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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Nomos Metro Chronometer for Hodinkee, 2016

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
NOMOS Glashütte (maker)
Date
2016
Country of origin
Germany
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 38.5 mm
Stock no.
Product 1603808067671
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 1603808067671)
Catalogue title (original)
Nomos Metro Chronometer for Hodinkee (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 1603808067671), this is a wristwatch by NOMOS Glashütte, made in Germany, dated 2016. The Atlas places it in the Contemporary Horology period (2010 – Present) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 38.5 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

In the last 5 years, a small company in Glashutte by the name of Nomos has become the darling of the watch world. Making their name as a completely in-house manufacture that delivers amazing value for money, Nomos has become the go-to watch for many from seasoned collectors who appreciate the philosophy of the brand to first-time buyers. If I had a penny for every time someone answered the question of ‘I’m on a budget, which watch should I buy? with the word ‘Nomos’, I would be a very rich man. The watch here is a very special Nomos. It was produced in 2016 and designed and made exclusively for Hodinkee. I don’t need to tell you that when Hodinkee releases a special edition made for them, they sell out, often within hours. While the Metro line is a staple of Nomos’ offerings, this, in particular, is unique in a couple of ways. Produced in a limited edition of only 100 pieces, it was the first no-date Metro with a manually-wound movement. It is powered by the Alpha calibre, which was the first in-house movement ever created by Nomos. What’s most interesting is that this is the first Metro to ever be chronometer-certified. It was officially certified by the Glashutte Observatory under the guidance of the Thuringen and Saxon State Bureaus of Standards. The entire process took 15 days and the watch was tested in five positions and three temperatures where it achieved a timekeeping accuracy within+6/-4 seconds a day. As a result, this Nomos Metro comes with a chronometer certificate from the Thuringen and Saxon State Bureaus of Standards along with its timekeeping results. Furthermore, you are reminded of this feat with the very subtle grey ‘Chronometer’ writing on the dial, distinguishing itself from all the normal Metros out there. Housed in a 38.5mm stainless steel case, it features a polished finish, wire lugs and a domed knurled crown. At 7.75mm it is remarkably thin and easily slips under a cuff. It has a super clean design with a classic Bauhaus style dial and black syringe hands. This Nomos Metro Chronometer for Hodinkee has a power reserve of 43 hours and it water resistant to 3ATM. It comes as a full set with box, papers and both black shell cordovan and deep blue suede straps.

Historical context

Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)

Silicon components, connected watches, optical-lattice research clocks and a thriving independent scene.

Smartwatches became the world's best-selling watches, while mechanical watchmaking focuses on craft, innovation (silicon components, new escapements) and independent makers.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Mechanical Renaissance

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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