California-based brand Nixon recently sent StrapHabit a few watches to review and try out with some straps. One of those is the brand's field-style dual-time watch, the Drifter GMT (formerly the Drifter 40). I chose the Gunmetal / Kobu Green colorway as I thought that it would be good for some interesting pairings.
If you'd like to know more about my watch origins with Nixon, I recommend reading my review of the Supremacy.
Nixon Drifter GMT First Impressions
The green color looks good on the drifter, with the whole watch giving a more traditional look than other Nixon watches.
Nixon Drifter GMT Details
The gunmetal case features a mixture of finishes. The main case has a matte finish, while the bezel has polished sides and a circular brushed finish on top.
Inside, a two-tone black-and-gray chapter ring displays 24-hour time, while the dial is matte green. I could do without the "Swiss Movement" text on the dial, but it doesn't distract much, and I can see this being appealing to a new watch collector.
One of the things that drew me to my Nixon Super Rover SS over 20 years ago was that the crystal sat below the bezel, protecting it from damage. The Drifter's hardened mineral crystal features this same type of design.
Wearing the Nixon Drifter GMT
Like the Supremacy, the Drifter is a moderate-for-Nixon 40mm wide. I measured the lug-to-lug distance at 48.2, making it a watch that will fit well on most wrists.
It's also thinner than advertised, at 10.4mm thick. This is very wearable, especially for a 4-hand watch.
The push-pull crown is easy to grip and features a Nixon logo under a glossy translucent cover. There is also a crown at 2 o'clock that operates the "be there" indicator, a small orange arrow that can be used to mark your arrival time when traveling (or any other activities requiring tracking time.
I would find it more useful if the entire 24-hour ring rotated while still showing an orange arrow at the top, but this feature is more catchy and less distracting.
The large white applied hour markers are easy to read along with clear minute markers, but the hands are a different story. While other variants of this watch have light-colored hands, the green colorway has mostly black and gunmetal hands. This hurts legibility, especially in dimmer lighting. At least the minute hand reaches the edge of the dial, which is great. Many quartz watches use hands that are much too short.
The Drifter does have some lume, but I would prefer to see more of it. Applying white lume across the hands would improve legibility during the day and at night. It would also be cool if the hour numerals were lumed.
Nixon Drifter GMT Bracelet and Replacement Straps
All current Drifter GMT variants come with a stainless steel bracelet and a single-fold deployant buckle. They also use quick-release spring bars, which is a great touch for a guy like me. The clasp is stamped steel, with a twin-trigger release and safety latch.
At the end of the article, you can view more photos and purchase straps. Here is a list of straps that would look great with this watch. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Deployant Rubber
-Deployant Sailcloth
-CTS
-Hook and Loop Single Pass
-Hook and Loop Elastic
-Horween Leather
-Racing Leather
-Ridge Rubber
-Tropical Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Vented Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
-Elastic
Nixon Drifter GMT Movement
The Drifter GMT uses a Swiss Ronda 515.24H quartz movement. It is rated to +20/-10 seconds per month, with a 45-month battery life. While some watches with this movement have a date display, the Drifter does not.
I like that Nixon offers a GMT at an affordable price, and chose a movement with a powerful stepper motor that allows for properly long hands. It's not a traveler's GMT, but that's not to be expected at this price range. One less appealing aspect is that the GMT hand does not have hour jumps. This makes it a bit harder to set precisely. What I found works is to set the main time to "on the hour", then set the GMT hand to your desired offset from the main time. After that, if you adjust the minutes, the GMT hand will be approximately in the correct position.
Nixon Drifter GMT Conclusion
The Drifter is a better gateway into the watch-collecting hobby than Nixon's Supremacy. Besides its much lower cost, the GMT complication is useful for people who travel frequently or communicate with those in other time zones. It's the kind of thing that, when it's there and works well, will help you endear yourself to your watch.
There are watches that offer a better bang for your buck, but the Drifter would make a great first (or only watch) for daily use and frequent travel.
Nixon Drifter GMT Specifications
Name: Nixon Drifter GMT Gunmetal/Kobu Green
Reference Number: A1422-5290-00
MSRP: $325
Diameter: 40mm
Height: 48.2mm
Thickness: 10.4mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Movement: Ronda 515.24H
Battery Life: 45 months
Water Resistance: 100m
Crystal: Hardened mineral
Crown: Push-pull
Bezel: Internally rotating pointer
Strap: Gray stainless steel bracelet
Shop Other Straps for the Nixon Drifter GMT
Ribbed FKM Rubber Pass-Through
Hook and Loop Single Pass
Ridge FKM Rubber
Hook and Loop Elastic
Horween Chromexcel Leather
Deployant Sailcloth
Deployant FKM Rubber
