Gruppo Gamma was founded in 2013, as a small independent brand to deliver timepieces with soul. They seek to modernise and redefine the concept of tool watches, drawing inspiration from historic timepieces from the 20th century. I have been an avid follower of the brand as their vision statement really resonated with me. In the wee hours of 24 May 2019, while browsing the owners’ club (Club Gamma) in Facebook, the owner of Gruppo Gamma, Naoki Tsukumo posted a prototype of the Nexus. To date, I can still feel the adrenaline pumping when I saw it and I told myself that I have to get it when it is available.

The owners’ club were all buzzing excitedly as it had been a while since Naoki Tsukumo had caused such a stir with his new release. It was modelled after vintage depth gauges used by frogmen in underwater operations in the 1940s. In my relatively short years of collecting watches, I have yet to comes across such a design especially the clever use of the jumping hours. All these further reinforced my desire to own one of the most iconic timepieces in its stable.

In essence, the Nexus is refreshing and stands out among its many other competitors. What followed through was months of update from the brand owner and then came the preorder in October 2019. It was available in Stainless Steel, Aged Steel and the Damascus Steel. This was an easy choice for me as I had decided to get the Aged Steel variant after seeing the prototype over at Watch Wonderland a week prior to the preorder.

To make the Nexus more affordable, the owner has decided to use Miyota 8215 with customised module. One of the most appealing things about the Nexus is the diameter of 44mm with top hat sapphire crystal coupled with exhibition case back and signature rotor. The multi-layer \’sandwich\’ construction and luminous hand & markers completed the aesthetic character of the Nexus. This is definitely a great conversation starter for any situation. The Nexus; the highlight of 2020!