Nomos looks up for its new Club Campus Starlight and Night Sky
Nina Scally- Nomos spins another two shades off its colour wheel with the new Starlight and Night Sky Club Campus models.
- They’re available in 36mm or 38mm, and with either an open or closed caseback.
- Both Club Campus watches are defined by their popular California dials, featuring an unconventional mix of Arabic and Roman numerals.
In the words of Forrest Gump himself, “life is like a box of chocolates”. It’s full of twists and turns, failures and successes, and among those moments, the milestone a person reaches when transitioning from a full-time student to a professional. This important stage of life resonated with watchmakers at Nomos Glashütte, and in 2017, the brand released the first Club Campus. These designs were intended as tangible, wearable tokens. Suddenly, they could represent an academic or career-based accomplishment, even allowing the consumer to opt for a specially engraved message on the caseback. Adding a level of distinction from the classic and relatively simple Club, the Club Campus represents the playful side of Nomos’ watchmaking with deliberately unisex designs. Now, the Glashütte-based watchmaker reveals another two shades, this time taking inspiration from the skies with a Starlight yellow colour and a deep blue Night Sky shade.
Those who found the original 40mm size of the Club ungainly because of those longer lugs will be pleased to hear that Nomos keeps the same 36 and 38.5mm sizes that define the Club Campus. That said, the lug-to-lug dimensions should be considered before choosing between the two since the Club Campus dimensions are unusual despite their traditional case shape. The 36mm has a lug-to-lug measurement of 47.5mm, while the larger 38mm grows to almost 49mm. The watches do feel lengthy on the wrist to some degree, so don’t be afraid to size down.
Regardless of size, the Club Campus comes in stainless steel and has 100 metres of water resistance with a sapphire crystal front, giving them enough toughness for daily wear. You can choose between a solid, unadorned caseback or an exhibition caseback, depending on how much engraving space you require and whether you want to gaze at the movement – more on that shortly. The cases are polished throughout, and feature the prominent round bezel that feels formal when needed, and not too sporty.
Looking at the new Starlight and Night Sky Club Campus, it’s hard to believe Nomos didn’t go there much sooner with the yellow. It adds vibrancy to the collection’s pale grey and silver-plated models. Meanwhile, the Night Sky is fuller-bodied and richer than the Blue Purple iteration, which Nomos unleashed back in 2022, imparting a clean and sophisticated canvas for which the Cali dial takes centre stage.
Of course, Nomos is not the first watchmaker to perfect the California dial. The style has been knocking around since the 1930s. Nowadays, Panerai puts its own spin on this unique format, while Timex offers a much more affordable option with the Marlin, for some perspective. Nomos opts for Arabic numerals in the Northern Hemisphere and Roman numerals in the Southern, alternated with horizontal and vertical stick markers. The 6 o’clock small second indicator has a contrasting neon orange hand in both designs, which it shares with violet minute markers. Interestingly, the numerals on the dial of the Starlight model look similar to the washed-out grey Nomos uses in other variations, and would undoubtedly get lost against their yellow backdrop if not for their trimmed orange outlines. Meanwhile, the Night Sky numerals are white with a contrasting pink outline.
The in-house Alpha movement is what powers all Club Campus watches, with a 43-hour power reserve and 17 jewels. It’s the brand’s very first movement and is acclaimed for its affordability and quality, having featured throughout the brand’s Tetra, Ludwig, Orion, and Tangente collections. Nomos took its Nomos 1 calibre, itself a modified Peseux 7001, and started to make it in-house with their own upgrades, resulting in the Alpha, giving it hacking seconds and a Glashütte three-quarter plate to cover the gear train. It’s decorated with Glashütte ribbing and perlage, together with tempered blued screws that really pop. For the privilege of getting to see this little piece of German watchmaking wonder, though, you’ll be paying a hefty US$300 for a sapphire caseback on top of the price of the watch.
Nomos Club Campus Starlight and Night Sky pricing and availability
The Nomos Club Campus Starlight and Night Sky models are now available in either 36mm or 38.5mm sizes, with an optional sapphire crystal caseback at a US$300 extra charge. Price: US$1,500 (36mm), US$1,650 (38.5mm)
| Brand | Nomos |
| Model | Club Campus Starlight Club Campus Night Sky |
| Reference | 718 718GB 719 719GB 721 721GB 722 722GB |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 8.2mm (T) x 47.5mm (LTL) 38.5mm (D) x 8.5mm (T) x 48.9mm (LTL) |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front, optional sapphire back |
| Dial | Bright yellow, dark blue |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet and strap | Vegan leather, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | Alpha, in-house produced, based on Peseux 7001, manual winding |
| Power Reserve | 43 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$1,500 (36mm) US$1,650 (38.5mm) |