As a watch addict lucky enough to find a good job after university and with a questionable financial sense, once the savings from the first salaries started piling up, there was only one thing I could think about: what will be the first watch that I will buy with the money from my first real job?
The dreamer in me kept screaming Patek 5170G!, F.P. Journe Chronomètre Optimum! Lange 1815 Chronograph! But, alas, the reality was that my bank account only allowed for far smaller numbers than my dreams did. So I had to silence that part of me and think within my budget. Fortunately, one of the wonderful things about the world of watches is that there are great options at every price level. And so the hunt was on. After making a mental list of all the brands I had read about, after staring at endless pictures and videos, after reading and listening to countless reviews, and after more than an handful of visits to as many authorised dealers, I finally made up my mind. Probably the title of this post is a bit of a spoiler at this point, so I won’t drag this out much longer: I went for the Nomos Metro with power reserve indicator. And, to this day, I am still very happy about that choice.
The brand
Most of you will probably already know Nomos. For whose of you who don’t, or for those who need a quick refresher, Nomos is a relatively young brand, founded and operating in one of the — if not The — watchmaking capitals of Germany: Glashütte. I had the pleasure to visit this little beauty of a town a few years ago, and it truly is something special, not to mention that, a part from Nomos, in this tiny town you will find the manufactures and headquarters of A. Lange und Söhne, Glashütte Original, Union Glashütte, Moritz Grossmann, Mühle-Glashütte, Wempe, Tutima Glashütte, and others. A very special place indeed, which deserves — and one day will get — its own article. But, for now, let’s go back to Nomos.
As I was saying, Nomos was founded in Glashütte in 1990 by Roland Schwertner, and grew to become, at the time of writing, the largest manufacturer of mechanical timepieces in Germany. In the past decades it heavily invested in its R&D department and production capabilities, and today it develops and produces its own calibers in house, in Glashütte. The watch I’m reviewing today holds a special place in this particular part of the story, as it was the first reference to incorporate an escapement developed and produced in-house, what Nomos calls the swing system. If you want to learn more about Nomos, its history, values, and collection, I encourage you to visit their website, and, if you find yourself wandering around Saxony, I encourage you even more warmly to visit Glashütte and its watch museum.
The dial
Moving to the watch itself, the Metro 1101 is a classically sized manual wound time+date watch, designed by Mark Braun, and it is a joy to wear and admire. The dial is extremely legible, thanks to the markers and slim high contrast hands. It is minimalistic, yet the mint and red of the quarter markers, second hand and power reserve indicator make it alive, vibrant and modern. The offset brand name and the power reserve indicator introduce an element of asymmetry that surprisingly not only does not disturb (and mind you, I’m a huge fan of symmetry), but also gives a sense of harmony. The date, at six, is elegantly framed and not intrusive, nor it breaks that sense of balance. And then there’s the dynamic component of the power reserve indicator: not a boring hand over a printed scale, but a fun little window, embedded into a large green dot, that goes from red (empty) to white (full) as you wind the watch. And not only that, but, as it goes from red to white, the whole thing rotates on itself, adding a little more fun to the winding experience. All in all a great job from Herr Braun, a dial one could spend hours admiring and enjoying.
The movement
And if you can admire for hours the dial, just wait until you see the other side. Greeting you from behind the sapphire case back, you will find the caliber DUW 4401, a simple yet elegant movement that screams Glashütte over and over again. From the classic three-quarter plate architecture, to the Glashütte stripes, the blue screws, the sunburst polishing of the crown and racket wheels. With the addition of the blue hairspring, these are all details that make the DUW 4401 a real Glashütte caliber, and a real beauty to admire. Sure, you won’t find the breathtaking depth and intricacy of the Lange triple split, but, for for a time+date watch at this price point, this movement really delivers a great level of finishing and detail. The escapement beats at 3Hz and, although not officially certified, I’ve found that, if left resting in the right position at night, the accuracy sits comfortably within the COSC standards. The power reserve is a decent 42 hours, but thanks to the power reserve indicator, it is easy to keep the watch wound also when not wearing it for a couple of days.
On the wrist
At 37mm (43.6 lug to lug), this Metro could be considered on the smaller side according to modern standards. We could debate for hours if bigger is really better when it comes to watches, probably without reaching any consensus. What I’m certain about, however, is that 37mm is the perfect size for the Metro, and, more importantly, is the perfect size for my wrist, which is also on the smaller side. As you can see from the picture below, it takes the perfect amount of space on my left wrist and, with a thickness of only 7.7mm, it will disappear under any cuff. Putting together wrist presence, look, and feel, this is a perfect everyday watch, both for the fun times and for some of the more formal ones.
One more thing (or two)
Nomos has won several design prizes over the years, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they pay attention to every detail. If you look closely, you will see that the crown is not your average watch crown. Rather, it has a very particular shape, and it is textured with a point relief inspired by watchmaking tools. And, lastly, if you look at the dial from the side, tilting the watch slightly, you will notice the light bending in an unexpected fashion, thanks to a particular curvature of the sapphire crystal, typical of the Metro family.
The negatives
It is not an easy task to find negative aspects of this watch. Even if you pointed a gun at my temple, I could probably still come up with only one thing: the watch doesn’t have a quick set function for the date, meaning that there’s no crown position that can be used to set it. Rather, one has to move the hour hand past midnight to advance the date of one day. On the positive side, it is not necessary to make the hour hand make 24 turns to advance the date further: it is sufficient to move it back to 9pm, and then forward again past midnight.
I hope that you found this first watch review interesting and useful, for those of you thinking of getting a Metro 1101!
