Talking Hands: The NOMOS Club Automat

I’m so glad you’ve done a Talking Hands on a Nomos watch. I’ve long been impressed by their design, quality, and price. I think my favorite model of theirs is the lovely Orion, which is a pinnacle of of subtle German design. That said, I would complain if a Club Automat happened upon me!

Cheers!

[Edit above post] – I would “not” complain if a Club Automat happened upon me!

Hi, couldn’t help commenting again…. Just finished watching the review – really enjoyed it. A few remarks, if I may:

- To me Nomos feels like one of a few proper watch companies. With so many brands I am never quite sure, if they aren’t just a marketing department (or indeed a guy on a PC in his garden shed) with all the design and manufacturing outsourced. Not so with Nomos and I like that.

- At least their German-language marketing is really quirky. Limited editions are called after different shades of grey or blue (supposedly the colour of the sky above certain German cities) or wild flowers. In horological terms, this is still a fairly new company and they don’t pretend otherwise. No silly links to watchmakers of yore who have never had anything to do with the company, strenuous connections to aviation (Bremont anyone?) or car races, no celebrity endorsements. It is all about the watch and I like that (recommend the IPad app). It probably also helps to keep prices reasonable. Oh, and no overengineering either but neat little improvements of their movements over time.

- I am based in Germany and here a lot of people who wear Nomos fall into two camps: one is arty types (architects, someone like a web designer friend of mine). Given the design quality, you can see why. The other one is people who want to show that they care about what they wear etc. but don’t want to be seen as being ostentatious which is frowned upon here quite often. So I would take off my Rolex Sub when I go and see clients and put on my Nomos because I don’t want them to think that they pay for my fancy watch. You’d find quite a lot of lawyers, doctors etc wear Nomos watches even though they could afford much pricier models.

Don’t want to get too soppy about it all but to me Nomos watches feel very genuine like not many other watch brands do.

I have immense respect for Nomos, and I own three of them, but the Club just doesn’t do it for me aesthetically. It’s a little too utilitarian to the point of being boring. If you want an automatic Nomos with superb design (and no date), I would bypass the Club Automat for a Tangomat at only 200 euro more. The case of the Tangomat is much more angular, so I realize it might not appeal to everybody. On a side note, I find it curious that the price difference between the Club Automat Datum and the Tangomat Datum is over 450 euro…

Thoroughly enjoyed the review, chaps. Thank you. As a fully signed-up NOMOS junkie – both because of the watches and their remarkable copywriting – I thought you had it wound tight.

For me, the Club is the 1016 Explorer of the range. Quiet, understated, functional – but that’s exactly what makes it sing.

The Club isn’t shouty, but it is made beautifully. Just like a 1016, only a fellow watchie will notice it on your wrist. It has a sort of intrinsic anti-bling. If you’re wearing it, though, the quality is absolutely clear.

And they *are* robust. Mine gets ragged around on ancient, vibey motorcycles, bashed about on the real tennis court, scraped on bits of engine and generally neglected. Yet it keeps on keeping better-than-COSC time and retains its finish better than almost all my other mechanical watches.

Despite the attractions of other watches in the box, the Club (and its Tangente Sport pal) get more outings than the rest put together.

The only problem with NOMOS is that they have a quiet, unassuming, manufacture-crafted way of becoming addictive. I’m wondering how long it would take an old Russian motorcycle & sidecar to clatter from the Cotswolds to Glashütte to pick up more supplies and catch a workshop tour.

And NOMOS are a serious business; offer me a glass of something decent and I’ll come along and bore your viewers to a blank-stared standstill about how far ahead of the rest of the watch industry their brand is. Perhaps the appeal of that may a little too limited though…

If you’re dithering about buying a NOMOS, stop it now. Do it. My prediction is they’re a potential cult-brand – but with a backbone.

Such beautiful watches. ‘Six’ really had to stretch it to find something negative to say about them. The gap between strap and case is too wide? The gorgeous Horween Shell Cordovan leather is too shiny? The restrained style is TOO restrained? Seriously?? C’mon guys, admit it! There is nothing bad to say about these watches. Making stuff up for the sake of having something negative to say doesn’t help one’s credibility as a serious watch reviewer. Sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don’t think for a second that ‘Six’ actually believes what he was saying. An honest opinion is one thing. That I can respect. But just making sh*t up is another….and that, gentlemen, is MY honest opinion.

well I am too ready to purchase a club. But because I can’t find a store in my country to see the watches how they look in my wrist I must order from their site, and I can’t decide about the dial. I want a good sport watch. I like very much the colours of the white club, but I like also the luminova dial of the Dunkel and the sapphire back. I find also the dark dial more sport but maybe the white has more sophisticated colours.
if the white had luminova dial then I would had no doubt which to order..
any opinions? or even better some photos of the dunkel and the white in your wrist??
By the way my face colours are light.