news


Nomos launches new series, has the blues

Español Pусский
October 2016


Something new is coming our way from Glashütte. The German watchmaker has launched a new series of four automatic watches, all in elegant midnight blue.

Nomos launches new series, has the blues

Nomos Glashütte is getting its timing right with the release of the Neomatik Nachtblau series. With the nights getting longer this time of year, midnight blue is the perfect choice for the dials of the four new watches of the series: the Metro, Tangente, Tera and Minimatik.

The launch is also well timed to already get customers thinking seriously for their Christmas shopping. All four watches retail below the $4,000 mark, so they’re not too tough of a sell. But let’s see exactly what we get with these new Nachtblaus.

The in-house DUW 3001 movement
The in-house DUW 3001 movement

The first thing to note is that the colour choice is a bit of a departure for the brand, which has gotten everything it can out of its more familiar black colourways. Midnight blue is not a drastic change, but it’s gradually stating to supersede the black timepieces the watchmaker has executed so well before.

All four watches are powered by the automatic DUW 3001 movement, their tenth movement developed and produced in-house. In fact, the Minimatik Nachtblau was the model that was introduced concurrently with the launch of the brand’s new movement.

Minimatik Nachtblau
Minimatik Nachtblau

DUW stands for “Deutsche Uhrenwerke” or “German Watch Works”, a name which gives the movement a more industrial aura. Besides is accuracy, the 27 jewel movement is quite impressive given its 3.2mm height for a self-winding calibre, which provides a nice slim profile when combined with all four models.

Metro Neomatik Nachtblau
Metro Neomatik Nachtblau

Next to the new Minimatik we also get a revamped Metro, a model which has already won several design awards, among them the German Design Award. While the usual Metro models come in a 38mm dial, the Nachtblau version of the watch is 3mm smaller and thinner.

Tangente Neomatik Nachtblau
Tangente Neomatik Nachtblau

Then there’s the Tangente, which has actually collected even more prizes than the Metro. It’s a fine example of expertly combining both curves and angles in the design of a timepiece. It also comes in a 35mm dial and a slimmed down 6.9mm case.

Of the four watches, one is the clear standout for me: the 33mm Tetra model. It’s the smallest one produced by the brand, which already makes it a bit unique. As the name suggests this is a square-faced model, making it even more distinct from the rest of the series. Admittedly, square dials aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the clean and angular design of this model, matched by that vibrant dial colour, might make even the skeptics reconsider to go square.

Tetra Neomatik Nachtblau
Tetra Neomatik Nachtblau

But truth be told, I’d have any of the four models of the Nachtblau series. They are well proportioned, highly legible and certainly provide a nice pop of colour. And who am I to argue, with several of the models already taking prestigious design prizes back home to Germany.