Since inception Nomos Glashütte has been a master of Bauhaus minimalism, the kind of form-follows-function design that strips out the superfluous in favour of cool typography and uncompromising legibility. The benefit of that streamlining is that it also makes for a temptingly handsome dress watch. Enter the Nomos Glashütte Orion Gold Neomatik Doré.
This year has been a relatively quiet one for Nomos compared to the last couple; there’s nothing as showy as their ultra-successful worldtimer (only a new colourway there) or a pantone chart of colour combinations. Instead, it’s all about quiet updates. And so, we have the Orion’s svelte 36.4mm case now in yellow gold.
That case feels bigger than it is on the wrist simply because the bezel is so slim. In keeping with the majority of Nomos’ line-up, that leaves more room for the crisp white dial, all slim, elegant gold markers and hands. At 8.5mm high, it’s the kind of slim, under-the-cuff watch that’s incredibly easy to wear.
That slimness is down to the DUW 3001 automatic in-house movement, with its unusual 43-hour power reserve and the kind of architecture that makes a caseback inspection mandatory – Glashütte stripes, engraved gold lettering and all.
While a new case metal might seem on paper like a minor change, it makes for a dramatically different wearing experience. The previous combination of steel and white is much colder and almost clinical; the introduction of a bit of yellow transforms it into something much warmer and for me, more wearable. It’s not exactly extravagant, but it is the dash of luxury that Nomos Glashütte were lacking.
That said, it does increase the price dramatically. Even though it’s a slim bit of gold, the price of precious metal has been skyrocketing, pushing the Orion Gold up to £12,600 compared to the steel’s £3,000 – £4,000.
That’s the case for both versions of the Orion Gold – the doré version with all-gold indexes and the standard version with blued steel hands. Of the two, this more understated version is the winner for me. Less is more in both dress watches and Bauhaus and the Orion Gold neomatik doré nails both.
Price and Specs:
More details at Nomos Glashütte.
