Despite the fact that I’ve been on somewhat of a vintage kick as of late, I still manage to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the more captivating sectors of the modern watch world. Like many others, I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Nomos – a brand that is doing a lot of things right, and consistently delivering thoughtfully executed pieces. Their ability to put out well-priced, mechanically sophisticated watches with understated aesthetics has always struck a chord with me, which explained my initial excitement upon first getting the details of the Glashutte brand’s new group of NOMOS Neomatik First Edition watches.
Back in Baselworld 2015, Nomos unveiled a newly designed automatic caliber, known specifically as the DUW 3001. Coming in at just 12.75 lignes, and only 3.2 millimetres thick, Nomos delivered a nicely finished movement, that also made use of one of the brand’s greatest accomplishments to date – the swing system in-house escapement. Needless to say, this was an impactful and significant announcement for the brand, and watch enthusiasts took notice. Although this new movement was only first shown in the Minimatik collection, everyone knew and patiently waited for the one day when it would find its way into the brand’s more established offerings. That day has now come..sort of.
So let’s break it down. What exactly is Neomatik, and what do we like about it? Essentially what Nomos has done, is they’ve taken their most recognizable and celebrated collections (Ludwig, Metro, Minimatik, Tangente, and Orion), and applied a temporarily available livery, so to speak, to mark the initial implementation of the DUW 3001 within them. Among the several watches, we see some pieces produced with a clean white dial, and red and blue accents, with the occasional splash of orange. Additionally, a select few watches have been assembled with a pale, tan colored dial, that is matched beautifully by a natural tone leather strap. This is a color combination which I really responded well to at first, though upon closer inspection, I began finding minute details that made me scratch my head, which is not something I typically experience with Nomos products.
After giving it a little thought, I’ve made a couple conclusions about these releases. While I do appreciate the addition of the DUW 3001, I just can’t get past the additional line of text that’s seen on the dial. As someone that considers themselves to be slightly design conscious, I think the Neomatik text just isn’t needed on an otherwise clean and succinct dial, and the choice to go with neon orange accents is curious to say the least. Through the use of a more neutral secondary color, I feel that some of the pieces within the range of the ten new Neomatik references could be much more versatile, and suitable for those with smaller collections. To be fair, the same could have been said of the use of mint green in the first Metro of 2014, though I still believe that that scheme worked better. With all that said, it’s worth noting that these “First Edition” pieces will only be produced in 2015, meaning that when they’re revisited next, a facelift will more than likely be applied.
Ultimately, we’ve gotta look past the little details within these watches that are subject to personal taste, and see what these Neomatik’s truly represent, and that is a great value. If you take a look at the proposed retail prices for these watches, you’ll notice that not a single piece will go for a dime north of $4,000 USD, and for a German watch with an accuracy-assuring in-house escapement, you’re getting quite a bit of bang for your buck. My only hope is that we’ll see this terrific caliber be put to use in the brand’s standard collection, but until then, Nomos is still doing far better than quite a few of the other players in this price bracket out there.
by 
canadry
Personally, I find that the discreet “neomatic” signature on the dial improves the watch by making it less sterile. Likewise, the use of orange is subtle enough that it adds a bit of character without detracting from anything.
If anything, I think people (especially many of those at other watchmaking companies) should pay more attention to the details on watches, not less. But Nomos has real design talent and I don’t think there’s anything that needs getting past on these; they’re simply lovely.