I’ve long been a fan of NOMOS Glashütte and always greet its latest releases with interest. Having worked for the brand for three years, I (not surprisingly) found my collection becoming a little “NOMOS-heavy” during that time. Despite that — and the fact that I own two Club Campus models already — the release of the NOMOS Glashütte Club Sport Neomatik has me considering a third. How can one man justify three models from the same “umbrella” family, I hear you cry? (The Club Campus is kind of a sub-family of the Club, sharing the same case shape but sporting a marginally different dial layout.) Well, it has a lot to do with dimensions. It sounds obvious to say that certain sizes of watches suit certain types of people, but the thing with NOMOS is, due to the artsy, pared-back design of the dials, and the often sculptural nature of the cases, there isn’t much consistency across families in terms of how the watches sit on your wrist in real life.
For example, I can wear a 33mm or a 38mm Tangente, but the 35mm just looks plain wrong on me. Why? Probably some kind of wrist deformity on my part, but it’s a fact of life. Similarly, I own the Club Campus (36mm) and the Club Campus 38 Amsterdam. Now I find myself considering a 42mm Club, as well. But in these dimensions, it wears completely differently. Add the fact that this one comes with the nice new metal bracelet, and the temptation starts to grow.
Specifications
Brand: NOMOS Glashütte
Model: Club Sport Neomatik
Dimensions: 42mm
Water Resistance: 1000 feet
Case Material: Stainless steel
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire crystal
Movement: DUW 6101
Frequency: 21,600vph
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Steel link bracelet
Price & Availability: $4,060
Currently, the two Clubs I own are powered by the Alpha caliber. This model is driven by the most recent movement released by the independent Saxon manufacture. The DUW 6101 is an in-house automatic caliber with a forward-and-backward quick-set date mechanism, with a built-in safety clutch to prevent damage to the movement should you accidentally try to set it during the traditional “danger zone” of 10pm-2am. In reality, the date of the DUW 6101 is only unchangeable for about 45 minutes on either side of midnight, during which period the safety mechanism kicks in and allows the tension that would normally build up between the date-change hammer and the date-wheel teeth to escape harmlessly by way of a lower-level friction wheel. Fantastic stuff for a small brand to have developed on its own and an added value proposition (in an implicit reduction of servicing costs) to an already impressive package.
I’m itching to take this watch out into the wild and really test its credentials. Using feet instead of meters is a weird choice for a German brand, but it does look kind of cool in a retro way. It’s also more impressive to say out loud, or to print on a dial, so that might have been the reasoning behind it. One thing I definitely approve of is the color in which the depth rating is printed. The gold print ties in with the neomatik label beneath the word marque perfectly, creating a distinctly satisfying chromatic balance. The subtle sunburst of the dial, along with the grooved radial pattern of the 6 o’clock sub-dial, is a real treat. Neater still is the red “warning” ring fitted to the screw-down crown (a first for the Club family). This alerts the wearer to the crown not being screwed down tight, should they be planning an impromptu dip to 300 meters or so. It’s actually a shame that it’s only present as a warning mechanism because an anodized crown-collet on a NOMOS would be a vibrant addition!
While I love the the 1980s mashup of colors featured on the simultaneously debuting NOMOS Glashütte Tangente Sport Neomatik, the pure class of this Club’s colorway has me hooked. Those bold white numerals also threaten to actually glow in the dark for more than a couple of minutes, which would be a huge boon to the watch’s functionality.
As for the long-called-for bracelet, it is a pretty successful attempt. The straight-lined links probably marry better with the Tangente, Tangete Sport, or Ahoi models, but they look quite at home on this Club. I think the thicker links of this chunkier bracelet (dubbed the “sport bracelet”) are more appealing than the slimline links released on the Club Campus models or the new Doctors Without Borders Special-Edition Tangente earlier this year.
The NOMOS Glashütte Club Sport Neomatik is a nice addition to an evermore refined collection. It’s also one of the first genuinely 42mm watches from the brand in steel. In the past, many watches marketed at 42mm have, as you will notice if you study the tech specs, come in at 41.5mm. This slightly added heft adds presence, while the black dial prevents it from appearing too massive on the wrist. Along with the size, however, so too has the price increased. What we have here is the Club family’s priciest member, with a retail of $4,060. Learn more at nomos-glashuette.com.
