[Hornet99]

Hey guys, so I've decided to update my intentions for this year a bit (and by extension for 2023). Just writing it down here (and will update my sig), to reinforce my intent:

First of all, I'm not buying the Botta Uno, or at least not this year or in 2023. Not because I don't like the watch, but because I have come to the conclusion there's other things in the "fun but not strictly necessary" category that cost money which are higher on my list which I'd rather spend those 500 bucks on. And so that means those other things are also better candidates than a watch for a reward for my business successes:

• I want to buy a motorcycle. I sold my old Intruder when I moved to India. But now that I'm back in the Netherlands, I'd like to buy one again. I can't afford it yet. But I have noticed that being able to afford a new motorcycle is a much better motivator for turning my business into a success, than rewarding myself with a watch. And those 500 bucks of a Botta can certainly make the difference between a bike in good or mediocre condition.
• Joining the two tattoos on my right arm into a 3/4 sleeve. Also not a cheap affair, certainly the kind of money that would buy a Botta or 2..
• Getting my ear pierced (the piercing itself won't be that expensive, but a gold earring is).

At this point I am not yet making the money that can afford all of that on a whim, and spending on watches is just going to detract from those things. So no exemption to buy a watch as a reward for my business successes this year (as was my original intent), and probably not for 2023 either.

Well done on a restrained and sensible approach 👍

 

[Hornet99]

I should charge royalties for the right to use my charts. You know what it costs to create original charts? It's not free.

Does numerous repeat NTH sub purchases enable free use?!

If it helps, there's a methodology for decision-making I try to consistently employ in my business dealings. It's quite simple - when faced with a choice to make, if my initial reaction isn't an instant and emphatic, "hell yes!", it's a "no".

Hmmmm, gotta be careful with the "hell yes", I've had that reaction and it's been born out of the hype that some watches get bestowed upon them.....

 

[walpow]

I bought my first watch of the year: an Invicta Pro Diver for like 54 bucks at the Amazon Days pre-sale earlier this week. I got it with the intention of breaking it down for parts. Which I've already done. I got an NH35 and a usable case out of it. Just posting this for full disclosure purposes.

 

[Miklos86]

*There is actually a difference between loathe and loath, beyond different forms of spelling the same word, perhaps based on dialect or geography. Go figure. I learned something today.

Isn't that "loaf" in Mike Tyson-speak?

 

[docvail]

Does numerous repeat NTH sub purchases enable free use?!

Hmmmm, gotta be careful with the "hell yes", I've had that reaction and it's been born out of the hype that some watches get bestowed upon them.....

Perhaps, but I suspect that it would still lead to fewer regrets than a process wherein someone talks themselves into something, often due to that same sort of hype...

"Everyone seems to love the Alpinist. Surely I'll also love the Alpinist, despite its small size, being too thick, overly fussy design, useless bezel, and pimp-tastic color scheme."​

​

[clicks buy]​

​

[doesn't love the Alpinist]​

I would be willing to modify my "hell yes" / "no" advice by adding the caveat that the "hell yes" must spring from one's own immediate and visceral reaction, not a creeping desire following exposure to others' heaping praise onto said watch.

I can think of at least a dozen watches which were heavily praised online, only to be entirely underwhelming in hand.

(Yes, the Alpinist is on that list.)

 

[Wimads]

Perhaps, but I suspect that it would still lead to fewer regrets than a process wherein someone talks themselves into something, often due to that same sort of hype...

"Everyone seems to love the Alpinist. Surely I'll also love the Alpinist, despite its small size, being too thick, overly fussy design, useless bezel, and pimp-tastic color scheme."​

​

[clicks buy]​

​

[doesn't love the Alpinist]​

I would be willing to modify my "hell yes" / "no" advice by adding the caveat that the "hell yes" must spring from one's own immediate and visceral reaction, not a creeping desire following exposure to others' heaping praise onto said watch.

I can think of at least a dozen watches which were heavily praised online, only to be entirely underwhelming in hand.

(Yes, the Alpinist is on that list.)

You forget that the people with a watch purchasing problem, are not rarely the impulsive type. They feel "hell yes" for every new shiny thing when they first see it.

So I would turn that into: "hell yes" - wait one month - "still hell yes" or "nah" ? - (and then, because this is WPAC, still reconsider if you really need another watch....)

 

[docvail]

You forget that the people with a watch purchasing problem, are not rarely the impulsive type. They feel "hell yes" for every new shiny thing when they first see it.

So I would turn that into: "hell yes" - wait one month - "still hell yes" or "nah" ? - (and then, because this is WPAC, still reconsider if you really need another watch....)

Fair enough. I'm willing to let the advice as given be aimed at those who are more prone to being swayed by the crowd, and let it be modified as you see fit for those who are simply too excitable in the presence of every shiny new thing.

That said, while I have no doubt many here are hoping someone will "talk them off the ledge" before they leap, in a moment of excitement, I also suspect much of the discussion here is prompted by those who are likely to be on the fence about a potential purchase, and perhaps wondering if they've been unduly influenced by seeing some shiny new thing one too many times, especially within the context of it being praised.

So...use the advice as you see fit. Advise a cooling off period for those who are always finding themselves too easily saying "hell yes", and advise those who seem to be looking for a reason to say no that if it isn't already a hell yes, then it ought to be an obvious no.

Or not. Really, I don't care. I'll be happy to see you all lose your minds and go off spending like drunken sailors on shore leave. Others' suffering from buyer's remorse is rarely uppermost in my list of concerns.

 

[Hornet99]

I'll be happy to see you all lose your minds and go off spending like drunken sailors on shore leave.

We've all been there already Doc, do we need that graph of yours again?!

 

[X2-Elijah]

Eh.
A Seiko Alpinist would be a great watch to have, because it is mostly practical/legible and distinctive enough to not be confused with other watches. And the way it's built and finished, it's a really good $300-350 watch.

Ofc with Seiko's pricing, imo it is very hard to justify buying (and keeping) an Alpinist. If I had an alpinist on the shelf ( or if I had kept the ones I've bought previously), I'd be considering flipping it, just because the nominal $ value imo is greater than the nominal on-wrist value...

 

[atvar]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

 

[Zzyzx]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

Honestly, from the picture alone the proportions look rather wonky. Sure, the lug-to-lug isn't as bad as with the 42mm but it still has the really long Nomos lugs. Add to this the fact that the bracelet has a so-called "male" endlink and I'm not sure how this watch will wear.

I don't see an in-house movement as a plus in and of itself. Rather, it makes repairs and servicing more expensive and for what? Bragging rights? an in-house movement has to bring something qualitative to the table for me. The best this one does is make the watch somewhat slimmer. Along with that, I just feel like Nomos has played out their design language. Like, they've designed themselves into a corner and I'm not sure there's a way out for them. The last "new" design they made was the Autobahn, and that was pretty controversial. I don't know how things are going for Nomos as a business, but I'm having trouble imagining that they are all that successful right now. And, from what I hear, there is a noticeable depreciation on their watches. If you're really set on it, maybe wait until some show up on the used market.

 

[Hornet99]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

37mm watch and the lug to lug is still nearly 48mm, [email protected] me that's lazy design. And then to compound the issue male SELs. This will wear horribly. Which suggests you should try before you buy to ensure that you actually like this rather than just falling for the promo pics. Being honest it does not look like 3k of watch, seems overpriced for what it is, paying for the name?

 

[Munchie]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

The 18mm lugs when you have all those 20mm straps is a bit irritating. The long lug can also make straps look a bit odd if the gap between case and strap is something that will bother you.

One thing you might need to consider is how much you like the small seconds. Personally I like to look at the smooth sweep of a central second hand.

Maybe the smooth sweep of that little small second hand will be enough but it will be constantly obscured at every 30 minutes past the hour and especially around 5.30, 6.30 and 7.30

 

[john_marston]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

My main critique is that $3k is a lot of money. I would definitely say try it on before buying, as always with Nomos.

I would also say these watches and Nomos in general is better suited on a strap.

 

[Miklos86]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

The long forgotten brother of Halfling from the Shire, Halflug.

 

[atvar]

Thanks for the bashes, answering on phone so post may be a bit mangled:

Honestly, from the picture alone the proportions look rather wonky. Sure, the lug-to-lug isn't as bad as with the 42mm but it still has the really long Nomos lugs. Add to this the fact that the bracelet has a so-called "male" endlink and I'm not sure how this watch will wear.

This one I feel comfortable about, there's a good side on shot and the endlink, although "male" is short and curved to the wrist, so won't add very much at all beyond the (admittedly long) lugs.

I don't see an in-house movement as a plus in and of itself. Rather, it makes repairs and servicing more expensive and for what? Bragging rights? an in-house movement has to bring something qualitative to the table for me. The best this one does is make the watch somewhat slimmer. Along with that, I just feel like Nomos has played out their design language. Like, they've designed themselves into a corner and I'm not sure there's a way out for them. The last "new" design they made was the Autobahn, and that was pretty controversial. I don't know how things are going for Nomos as a business, but I'm having trouble imagining that they are all that successful right now. And, from what I hear, there is a noticeable depreciation on their watches. If you're really set on it, maybe wait until some show up on the used market.

Fair point on servicing, I need to double check how easy it is overseas. Also true on depreciation, although that's the case for any watch bar Rolex, really... normally I'd hunt used, but since this is a special occasion I do want the be the first owner.

37mm watch and the lug to lug is still nearly 48mm, [email protected] me that's lazy design. And then to compound the issue male SELs. This will wear horribly. Which suggests you should try before you buy to ensure that you actually like this rather than just falling for the promo pics. Being honest it does not look like 3k of watch, seems overpriced for what it is, paying for the name?

Gently put there as always

One man's strong and distinctive designs is another man's laziness, I guess, but you're right I should definitely try it on, if I can find it in real life...

The 18mm lugs when you have all those 20mm straps is a bit irritating. The long lug can also make straps look a bit odd if the gap between case and strap is something that will bother you.

One thing you might need to consider is how much you like the small seconds. Personally I like to look at the smooth sweep of a central second hand.

Maybe the smooth sweep of that little small second hand will be enough but it will be constantly obscured at every 30 minutes past the hour and especially around 5.30, 6.30 and 7.30

Now this one I'm not 100% sure on. If you asked me previously I would have said I preferred centre seconds, but I like the symmetry on this model, against the text above. Something else I guess I should judge in person...

My main critique is that $3k is a lot of money. I would definitely say try it on before buying, as always with Nomos.

I would also say these watches and Nomos in general is better suited on a strap.

On money, I feel $3k isn't unreasonable, compared to what other brands go for? Level of finishing, general quality, etc. But yes, it's a lot of money and not a decision I take likely.

There's always the strap option for any watch, but I like having a bracelet for the summer...

Judging by the above though, I'm not ruling this one out immediately, the way I did with other candidates that were (justifiably) bashed to hell and back... next step to try and find a dealer with stock where I can see whether those lugs really feel like strapping a pair of chopsticks to my wrist or not...

 

[Hornet99]

Thanks for the bashes, answering on phone so post may be a bit mangled:



This one I feel comfortable about, there's a good side on shot and the endlink, although "male" is short and curved to the wrist, so won't add very much at all beyond the (admittedly long) lugs.



Fair point on servicing, I need to double check how easy it is overseas. Also true on depreciation, although that's the case for any watch bar Rolex, really... normally I'd hunt used, but since this is a special occasion I do want the be the first owner.



Gently put there as always

One man's strong and distinctive designs is another man's laziness, I guess, but you're right I should definitely try it on, if I can find it in real life...



Now this one I'm not 100% sure on. If you asked me previously I would have said I preferred centre seconds, but I like the symmetry on this model, against the text above. Something else I guess I should judge in person...



On money, I feel $3k isn't unreasonable, compared to what other brands go for? Level of finishing, general quality, etc. But yes, it's a lot of money and not a decision I take likely.

There's always the strap option for any watch, but I like having a bracelet for the summer...

Judging by the above though, I'm not ruling this one out immediately, the way I did with other candidates that were (justifiably) bashed to hell and back... next step to try and find a dealer with stock where I can see whether those lugs really feel like strapping a pair of chopsticks to my wrist or not...

I feel like you're making a lot of justifications here and (I maybe wrong....) but it feels like it did for me when I would become obsessed with a watch; I'd make all sorts of arguments for discounting what would turn out to be genuine issues with a watch.

When spending that much money you really need to try it on. Take the heart out of the equation and let the head rule here a bit....

.....also what's getting chopped to make room?

 

[Devro]

Not a bash per se, but some competition comes from Nomos themselves with the ref 741.

These are advertised around £2000 and I'm sure could be negotiated on to get a fair bit below that.

A few people who've handled Nomos on bracelet say the bracelets are solid but not outstanding... So is it worth the extra outlay?

Finally, entirely subjective of course but I think the above colourway has a bit more character. Might the one you're looking at be a little dull long term?

 

[Devro]

Does the bracelet have 'on the fly' adjustment?

There is also some noise about Nomos movements not being the toughest... But as with any comments about reliability, it's very difficult to sort anecdotal comments from actual data / experience. Just something to maybe research a bit for yourself before taking the plunge.

 

[cortman]

Could I get a bash please for the new Nomos Club Sport?

I looked previously at the 42mm version, but it was too large with the long Nomos lugs, and only available with a date. The design, however, is great, clean, modern, very legible

This one is 37mm, lug to lug 47.7mm. That's a smaller dial than I'd normally consider, but with the design I know it will "wear larger", and the lug to lug is fine. It also ticks all the major boxes I've been looking for (40th birthday present to myself, intend to keep this one a long time, so need to be sure before I buy it):

• casual / sport watch
• no date
• blue dial
• bracelet option
• "good" brand
• 100m+ WR

Plus bonuses:

• thinner than most at 8.3 mm
• in-house movement
• "reasonable" price (I mean, it's $3,150 which is not trivial, but that's cheaper than e.g. the Omega Railmaster I'd looked at previously, at around $5k list)
• "Dresses up" well if needed, again compared to something like the railmaster
• German brand when I don't currently own one, nice to have a bit of variety

Plus my wife likes this one!

View attachment 16969926

Possible cons:

• Painted rather than applied indices. Not super bothered, but I'm know it'll be mentioned as a point to note
• 18mm lugs, where I have a bunch of 20mm straps... but I'd wear this on the bracelet most of the time, so I only need to pick up a couple of rubber 18mm straps for variety. I do think 18mm fits the proportions well, so can't blame Nomos on this one

.. that's all I can see, so help me, what else? You guys really are the best at spotting possible flaws in a watch / stuff that would annoy me if I bought it and noticed 3 months later

I love how thin this is, and it's quite good looking. 100m wr is a big bonus too. The trouble points would be as follows:

1. The Club looks almost exactly like this and can be had used for under a grand, so quite a lot less all around. The only difference seems to be the dial color and bracelet, so I'd want to make awfully sure that bracelet is going to blow my mind.
2. Super long lugs for the case size, and decently long for just about any size tbh. Check out a side profile view of this watch. If those lugs don't sweep down very significantly the wearing experience is going to be ungainly and awkward. Like wearing a small platform on the wrist.
3. Not a fan of that oddly long crown. Bad aesthetic choice.

Those are the bashes I have. Of course like with any watch purchase, especially one roughly equivalent to a used car, be cautious and take your time.