Nomadic Watches Wins Award, Plans New Dublin Storefront
The watchmaker will use the €150,000 prize to support its retail expansion into the Dublin market next month.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Nomadic Watches, a watchmaker founded in 2021, received the €150,000 gold prize at the second annual North-South Business Cooperation Awards. The company, which uses Swiss-made mechanical movements, plans to expand its retail footprint with a new Dublin shop opening next month.
Why it matters
The award recognizes companies successfully bridging cross-border markets, a key strategy for scaling specialized product manufacturers in the region. Securing capital while expanding physical retail presence marks a transition toward broader market reach for the Belfast-based watchmaker.
Nomadic Watches received the €150,000 gold award from a total North-South Business Cooperation Awards pool of €500,000. The prize follows the company's 2021 founding and its ongoing retail strategy, which includes an upcoming shop opening in Dublin.
The players
Nomadic Watches
A Belfast-based watch manufacturer founded in 2021 that incorporates local history into Swiss-movement timepieces.
Marteye
A technology firm providing digital infrastructure for 120 livestock marts.
The details
Nomadic Watches differentiates its products by integrating Belfast or Irish history into its designs while utilizing Swiss-made mechanical movements. With starting prices at £1,000, the brand recently demonstrated its market reach when a customer traveled from California to visit the current Belfast store. The award funds will support the company's move into the Dublin market, shifting its operational model from a single-base location to a multi-city retail presence.
Timeline
Nomadic Watches was founded in 2021.
Nomadic watches were stocked in Weirs store last Christmas.
A customer visited the Belfast store from California last weekend.
The North-South Business Cooperation Awards were presented Wednesday.
Nomadic Watches will open a Dublin shop next month.
Market Landscape
This award represents the second iteration of the North-South Business Cooperation Awards, which institutionalize cross-border economic integration. The funding provides a capital injection for regional players to scale their physical and market presence beyond local markets.
Operators scaling specialized goods should monitor how Nomadic Watches manages the overhead of a second retail location following this capital infusion. Watch for cross-border funding cycles that reward niche manufacturers with established international customer bases.
The takeaway
The success of Nomadic Watches highlights the marketability of hyper-local brand narratives in the premium watch sector. Owners should track the impact of the upcoming Dublin opening on the company's overall margin profile to gauge the effectiveness of physical retail expansion for small-scale manufacturers.
Further reading
For additional updates on retail growth, visit our Openings & Closings section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Irish Times.
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