caught my eye.
Astute readers will realize that we went hands-on with the Armand Nicolet JS9 right here which really looks to be a very similar watch. So, on one hand, check out Victor’s review, and you’ll get a sense for the watch. There are some bigger changes here, of course. To get the GMT complication in there, the movement has been upgraded to a Sellita SW-330 automatic, and then the bezel has gone to one with a ceramic insert. There are a lot of color palette choices here, some with solid colors, and others with two tone (I am, of course, partial to the blue-black and blue-red bezels).
In terms of who might be looking for the Armand Nicolet JS9-44 GMT, this is one that is chock full o’ angles. By that I mean you’ve got a fairly blocky, angular case with the lugs and crown guard, and that certainly gives things a much different look than some of the more compact, rounded edge ones that I tend to fall for. In terms of pricing the Armand Nicolet JS9-44 GMT is a bit more of a lift from the prior one we looked at (again, that review is a good background read for this watch), with the price tag coming in at around $2,500. From what I see in the photos, I’m a fan, and I’m looking into getting a loaner in for a more in-depth review. armandnicolet.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Armand Nicolet JS9-44 GMT
- Price: 2’500 CHF (~$2,500 USD)
- Who we think it might be for: You like your Swiss GMTs, and you like angles on your cases
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Perhaps!
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: It’s enough of a twist from standard design conventions for a GMT (while not completely breaking them) that it’s caught my eye
Tech Specs from Armand Nicolet
- MODEL: A486AGU-BU-MA4480AA
- Case and Buckle: Stainless Steel 316L with turning black & blue ceramic bezel
- Movement: Mechanical automatic movement with GMT functions; SW-330
- Dial: luminous indexes and hands
- Crystal: sapphire with AR coating
- Caseback: screw down
- Water Resistance: 30 ATM
- Diameter: 44 mm
- Thickness: 13 mm
- Dial: Blue
- Strap: Steel bracelet or rubber
- Buckle: Stainless steel 316L deployment
