Hands-On With the NOMOS Glashütte Metro Neomatik 41 Update
Can you make the really well-balanced minimalist NOMOS designs bigger without losing their edge? As it turns out, you can. I had a chance to go hands-on with the all-new Nomos Glashütte Metro Neomatik 41 Update that was introduced during Watches & Wonders 2021. The watch sees an update to the in-house DUW 6101 movement, and as a result, the brand had to increase the size of the Metro Neomatik. It’s an increase that turns out to be a great update, and it’s why the name could not have been chosen any better.
Straight out of the gates, I have to say that I love NOMOS Glashütte, which might not come as a surprise. I have loved design ever since I was young and worked in the world of design for over a decade. So you could say that it has become one of my biggest passions. The design of a watch is also the first and the last thing I judge a watch on. Sure, there is so much more to a watch, but what it boils down to every time is whether you like the sight of a watch in general and on your wrist specifically. When it comes to the minimalist design approach of NOMOS, that is right up my alley. I love their really well-designed minimalist watches.
Tangente Sport Neomatik 42 Date
Adding a bit of color
Something has changed over time, though. Where I would prefer the truly minimalist approach of the basic Tangente, I have grown the NOMOS watches that have a bit more going on. A small splash of color added to the mix does give it a little extra zing. On top of that, I love the stainless steel sports bracelet over the leather straps that most NOMOS watches come with. Great examples are the Tangente Sport Neomatik 42 Date, the Club Sport Neomatik 42 Date, and the Ahoi For Doctors Without Borders.
I like my NOMOS watches in bigger sizes.
And a second thing that you could conclude from the models I just mentioned is that I like my NOMOS watches in bigger sizes. I am a tall guy at 1.94m, so smaller watches have a chance of looking rather comical on my wrist. So I much appreciate the NOMOS models that are at least 39mm in size to make sure that my wrist is doing the design justice. They seem like two elementary requirements, but they can have a lot of impact on a minimalist watch. But the team at NOMOS Glashütte has managed to implement both flawlessly on multiple occasions.
NOMOS Metro Neomatik 41 Update
So when the new Metro Neomatik 41 Update landed on my desk, I was more than happy to find out that it has the perks of both a bigger 41mm size and that little splash of color in the form of the date indication of the updated movement. The Metro Neomatik 41 Update was delivered for review along with the Tangente Neomatik 41 Update Midnight Blue.
While both watches definitely have their own charm, I immediately gravitated towards the Metro Neomatik. The combination of the 41mm stainless steel case, white silver-plated dial with the 60-minute scale and the date ring on the outer edges, and the dark grey textile strap looks very handsome. And in that rather easy on the eye aesthetic, the two neon orange markers that indicate the date are the true stars of the show.
The in-house Caliber DUW 6101
This brings us to the most important update of the Metro Neomatik 41 Update, and that’s the movement. In 2018, NOMOS introduced the DUW 6101 Caliber, an iteration of their famous Neomatik movement. The ultra-slim automatic movement features a special date mechanism that allows you to change the date forwards and backward. The movement operates at 21,600vph, features 27 jewels, and has a power reserve of 42 hours. It was first introduced in the Tangente Neomatik 41 Update and has slowly made its way into more watches in the NOMOS collection.
The DUW 6101 Caliber is a large movement at 35.2mm, and it explains why the overall size of the watch has increased to 41mm. On top of that, it’s also a very thin movement at 3.6mm, making sure that the Metro Neomatik 41 Update profile remains perfectly slim. The movement features two NOMOS patents with the date mechanism and how the date is displayed on the dial. Rob wrote a great in-depth piece about the NOMOS in-house movements, including the DUW 6101, so I suggest checking that out to find out more.
The design consquences
As a result of the updated moment, the NOMOS team obviously had to increase the case size and alter the design to make it fit its bigger size. While that can pose a challenge for some brands, the design team in Glashütte succeeds in making it work every time. The original Metro Date Power Reserve was released back in 2014 and was designed by Berlin-based industrial designer Mark Braun. The original model has become one of the brand’s most recognizable models. It features the iconic and colorful power reserve indicator placed between 1 and 2 o’clock, making it stand out from other NOMOS models.
But the original model was also a lot smaller at just 37mm. Over time, NOMOS added the Metro Neomatik 39mm version that already showed the design’s possibilities. But for me, the design of this new 41mm version is the best out of all of them. The addition of the outer ring date is the extra element that makes the overall dial design have that little extra funk that I like a lot. What remains are a small seconds sub-dial, the alternating dots on the dial’s inner part, and the syringe-style hands. Essentially all that happened visually is that the date mechanism was integrated by placing around the basic dial design of the Metro, if you ask me, with amazing results.
Wearing the Metro Neomatik 41 Update
Writing this review is basically some reverse engineering because after seeing the watch for the first time, I immediately put it on my wrist for first impressions. All the factual info on the design and the movement came after. And those first impressions were lasting. The combination of the new 41mm case with its slim 9.1mm profile and the grey textile strap makes the Metro Neomatik 41 Update an absolute joy to wear. It is the perfect size for my 18cm wrist.
The perfect canvas for the two orange date markers to shine.
On top of that, the watch is a joy to look at. The monochromatic aesthetic of the white dial color in combination with the grey strap is the perfect canvas for the two orange date markers to shine. I love that they are subtle but stand out at the same time. And whenever you need to change the date, it can be done easily. A simple pull of the crown gives you access to both setting the time and the date. You can set the date by moving forwards and backward. And I have to say, and it is great fun to see the orange markers move around the dial. It’s more fun than seeing your regular date window just changing the date.
Final Thoughts
Overall I have to say I love this new NOMOS Metro Neomatik 41 Update. It adds the two elements I search for in a NOMOS watch that makes it a great choice for me. It’s why I could perfectly see myself wearing this new Update in the future. At €3,500, the Metro Neomatik 41 Update offers incredible value for money. It combines the best of the Bauhaus-inspired minimalist design, an in-house movement, an intriguing date complication that adds a great splash of color, and the incredibly slim profile that makes this a joy to wear.
Once again, the team at NOMOS Glashütte shows us that even within the minimalist watch design, there are a ton of design solutions that create something new and spectacular. And that is a great achievement every time. It makes this new Metro Neomatik 41 Update a potential crowd favorite. It only took putting the watch on my wrist to convince me that this is simply another great new release from NOMOS with the perfect name.
For more information, visit the official NOMOS Glashütte website.
