Hands-On With The Stylish Trio of Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 39 Models — Searching For The True Feeling Of Indian Summer
In the ever-expanding universe of available timepieces, I find that not many watches immediately stand out to me. Three watches that did, however, were the new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 39 models. The immediate eyecatchers here are the dials. With two brown sunburst options in the trio, Nomos introduces a color that we don’t see often. As it so happens, it’s also a dial color that I love. So I had to learn more about the new Indian Summer-inspired pieces. They looked like a series of perfect daily wearers.
If you have read Daan’s introduction to the new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 39 models, you know that the dial colors are not necessarily inspired by the rich colors of the changing seasons. The “Indian Summer” inspiration that Nomos claims most likely refers to the eponymous brand of pipe tobacco. Especially if you consider the names of the three different models, it makes sense. The dark brown “tabac” color is inspired by tobacco and the brownish-orange “ember” dial by the glowing orange hue of tobacco as it’s burning. Lastly, the gray “smoke” dial takes inspiration from the smoke that comes from the glowing ember.
Picking a favorite Club Sport Neomatik 39 dial color
When I first laid my eyes on this symphony of colors, I was impressed. In a completely normal reaction, I tried to pick my favorite color of the three. Despite that, I soon realized that a large part of my excitement for these watches was more about seeing this trio of colors together since they look so nice as a series.
So, did I immediately fall for one of these colors? Well, I must admit that the dark brown tabac dial was my favorite from the moment I saw the press pictures. As some of you might know, I have a thing with brown dials. A dark brown dial just oozes style and class. The most exciting thing for me is the combination of a brown dial with a more modern aesthetic. That’s exactly why I was attracted to the new Club Sport Neomatik 39 series.
First impressions of the Club Sport Neomatik 39
Straight out of the box, the dial colors brought a smile to my face. But Daan, who had seen all three watches before me, had already told me that the dials looked somewhat different in real life than in the press pictures. And he was not wrong. First, all three models feature a metallic sunburst dial that is more impactful in real life than in stock photos. In my eyes, that lively nature is a plus because it prevents the watches from getting a bit dull.
When it comes to the individual colors, the dark brown tabac dial has a slightly more red glow to it than I expected. Additionally, the lighter brown ember dial is quite a bit darker than in the press images, something I was pleasantly surprised by. The gray smoke dial corresponds well with the brand’s images in terms of color.
The dial layout gives the color room to shine
Whereas the gray-dial version feels a bit bland with its monochrome appearance, the two brown dials are very lively. As these are Nomos watches, all of the dials are pretty minimalist in their design approach, with a combination of Arabic numerals and rectangular hour markers. Encircling those numerals and markers, you will find a smaller 60-second/minute scale, also in white. The circular graining of the small seconds at 6 o’clock contrasts nicely with the rest of the dial’s sunburst finish.
The pencil-style hands filled with Super-LumiNova fit the overall design nicely without being distracting. They are there to serve a functional purpose and blend nicely into the overall picture, and that’s exactly what they do. Finishing the dial is the text on its upper half. As a sucker for nice typography, I love the font types used here. As you would expect, they are the perfect signature to complete the overall style.
The curious case of the long lugs
All three models have a fully polished 39.5mm case. As we had the versions with the display case backs in the office, all of them measured just 8.5mm thick (with an all-steel case back, you win 0.1mm). Due to the significantly long lugs, the case is 49.5mm long, and it is also water resistant to 20 ATM.
When it comes to those long lugs, I do not have a problem with them. I know that quite a few people, including our own Daan, are not necessarily fans of the long lugs that Nomos is “notorious” for. But in all honesty, the longer-than-usual curved lugs suit the design. This is especially because the Club Sport Neomatik 39 comes on a bracelet with long links. I found that the lugs, with their curvature and natural-feeling taper, are long enough to flow nicely into the Oyster-style bracelet design.
We also tried the watches on some different leather straps, and that’s when the length of the lugs was more noticeable. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference, but at no point did they feel disproportionately long to me. The watches also look amazing on straps despite the long lugs.
The Club Sport Neomatik 39’s slim bracelet
The mostly brushed three-row bracelet has polished center links and a slim profile that suits the case to a tee. This is the same bracelet that Nomos uses for the 37mm and 42mm models in the Club Sport Neomatik family. As Daan mentioned, the bracelet features male end links and is fitted with easy-to-use quick-release spring bars.
Regarding the overall quality, the bracelet felt decent but not earth-shatteringly brilliant to me. Part of that is due to its slender profile, but I have also seen better-executed bracelets at a lower price point.
The folding clasp is nice and short and equipped with a handy quick-release spring bar for micro-adjustments without tools. However, the polished finish of the clasp is not my favorite as it will show overall wear and scratches very easily. The clasp feels solid when using it, but overall, it wasn’t super memorable except for the nifty toolless micro-adjustment.
The Nomos DUW 3001 Neomatik movement
As mentioned, we had the versions with steel/sapphire case backs, which nicely show off the DUW 3001 Neomatik movement. The 3.2mm-thick automatic caliber operates at 21,600vph and has a 43-hour power reserve and 27 jewels. It features the brand’s signature swing system, a proprietary escapement. Additionally, is a nice movement to look at, with its three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing, perlage, and tempered blue screws. The display case back does add €300 extra to the retail price, moving it up from €2,820 for the solid-back version to €3,120 for the version in this review.
Would I pay the €300 extra for a display case back? I love seeing the movement in action, so my knee-jerk reaction would be to say “yes.” On second thought, though, I do not spend much time admiring movements unless they are really special. In the end, I suppose I would probably pay the extra money because it is nice to see the neatly finished movement in action, however infrequently.
The Club Sport Neomatik 39 is the right size
When it comes to wearing the new Club Sport Neomatik 39, the watch fits my 19cm (7.5″) wrist perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortably the bracelet wrapped around my wrist, even with the male end links. During my time with these three watches, I was really impressed by the overall comfort in combination with the slim profile. Add the incredible charm of the dials, and these are seriously tempting.
Speaking of the dials, I was happy to find out that they were more lively than expected. However, to be clear, we are still talking about minimalist designs. For me, the warmth of the brown colors in combination with the sunburst finish and the overall Bauhaus-inspired design hit the sweet spot
Final thoughts on the NOMOS Club Sport 39 models
Nomos made a clever move by introducing these three Club Sport 39 models. They are great, stylish daily wearers that each have an individual charm. As a result, I’m sure that they will attract a new group of Nomos fans. While the gray version is too monotonous for me, the two brown-dial versions are absolute winners. I have a slight preference for the dark brown tabac model, but the lighter ember variant is a close second.
That brings me to the question of whether I would seriously consider buying one. The simple answer is that I most definitely would. There is, however a nuance to it. I do think that at €3,120, the Club Sport 39 is a pricey watch. Sure, it’s quite stylish and comfortable, and it has a nice, thin movement. But nothing about it impressed me in terms of superior quality. The bracelet and clasp are comfortable but certainly not the best in class. Furthermore, the bracelet could do without the male end links.
At this price point, perhaps these details should not raise concerns, but they do for me. Having said that, I do not know a lot of watches that can beat the tabac Club Sport 39 in terms of style. Both on the bracelet and on a leather strap, it looks stunning, and style goes a long way for me. How far? Well, the answer to that question is something only the future holds…
For more information, visit the official Nomos website. Let me know in the comments section what your favorite of the three dial variants is.
