A review of the Nomos Metro neomatik 41 Update

I always wanted to wear a mechanical watch not just for engineering purposes but also for its romantic parts, such as giving it down to my kids. For the past seven years, I have always worn an Apple Watch. However, especially in recent years, I wasn't entirely happy with the relationship of my watch. You can read more about it in my post "The ups and downs with my Apple Watch".

When I decided it was time to pull the trigger, I already knew which watch brand I wanted to get: A Nomos. Not just any Nomos, but one from the Metro line family.

Why Nomos?

If you have decided to get a mechanical watch and start searching, you'll soon find a world with hundreds of details and features. You'll discover the world of Swiss watchmakers, especially Rolex's impact. The Quartz crisis in the '70s. How Swatch saved the watch world. The recent price gouges because of supply and demand (some say it's artificial). Most importantly, the watch's movement matters, whether it's in-house or not.

In-house movements mean that the brand itself entirely develops the watch's internals. Many watch brands don't develop their movements (which I'm okay with), but for many people, it makes a difference if a brand develops its movements. It shows dedication and an engineering background. It also means that the brand can take care of its watches. For many Watch nerds (I'm not one of them yet), movements are a whole other world. Watch collectors go the extra step to select watches carefully by their movements.

That's just one part of the story.

A watch is a very personal good. Not only because it's been shaped over the centuries but also because of the style and statement. There are many styles and types, such as Dive, GMT, Chronograph, Dress, and Tool watches. Each of these types has a long history in how they were shaped. However, another category is called "Bauhaus"; you probably know what I'm going for.

For the long-time reader of my blog, people know that I'm a huge fan of the Bauhaus area, especially the later work of people such as Dieter Rams, who followed the steps of former Bauhaus teachers.

Bauhaus-style watches have a minimal design and are inspired by the Bauhaus movement. Unless other types, their dials, hands, indices, everything is very sleek and slender. They are not shiny, and most even don't have Arabic or romantic numerals.

Back to Nomos. Nomos is a German watch manufacturer that creates Bauhaus-style watches and has its own in-house movements. For me, they create one of the best Bauhaus-style watches and combine both requirements I was looking for.

Metro neomatik 41 Update

There are over 100 models to select from Nomos. I purchased the Metro Neomatik 41 Update for myself. It's from the Metro family (designed by Mark Braun) and has a modern design with domed sapphire crystal glass. The reference number is 1165 (nit: watch models and their naming can be very complex. Hence, the reference number is more important to describe the exact model of a watch brand).

Its diameter is 40.5mm. Watches nowadays are getting bigger and bigger. But the Metro Neomatik 41 update wears small on my wrist. One issue people have with Nomos is their lugs. They are usually large and stick out, but that's not the case with the Metro line.

The lug-to-lug distance is 47.5 mm, but they're beautifully curved towards the wrist, and they are short. This is important because I have a small wrist, and I thought the 40.5mm would look big on my wrist, but that wasn't the case.

Why is it called "Update"? Because the Metro 41 was updated with a circular date complication. And to make the new date complication shine, it has a greater dial. The two markers in the neon orange frame the current date. It's one of the complications that I didn't see in other watches.

An interesting observation I had about the date complication was how I could asses easily where in a month I was. I could see if I was at the beginning of a month, in the middle, or at the end. Usually, on a watch, you can easily see your current state in a day, but the date complications change that perception. Now you can see where in the month you're.

The movement, Caliber DUW 6101, was unveiled in 2018 and was seen first in the Tangent, Autobahn, and Luwdig models. In 2021, the same movement was used for the Metro neomatik 41, another reason it has the "Update" word in its model.

The Metro neomatik 41's height is 9.1mm, and this is on the shorter side compared to many watches, thanks to the movement DUW 6101, which measures just 3.6 mm in height. The caliber is patented and unique in that it allows you to set the date ring in both directions. Often, you can't reverse a date that easily.

Neomatik here refers to "automatic winding". Once the watch is wind, it has a power reverse of 42 hours. It means that it will work for 42 hours until it stops. But because it's automatic, if you wear it on your wrist, with the movements of your arms, it'll automatically wind the watch.

What drew me to the Metro neomatik 41 was also the slender stainless steel bezel. The polishing is so good that it really shines in every light condition (like a diamond). Combined with the domed sapphire glass, it creates small reflections, and during the day, it's a joy to look at the watch. I never had this feeling with other watches.

It comes with a textile woven strap. But I also got a leather strap, which works well with both straps. If you wear it with the leather strap, it's a tad more dressy. And I think it works fine as a dress watch because of its Bauhaus style design. And using the textile woven strap, it suddenly becomes more sporty, more modern. The bonus of using the textile woven strap is that it is also water resistant. The Metro has a water resistance of 5ATM, and you can use it for showers, but it's not suitable for swimming or diving.

The Metro Neomatik 41 sells for 3700 Euros, probably higher in the U.S. or other parts of the world. However, most Authorized Dealers also offer significant discounts if you talk to them or if you are a loyal customer. It's even cheaper in the gray market. It's expensive, of course, and whether it's worth it or not is also very personal.

Is it better than a 100-dollar Quartz Watch? Probably not in many ways, but in many ways, it's worth it, especially for me. First, the design is exceptional. The craftsmanship, the in-house movement, the dial complication, all these small details create a coherent experience that will last for decades if taken care of well. I like to invest in well-designed goods, and Nomos is a brand that makes you feel good.

And with mechanical watches, the value usually holds well; there is a deprecation, and unless it's a Rolex or similar brand, the deprecation might be larger, but in the end, it's always possible to sell it on bad days or if you don't like it anymore. I can't say the same about the average Quartz and Smart watches, whose values have diminished in a few years.