Introducing: The NOMOS Glashtte At Work Collection

October 16, 2017

Any day we get a new watch from NOMOS Glashtte is a good day in my book C?and today were actually getting 14 new watches from the German watchmaker. So yeah, todays looking pretty good so far. The new collection is called the At Work collection, with the idea being that any of these pieces could be a daily-wearer in a modern office. The new Silvercut versions of the Metro and Tangente. Theres quite a bit of variety here, but two things are common to all of the new At Work models. First, theyre all 39mm in diameter, which is relatively large when it comes to NOMOS watches. Second, theyre all Neomatik models, and contain the ultra-thin, automatic DUW 3001 caliber. Until now, the Neomatik watches have all been smaller, with diameters around 35-36mm. While I personally like them at that original size (as does recent Friday Live guest, author Gary Shteyngart), most modern buyers want something a little larger, and 39mm is a great size for sleek watches that straddle the dress/everyday line. Its worth noting here that the DUW 3001 was developed with these smaller watches in mind, so through the sapphire caseback of a 39mm watch, theres more space around the movement, which manifests in the At Work models as a wider bezel on the back. (DUW 3301 is 12 ? lignes in diameter, or about 28.8 mm; for comparison, the ETA 2892A2 is 25.6mm x 3.6mm.) Its not a deal breaker, but it will definitely bug some of you. The DUW 3001 caliber is smaller than the 39mm case, so there is some extra space around the outside. All right, lets get into the watches themselves. They fall into four families: Metro, Tangente, Orion, and Tetra. Each is available with a silvered dial, a dark blue Nachtblau dial, and a totally new dial that NOMOS is calling Silvercut, which is metallic with a horizontal brushed surface. Personally, I really dig the look of the Silvercut, and I think it adds a bit of an industrial edge, while still having a touch of playfulness thanks to the red accents (and blue hands, in the case of the Tangente). The Tangente Neomatik 39mm with silver dial. The Tetra Neomatik 39mm Nachtblau. The Orion Neomatik 39mm Weiss. Additionally, the Orion is available in a Weiss (white) configuration that pairs the grained silver dial with steel hour markers and steel hands for a monochromatic look. The gold neomatik signature at 12 oclock is the only touch of gold, which keeps the watch from feeling too austere.? For the first time, the Metro is available in solid 18k rose gold. Finally, theres one last addition (count em, this brings us to 14), a solid rose gold Metro. Now, NOMOS has experimented with solid gold watches before, but using different movements, and with slightly different styling than most of the other core watches. To me, this is the first gold NOMOS that feels like its really part of the broader collection. With a price tag reading $9,700, its definitely a little pricier than the standard Metro, but if youre looking for a sleek, modern gold watch, I honestly think this is a great option. One thing you wont find on any of the At Work models is a date window. While Im not a no-date purist by any means, I do think that in general NOMOS watches look best with as little clutter as possible. All of the watches here are simple time-only designs that let the details do the talking. The ultra-thin caliber DUW 3001. As a reminder, the DUW 3001 caliber is made in-house by NOMOS and includes the Swing System C this is the NOMOS term for their in-house lever, balance, and balance spring. DUW 3001 is only 3.2mm thick, including the automatic winding rotor, and the movement has a 43-hour power reserve. Forget the fact that these watches are all under $5,000 (with the exception of the aforementioned gold model), this is a really awesome movement that would be good value in watches twice the price. My only real gripe here? The clasps. Typically, NOMOS has stuck to the sensible and purposeful pin buckle for its straps (which are some of the best OEM straps out there, for what its worth). But for the new models, theres a deployant-style buckle that feels counter to the otherwise no-nonsense approach. To me, this is a solution looking for a problem. The Metro Neomatik 39mm with Silvercut dial. Pricing varies across the range, as you would expect. The Metro is $4,180 with the silver dial, and $4,280 with either the Silvercut or Nachtblau dial; the Tangente is $3,780 with the silver dial, and $3,880 with either the Silvercut or Nachtblau dial; the Tetra is $3,860 with the silver dial, and $3,980 with either the Silvercut or Nachtblau dial; and the Orion is $3,920 with the silver dial and $4,020 with the Weiss, Silvercut, or Nachtblau dial. For more, visit NOMOS Glashtte online.