Hands-On: NOMOS’ Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer Is the Most Fun You’ll Have Changing Time Zones

Swiss watchmaking is well-regarded thanks to its innovative legacy, but Switzerland’s neighbor to the north might just be the watch community’s best kept secret. Nevertheless, Germany has the horological history, with an industry that pretty much began in the mid-19th century and has now become nearly synonymous with minimalist aesthetics and exceptional function thanks to the legendary philosophy of the Bauhaus design school. 

Launched in the early ‘90s, NOMOS Glashütte may not have been around as some of its German brethren but it has somehow still become one of the quintessential names in any discussion of the nation’s design ethos, which it’s blended brilliantly with a cutting-edge approach that furthers the function-over-form mentality. Now, NOMOS’ already-impressive range has added some more versatility. Among our favorite of the brand’s watches is the Club Sport neomatik, their entry-level line of casual watches, which gets an expansion with a new Worldtimer option to meet all your travel needs. We were fortunate enough to get hands-on with the watch and, let us tell you, it’s an absolute stunner.

Falling in line with the watchmaker’s knack for proportions, the Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer Blue spans just 40mm across despite adding a whole lot more function on the dial. And thanks to the minimal bezel, the entirety of the real estate is utilized while also adding lots of wrist presence. At 9.9mm thick, this timepiece will be accessible even for those who would usually gravitate towards sub-40mm models. The stainless steel case houses an in-house DUW 3202 automatic movement with worldtimer function (more on that below) and is adorned with a very comfortable steel bracelet with quick-change spring bars and a folding clasp.

Cut from the same Club Sport cloth, Nomos has opted to add a worldtimer function around the outside of the dial. This works by pushing the 2 o’clock pusher, which rotates the list of city names counterclockwise, while also shifting the hour hand to the appropriate marker. Of course, your time at home will be set on the 24-hour subdial at the 3 spot. Responding very rapidly with each operation, the pusher was so satisfying to press, and we probably spent way too much time doing it over and over again.

For our own testing, we got hands-on with the navy blue dial option of the Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer, but there’s also a rhodium-plated silver dial variant that keeps the worldtimer ring in blue. Both are galvanized with a sunburst finish and feature white Super-LumiNova on the numerals, hour markers, and handset. While this might be NOMOS’ busiest dial yet, it still feels surprisingly minimalist nonetheless. Worldtimers can have the tendency to fall into haute horology territory but this neomatik is incredibly accessible, but this one brilliantly keeps the sporty-dressy balance of the standard Club Sport lineup, allowing you to use this dial at the office or on vacations without feeling like you’re settling.

As with all NOMOS watches, it’s the small details that really made us fall in love with the brand years ago. From the rounded bezel shape that furthers its stylistic versatility to the subtle smiling whale engraved on the outside of the caseback, denoting the watch’s 100m of water resistance (down from 200m of the standard CS), this is the watch that keeps on giving. On the dial side, you also have the day-night distinction on the 24-hour subdial, offering quick recognition at a glance. The recessed worldtimer around the outer ring puts the main dial on a pedestal, giving it a 3D effect, as though it’s nearly pressed against the domed sapphire crystal. And the glass’ anti-reflective coating helps with the effect from every angle.

The Bauhaus philosophy is function over form, and the Club Sport Worldtimer Blue falls in line with that perfectly. Powered by the in-house DUW 3202 automatic caliber that’s visible through the sapphire caseback crystal, this watch has a 42-hour power reserve and runs on the same precision as the brand’s other in-house movements. Just because this features a new worldtimer function doesn’t mean the movement doesn’t still boast NOMOS’ proprietary swing system escapement and bidirectional winding rotor. 

At 40mm, the Worldtimer is less than 1mm wider than the standard Club Sport, which is quite impressive considering the added functions. And while it’s still 1.4mm thicker (due to the increase in the movement’s thickness from 3.2mm to 4.8mm), the case still wears exceptionally well, in part thanks to the return of the hooded lugs, which create a slight curvature that hugs the wrist. 

If you couldn’t tell, we love NOMOS, and especially love the Club Sport line. The neomatik Worldtimer only further reinforces our opinion on the brand. Bringing serious wrist presence, the dial is both accessible and unique, tied together with a beautiful aesthetic that will make you want to wear this watch even when it doesn’t make as much sense. The easygoing dimensions only add to the fantastic experience. At $4,720, the Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer now available from NOMOS.

Recap

NOMOS Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer Blue

German fan-favorite NOMOS added a very cool worldtimer function to its versatile Club Sport watch line, all while maintaining its knack for sizing and versatile minimalism.

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