It’s not a secret that NOMOS is one of our favorite brands here at Atelier DE GRIFF. NOMOS watches feature timeless Bauhaus designs and they are an exceptional value proposition. Not long ago, we had a hands-on with the NOMOS Weltzeit, and today we’ll have a closer look at the NOMOS Ahoi Neomatik, reference 564, with its striking siren white dial and red hour marks.
Originally introduced in 2013, the Ahoi is based on the Tangente design with the additions of a date function and crownCrown The knob on the outside of the watch that you typically use to either wind the mainspring or set the time [Learn More] guard. Over the years, NOMOS has expanded the lineup with different color combinations and updated the movement as well to make this a fun watch both in the office and away at the beach during summer holidays.
What makes this particular model stand out are the striking dial colors. There is no shortage of black or blue sports watches in the market but very few white dials. Here we have a white dial with subtle splashes of color and accents, add all these together and somehow the end result is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
The watch has a 36.3mm case diameter, a lug width of 18mm and a lug-to-lug length of 45.5mm, which makes it wear perfectly on my 16.5cm wrist. These dimensions work great on a variety of wrists and also on a lady’s wrist as well per the picture below!
Due to its slim design and slim caliberCaliber The caliber ('movement') is the heart and engine of a watch. It consists of a number of interconnected components that work together. Energy is transmitted through the gear train, to the escapement mechanism. The escapement mechanism releases this energy in a controlled manner. This drives the gear train, which ultimately rotates the hands of the watch and keeps time. [More Info], more on that below, the watch case is only 9.6mm tall so it fits comfortably under the cuff. In fact, I had a lot of trouble making the pocket shot with it as my shirt kept sliding to cover the watch, a watch nerd’s problem!
As for any Nomos watch really, the case is very well polished with smooth surfaces showing reflection. The case shape and profile will look very familiar to anyone who has had the pleasure to check a NOMOS out in the metal in the past. In fact from the below shot it could be easily mistaken for their iconic Tangente.
Moving on to the dial, one cannot help but notice the striking red numbers that provide a stark contrast with the white dial. Upon a closer look, you can see the black Nomos print is also very sharp.
The same goes for the minute track and the quarter numbers for the small seconds hand as well. The hour markers and numbers are very crisp which allows for great contrast and legibility in low light. Extra bonus points are granted for the subtle touch of color.
As the “Neomatik” in the name suggests, this watch boasts an automatic movement. It is visible through the display caseback. The DUW movement is very well finished and I would dare say it’s near impossible to find a watch at this price range with similar level of finishing.
The DUW is very thin at only 3.2mm in height, allowing the actual case to be less than 10mm tall while having an excellent 200-meter water resistance.
The stated power reserveRéserve de marche Also known as Power Reserve. A watch's power reserve refers to the amount of time a mechanical watch can run without being wound. The power reserve of a mechanical watch can vary depending on the size of the mainspring, the efficiency of the gear train, and the rate at which the mainspring releases energy. If a watch has a Power Reserve 'complication' it simply means that the status of the power reserve can be seen on the watch itself (either on the dial or movement side of the watch). [Learn More] is 43 hours. As far as accuracy, the Nomos gained an average of +2 seconds a day during my hands-on, which is very accurate.
While this is an automatic winding movement, you also have the option to manually wind it. When manually winding the feedback is on the grainy side (think ETA 2824), quite different from a true manual winding Nomos movement which are as smooth as they come.
Although 36.3mm might appear to be on the smaller side, keep in mind that, in general, Nomos watches wear larger than their diameter suggests. The thin bezel means the watch tends to wear bigger than the stated case diameter and this Nomos Ahoi fits my wrist just fine. With the light case and thin profile, this watch is perfect for daily wear.
The 200-meter water resistance allows it to be a Go Anywhere Do Anything watch that can fit under a shirt cuff for the office and not out of place at the beach in a T-shirt with shorts.
The strap options for this are limitless since a white rubber strap will pair well for sports and any shade of brown should work just fine with the white dial as well.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this one and if you are worried about the size, do try it on and let me know!
Excellent review and gorgeous pictures! I somehow assumed this watch was not available in this (in my opinion PERFECT) diameter. Watch budget appears to be in danger again…
I own the Signal blue (ref. 562) model, and it’s stunning. It’s the kind of watch you can wear while exploring during the day and then to dinner at night.
I think many people would opt for the 40mm, but it’s my personal opinion that that’s a mistake. This size wears much nicer on the wrist. Beautiful watch.