Learn Italian: L'orologio nuovo è bello. - The new watch is beautiful.

Because orologio is a masculine noun that starts with a vowel (the letter o). In Italian, when a singular noun starts with a vowel, the masculine article lo drops its final vowel and becomes l' to make pronunciation smoother.

Why does nuovo come after orologio instead of before it?

In English, we put the adjective first (the new watch), but in Italian, descriptive adjectives usually come immediately after the noun they describe. So, you literally say the watch new (l'orologio nuovo).

Why do both nuovo and bello end in the letter o?

Adjectives in Italian have to match the noun they are describing. Because orologio is a masculine singular noun, the adjectives nuovo (new) and bello (beautiful) must also use their masculine singular forms, which end in -o.

Can bello mean nice, or does it only mean beautiful?

Bello is a very flexible word! While it translates to beautiful or handsome, it is also the most common way to say that something is nice, good-looking, or great.