Nixon has brought back its Nirvana Sentry Wobble in two new editions, and both go dark. The Matte Super Black / Black-Yellow puts the band's yellow smiley face on a blacked-out dial, while the All Matte Midnight goes tone on tone in deep navy and is limited to 250 individually numbered pieces. Both went up on Nixon's own store earlier this month and were listed as available when we checked tonight.
A watch bent to fit a face
The Sentry Wobble is not a standard round watch with a graphic printed on it. Nixon took its mid-size Sentry, then bent and molded the case so its outline follows the wobbly curve of the hand-drawn smiley face that Kurt Cobain sketched for the band. The smile, the X eyes and the tongue are raised off the dial, and the Nirvana logo sits underneath the Nixon wordmark. Nixon says the shape carries through to the crown as well, so the whole case reads as slightly melted, as if someone left it on a hot amp.
That idea is what makes this collaboration stand apart from regular band merchandise. You can spot it from across a room, yet it still wears like a normal everyday watch.
The two new editions
Matte Super Black / Black-Yellow. This is the one Nixon is pushing in its ads. The case and bracelet are matte black, the dial is black, and the smiley face, X eyes and tongue are picked out in bright yellow, a straight nod to the yellow-on-black look the logo is best known for. The hands and indices stay dark, so the face does all the talking.
All Matte Midnight. The quieter of the pair keeps everything in one midnight blue shade, from the case and bracelet to the dial, so the smiley face shows up only through its raised relief and shadows. In Nixon's product photos a single bright blue seconds hand cuts across the dial. Nixon caps this version at 250 pieces made, sells it only through nixon.com, numbers each watch individually and notes that promo codes do not apply.
Specs, straight from Nixon
Under the bent case, both editions share the same build, according to Nixon's product pages:
- 42 millimeter custom solid stainless steel case, 12 millimeters thick
- Miyota Japanese quartz movement with three hands
- Hardened mineral crystal
- Water rated to 50 meters (5 atmospheres)
- Applied indices, printed seconds track and custom molded hands
- Triple gasket crown with enamel fill and a stainless steel screw-down caseback
- 23 millimeter quick release solid stainless steel bracelet with a dual locking deployment clasp and micro adjustment
- Two-year warranty covering defects in material and workmanship
Where they fit in the Nirvana lineup
Nixon's Nirvana watch collection also includes the original Yellow Nirvana Smiley Sentry Wobble, the Matte Super Black / Blue version, the Sentry Leather with its sweater-inspired suede strap, and the Time Teller with a black-on-black smiley and yellow type. Earlier limited runs of the Wobble, including an all-black version numbered to 152 pieces and an All Antique Silver edition of 250, are listed as sold out. Nixon's own collection page says the Nirvana watches are generally limited and makes no promise of restocks once they sell through.
If the Midnight edition is the one you want, that 250-piece cap is the detail to watch. The Black-Yellow version carries no edition number on its product page, but given how earlier runs went, waiting is a gamble.
Shop the new Nirvana Sentry Wobbles
Both editions are sold on Nixon's official store, so check the product pages for current availability and pricing:
- Nirvana Sentry Wobble, Matte Super Black / Black-Yellow at Nixon
- Nirvana Sentry Wobble, All Matte Midnight (limited to 250) at Nixon
Into watches with a story behind them? See our picks for the best affordable microbrand watches, the Unimatic UC2 that ships with its own edition number, and our guide to the best field watches.
