Introducing: The NOMOS Metro 33 In Rose Gold

September 12, 2019

Today, NOMOS announced a new, rose gold version of its popular Metro watch. This is the smallest Metro watch so far, although it's not the first in gold; that honor goes to the the Metro Neomatik 39, which was introduced in 2017, as part of the At Work collection (see Stephen Pulvirent's coverage right here). Gold watches are a relative rarity from NOMOS, although they have experimented with the material before C most notably, in the Lux and Lambda watches, which launched all the way back in 2013, and which were larger than usual for NOMOS, and which, as well, featured movements with much more elaborate decoration than is usual for NOMOS.? Those were very pricey for the brand, at $17,800 for the Lambda in rose gold, and $20,500 for the Lux in white gold, and at the time, the combination of precious metal and unapologetically premium luxury pricing, shook up some of the NOMOS faithful, but since then, the basic core identity of the company C the production of high quality, carefully designed, generally simple timepieces priced within an accessible range, has stayed basically the same. The new Metro has the same clarity of design and simple, high quality of execution common to all NOMOS watches, and the movement is the hand-wound NOMOS Alpha, which has in design and execution the same sense of sober dignity as the watch. Initial Thoughts The NOMOS Metro 33 in rose gold, thanks to its size and strap execution, seems to be aimed a bit more directly at the market for a traditionally elegant ladies' timepiece than one generally sees from NOMOS, whose watches, as a rule, hew to a purity of design language that transcends traditional wristwatch gender categories. Even if that is the case, however, I think it still has potential as a non-gendered timepiece. It has a slightly formal, old-fashioned air to it, thanks in part to the wire lugs, and I think there is a non-zero chance that a black crocodile strap (just throwing that out there) could make this into an extremely attractive dress watch. This would be a most interesting watch to have an opportunity to handle in the metal (which we'll try and do in the not-too-distant future). A lot of the impact made by a watch has to do with the sense it gives, or doesn't give, of concentrated mass; I've always found the sensation you get from Lange & Sohne's timepieces, that you are holding some sort of condensed-matter version of a luxury watch, a very pleasant part of the experience, and there's a non-zero chance you might get the same vibe from this new NOMOS as well. Another critical element of the experience of any watch, is the diameter-to-height ratio.? The diameter and height of the gold Metro Neomatik is 38.5mm x 8mm, and for the 33, it's 33mm x 7.7mm. That gives an aspect ratio of about 4.812 x 1 for the Neomatik and 4.28 x 1 for the 33, so the latter is in fact, slightly thicker relative to its diameter than the Neomatik, although not dramatically. The greater sense of thickness might even be an asset on the wrist. The price is pretty attractive as well C $7,200 is not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination but for a gold watch, with an in-house movement, from a respected independent brand it seems like kind of a bargain.? The Basics Brand: NOMOSModel: Metro Rose Gold 33Diameter: 33mmThickness: 7.7mmCase Material: 18k rose gold; sapphire crystal and casebackDial Color: galvanized, white silver plated; grey hour markers and purple minute markersWater Resistance: 3 atmospheres/30 metersStrap/Bracelet: velour beige leather with quick change springbars The Movement Caliber: NOMOS AlphaFunctions: hours, minutes, secondsDiameter: 23.30mmThickness: 2.6mmPower Reserve: 43 hoursWinding: manualJewels: 17Additional Details: adjusted in six positions Pricing & Availability Price: $7,200Availability: now availableLimited Edition: no, regular productionFor more info, visit NOMOS-glashuette.com.