Designed by Mark Braun in 2014, the Metro watch became one of NOMOS Glashütte‘s most-awarded, beloved for its clean and modern style, often accompanied by small surprising details. Just ahead of its 10th anniversary next year, the collection welcomes a trio of smaller steel models: the NOMOS Glashütte Metro 33 watches in silver, muted red, and sage.
While these aren’t the first 33mm Metro models (there’s already a rose gold one in the catalog), these are the first dressed in steel. The cases are compact, measuring 33mm in diameter, 7.5mm thick, and 40mm lug-to-lug, complete with the wire lugs and diamond knurled crowns that are customary to Metro models. Each of the new Metro 33 watches is paired with a gray vegan velour strap, which complements the steel case nicely. However, the quick-change spring bars mean it’s easy to switch it out with another strap. Like all Metro models, the bezel is ultra-slim, almost non-existent, which gives plenty of room for the dial to breathe.
According to the brand, the three dial colors on offer are inspired by the Big City. The silver dial represents the gleaming facades, the muted red dial represents Brooklyn’s red brick buildings, and the sage dial pulls double duty by representing green parks and the Statue of Liberty. Marketing-speak aside, these dial colors are fresh and will certainly appeal to many. Plus, the pink details on the muted red dial and the yellow details on the sage dial — dots on the minute track and the running seconds hand in the milled subdial at 6 o’clock — are a cheery touch. Conversely, the silver dial sticks to four shades of the same color for those who prefer monochromatic and minimalist styles.
Regardless of the color, all the dials retain the Metro hallmarks, including the syringe-style hands, dot hour markers, and 5-minute numerals on the minute track. The dials are topped by the same intricate double-curved sapphire crystals found on larger Metro models and the watches are water-resistant to 50 meters. Driving the Metro 33 models is NOMOS Glashütte’s classic Alpha manually wound movement with up to 43 hours of power reserve. If you’re familiar with the German watchmaker’s in-house movements, you’ll know that these individually-numbered calibers include the famed Glashütte three-quarter plate structure, which are decorated with perlage and Glashütte ribbing polishes, and punctuated with jewels and tempered blue screws. You can choose to buy the 33mm Metro watches with a steel caseback or a sapphire one to see the movement inside the watch.
Commenting on the new Metro watches, Mark Braun said: “These three smaller models are successfully expressing what my original Metro was able to express for me in 2014. For me, they are what I understand by contemporary elegance: smart, playful, and full of energy.”
NOMOS has always been a small-wrist ally and the addition of these new Metro 33 steel watches widens the choice of its already generous assortment of mid-30 mm cases. The red and pink version is particularly appealing and I bet would complement a fall/winter wardrobe beautifully. The new NOMOS Glashütte Metro 33 watches, which are available now, retail for $2,030 USD with steel casebacks and $2,330 USD with sapphire crystal casebacks. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.