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PRE-BASEL: The Nomos Metro 38 Datum PRE-BASEL: The Nomos Metro 38 Datum

PRE-BASEL: The Nomos Metro 38 Datum

Felix Scholz

First Impressions:

The just announced Metro 38 Datum is a toned down version of the original. Nomos have sacrificed some of the design quirkiness, and the result is a more commercially minded watch.

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Even without the name on the dial this watch would be instantly recognisable as a Nomos.

Nomos have gone from strength to strength lately; with critically acclaimed new watches and impressive technical developments, all done within their distinctive house, or Bauhaus if you were going to be cute, style. The new Nomos Metro 38 Datum is the latest expression of their signature aesthetic.
Last year Nomos announced the Metro, a brand new line powered by their brand new in-house escapement – the swing system. This announcement was big news – it’s almost unprecedented for a company the size of Nomos to develop and produce an escapement in-house. It is the timekeeping heart of a mechanical watch that consists of the balance wheel, balance spring, escape wheel and pallet. It is notoriously difficult and expensive to produce. Which is why 99% of watch companies buy these components in. But by investing in the swing system Nomos can now proceed to grow, untroubled by the supply issues that perennially plague the rest of the industry.

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Up close with the new Nomos Metro 38 Datum

So that’s the new movement, but what of the new watch? The Metro 38 Datum is an extension of the original Metro, and you can see that they have pared the design back a little – losing the oddball, off centre power reserve indicator, making the watch a little larger (up to 38.5mm across), and the painted indices are now baby blue rather than sea-foam (that’d be green). All small changes, but they add up to a watch that is discernibly different while still sharing design signifiers. It’s still clearly part of the Metro line, but it also fits neatly with the broader Nomos family. The bottom line is, those who know anything about watches will know you’re rocking Nomos from both 50 and 100 paces.

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The original Nomos Metro.

The real challenge for Nomos will be how they manage to balance increasing growth and mainstream popularity with their quirky, outsider identity.

Nomos Metro 38 Datum Australian pricing and availability.

Then Metro 38 Datum will be available from June. Australian pricing has not yet been confirmed, but it will retail for 2380 Euro or $3480 USD.