A New Club Campus in Rose

From NOMOS -

Courtesy of NOMOS

In the interest of full disclosure, NOMOS makes very fine watches. I've no doubt the designers and watch makers are wonderful people. The folks who make up their marketing and PR departments? Well, if you don't have anything nice to say...

So let's stick to the watches today, and maintain the general good humor ; )

This is the Club Campus full rose, and I kinda' like it -

Courtesy of NOMOS

It is available with either a sapphire display back, or solid stainless steel case back.

Courtesy of NOMOS

The movement is the hand-wound DUW 4001 caliber -

Courtesy of NOMOS

Here are the pertinents -

Ref.720

Case:

stainless steel, screwed
stainless steel back 

Crystal: 

domed sapphire crystal glass

Winding:

manual

Dimensions:

diameter 38.5 mm
height 8.4 mm
lug-to-lug 48.9 mm

Water resistance:

10 atm (suitable for swimming)

Dial:

rose

Hands:

rhodium-plated, with superluminova inlay in white (blue luminescence), seconds hand neon orange

Strap:

Vegan velour remborde anthracite lug width 20 mm


Caliber:

DUW 4001
manual movement 

height2.6 mm

diameter10 ½ lines (23.3 mm)

Power reserve up to 53 hours

Jewels17

Welcome to the Club!

NOMOS has announced three new variants of the Club Campus -

Courtesy of NOMOS

We're going to check these out one at a time.  And for those of you playing along at home, you will note that a bracelet secures this watch as opposed to the typical leather strap found on a NOMOS watch.

This is the Club Campus neomatik 39, and here are the pertinents -

CASE
stainless steel, bipartite stainless steel back

GLASS
domed sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on inner side

WINDING 
automatic

DIMENSIONS 
diameter 39.5 mm height 8.4 mm

WATER RESISTANCE 
up to 20 atm (suitable for diving) 



DIAL
galvanized, white silver- plated
Arabic and Roman numerals and indexes with dark blue superluminova

HANDS
rhodium-plated, hour and minute hands with white superluminova inlay

STRAP
bracelet
lug width 20 mm

REFERENCE 
765 

CALIBER
DUW 3001—in-house built NOMOS neomatik caliber with automatic winding

MOVEMENT HEIGHT 
3.2 mm

DIAMETER
12 3⁄4 lines (28.8 mm)

POWER RESERVE 
up to 43 hours

Back to the Future Part 2 - Wrapping Up the Nomos Club Campus

So picking up where we left off, let's have a look under the hood.  The Club Campus utilizes the in-house Alpha movement -

Courtesy of Nomos Glashutte

Hours, minutes and the seconds at 6 o'clock.  The time keeping was just what you'd expect - bang on.  The greatest deviation I experienced was +5 seconds.  Wendy's mileage may have varied, but overall it was quite impressive.

The crown was tactile and secure, the winding smooth and pleasant.

For those of you spec oriented folks, here are the specifics on the Alpha movement, straight from Nomos -
 Data
α (Alpha)—in-house built NOMOS caliber with manual winding
Diameter10 ½ lines (23.3 mm)
Movement height2.6 mm
Power reserveapprox. 43 hours
Characteristics
Decentralized seconds, stop-seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 17 jewels, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst


Now unlike the majority of Nomos watches, this one does not come with a display back.  And that was very intentional.

Marked with the bare minimum of information, leaving a large blank canvas to engrave a name, a birthday or anniversary date, or even a special message.  

Courtesy of Nomos Glashutte

Now I'm a bit old fashioned, but this is something that I think has been missing for some time in the watches being offered.  I appreciate the desire to display the movement, and from a cost perspective it is sometimes less expensive for the manufacturing process (believe it or not), but what I like about this particular touch is that Nomos is encouraging people to think about this watch not just as part of a bigger collection, but rather as that one special watch that you have no intention of selling or trading.  And if you buy one of these directly from Nomos, you can take advantage of free engraving.  

I like that.

The last little flourish that caught my eye was the use of lume.  While this is a somewhat dressy watch, it is also meant for every day use.  And to that end the folks at Nomos provided a cheerfully subtle mix of lume -

But for me, the appeal of the Club Campus is not entirely quantifiable.  Sure, I could throw numbers, stats and graphs demonstrating why it is a great watch.  But as with so many things in the watch world, for me the appeal is truly visceral.  It just speaks to me on a level that is hard to articulate.  And it took me back to that Omega that I found in the flea market in Turku, Finland back the 90s -

Smaller, hand winding, classic in design, and it just speaks to you.  I haven't had that same feeling too often until recently -

So ultimately, the Club Campus asks you a pretty simple question - do you want a bunch of watches knocking around your collection, each one easily cast aside, replaced, and forgotten?  Or do you want that one special time keeper that not only marks that special occasion, but makes you smile every day thereafter as you wear and enjoy it.  After all, isn't that the point of that one special watch?
 

Back to the Future - 15 Days with the Nomos Club Campus - Part 1

One of the great things about writing a blog about watches is that you get to find out first hand what a certain watch is like IN REAL LIFE.  I got a chance to check out the new Nomos collections at BaselWorld back in March.  And sometimes the lack of sleep, poor food and beverage choices and relentless pace of appointments all combine to give you a better impression of a watch than you would normally have in the cold light of day.  This was NOT one of those times!

I saw a lot of watches, and the one that really stuck with me was the Club Campus.  It was, admittedly, the smallest of the new Club pieces on offer, but I said at the time that in many ways, this version was the perfect watch for most men (and women).  And that continued to be my opinion during the first few days of the review.  

As you can see, the Club Campus covers the space on my hairy wrist quite well.  The face is clear and easy to read, and owing to the longer lugs, it is the perfect amount of "wrist coverage" for me.  And then I thought, maybe it might not be such a bad idea to get a woman's perspective on this one.  And so, without further pause, I give you Wendy Henderson's impressions -

Many a timepiece has crossed the threshold of the Henki home over the last several years in relation to Tempus Fugit's 15-day review. All have been interesting, many simply stunning- and saying goodbye to some has been immensely difficult.  As with so many things however, when there is so much abundance, it is hard sometimes to distinguish one from the other or for one to stand out from the rest of the crowd.  This is not to cast aspersions on the brand or the piece; it's simply that unless you are a true aficionado, it's just not always easy to appreciate the movement or dial or design the same way. 

On the other hand (no pun intended)...there are those which just sing to us.  Something intangible draws us in and it's pretty much love-at-first-sight.  And so it was for me and the Nomos.  I love the clean lines (very Mid-Century Modern) and simple design,  the color scheme, the band, the weight, the look and the feel.  This is a watch for everyday, a truly elegant little piece that makes me smile every time I look at it- and I look at it often! (Poor James hasn't had much opportunity to 'review' it since it's barely left my wrist; a sure sign I am in a slight state of lust here!) Incredibly comfortable- and legible- there is nothing to distract the eye.  Just a clever little quirk of the indices and an overabundance of class.  If Hans Wegner or the Eames' were designing a timepiece, I think this would be it. And as with all things MCM, I have no doubt this little gem will stand the test of time.

 

Saying goodbye will be exceedingly hard...

 

And yes, gentle reader, I did manage to recover the Club Campus and complete the review ; )

I have already mentioned the size, and to reiterate, it is actually what I would call Goldilocks size - JUST RIGHT.  This is contrary to what most would have to say, but believe it or not, at 36 mm in diameter, the Club Campus is PLENTY big for most guys.  The one variance for some (and possibly me) is that the owner might opt for a longer strap, and I do know that these are available in the standard leather, and I am not sure if the velour straps will be offered in longer sizes.  And in fairness, I get it.  The velour straps, by and large, are more of a style preference you might expect in a watch targeted more specifically for women.  Now having said that, the velour and leather strap accommodates even my wrist passing comfortably through both loops with room to spare -

And I have to say that it is a fantastic pairing with this smaller, but mighty timekeeper. 

Courtesy of Nomos Glashutte

And now I will pause as I have students waiting for me and class begins in less than an hour!  But I will be back to wrap this up with part 2 in approximately 7 hours - stay tuned!

The Graduate's Club

It's like I was playing some kind of game, but the rules don't make any sense to me. They're being made up by all the wrong people. I mean no one makes them up. They seem to make themselves up. 
Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock in the Graduate

I like NOMOS, have done so pretty much since jump street.  And while the last few years they have put out some nice pieces, I was waiting for a return to the heady days when they put out the  Wempe 100.  Some color, some whimsy, something DIFFERENT.

And NOMOS delivered on several counts this year, and for me at least proved to be one of the high points of BaselWorld.  But for today, I'm focusing on something for the entry level, something that is a very, very welcome addition - the Campus.

Courtesy of Nomos

And regular readers, fear not!  I had the steady camera of Rod Hess along to ensure that the images would live up to the watches.

Courtesy of Rod Hess

The Campus is available in 3 different versions:

The Club 38 Campus:

Courtesy of NOMOS

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; curved 
sapphire crystal glass and screwed steel 
back; diameter 38.5 mm; height 8.45 mm 

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated
Roman and Arabic hour numerals and indexes 
with superluminova blue

Hands: rhodium-plated hour and minute hands with 
superluminova inlay; neon- orange seconds hand 

Water-resistant: to 10 atm (100 meters)  

Strap: anthracite velour leather, 
lug width
20 mm
 
Reference number: 735

The movement

α (Alpha)—in-house built NOMOS caliber
with manual winding

Diameter: 10 1⁄2 lines (23.3 mm)  

Movement height: 2.6 mm Power reserve: approx. 43 hours 

Characteristics: decentralized seconds, stop-seconds mechanism, 
Glashütte three-quarter plate, 17 rubies, Glashütte stopwork, 
Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, 
adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated 
movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, 
ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst decoration

$1,650


The Club 38 Campus Nacht:

Courtesy of NOMOS

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; curved 
sapphire crystal glass and screwed steel 
back; diameter 38.5 mm; height 8.45 mm 

Dial: galvanized, rhuthenium-plated; 
Roman and Arabic hour numerals and 
indexes with superluminova beige

Hands: rhodium-plated hour and minute 
hands with superluminova inlay; neon- 
orange seconds hand

Water-resistant: to 10 atm (100 meters)  

Strap: anthracite velour leather, lug width
20 mm
 
Reference number: 736

 

The movement
 
α (Alpha)—in-house built NOMOS caliber
with manual winding

Diameter: 10 1⁄2 lines (23.3 mm)  

Movement height: 2.6 mm  

Power reserve: approx. 43 hours 

Characteristics: decentralized seconds, 
stop-seconds mechanism, Glashütte 
three-quarter plate, 17 rubies, Glas-
hütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protec-
tion, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, 
adjusted in six positions, tempered blue 
screws, rhodium-plated movement 
surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and 
NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown 
wheel with Glashütte sunburst decoration 

$1,650

And my personal favorite - 

The Club Campus:

Courtesy of NOMOS

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; curved 
sapphire crystal glass and screwed steel 
back; diameter 36 mm; height 8.17 mm 

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; Ro- 
man and Arabic hour numerals and in- 
dexes with superluminova gray 

Hands: rhodium-plated hour and minute 
hands with superluminova inlay; neon- 
orange seconds hand 

Water-resistant: to 10 atm (100 meters)  

Strap: gray velour leather, lug width
18 mm
 
Reference number: 708

The movement

α (Alpha)—in-house built NOMOS caliber
with manual winding

Diameter: 10 1⁄2 lines (23.3 mm)  

Movement height: 2.6 mm Power reserve: approx. 43 hours

Characteristics: decentralized seconds, 
stop-seconds mechanism, Glashütte 
three-quarter plate, 17 rubies, Glas- 
hütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protec- 
tion, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, 
adjusted in six positions, tempered blue 
screws, rhodium-plated movement 
surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and 
NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown 
wheel with Glashütte sunburst decoration

And the price?  $1,500!!!

Each one has a solid case back so that it can be engraved - something I really love!

Courtesy of NOMOS

Now I'm not entirely sure who Max is, but I do appreciate the opportunity for sentimentality.  Ultimately, when you give someone a watch, or when they buy it to mark a milestone, shouldn't they want to add that little touch that underscores the connection, the feelings attached to it?

 
Interesting to relate, the 36 mm version is, in fact, plenty big, even on my paw, thanks to the design of the case and the length of the lugs -

 And no, Rod Hess (sadly) did not take this photo ; )

And about that California dial?  Well, NOMOS wouldn't be NOMOS if they did things the same way as everyone else.  Lower section, alternating with indices.  It is different, and it is clever.


More to come!

 

The Shit That Killed Elvis!

From NOMOS -

Courtesy of NOMOS

NOMOS has a way of constantly drawing me back, and one of their latest offerings, the Club Campus 36.

Courtesy of NOMOS

While two years ago the "BaselWorld Trend" was for bloggers with beards like untrimmed hedges, the trend this year is clearly for smaller, more reasonable watches.  And the Club Campus 36 is by far and away my favorite BaselWorld watch so far this year.

36 mm is, believe it or not, quite sizable.  The dial is a unique take on the so-called California dial.  On a typical version, the Romans are in the "northern portion" and the "numbers" are to the south.  But at NOMOS they like to do things a wee bit differently.

The movement is my personal favorite - the Alpha.  I am a sucker for a hand wound movement I guess ; )

I hope to go more in depth with this little bijoux if and when a review becomes possible, but for now, I think I might have found the watch of the fair!

But tomorrow is another day...


Enjoy your watches!