The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black Collection

Mainly known for its discreet, minimalist Bauhaus-inspired watches with a slight twist, German brand Nomos has recently revealed a more creative and colourful side, with bold and bright funky models such as the Club Campus or the Club Sport. But not every collection has to be like this in Glashütte. The Orion collection, in particular, has a sleek, sophisticated and dressier vibe. And today, with the latest collection, a black model with gold accents enters the ballroom, donning an almost tuxedo-like look. Black is back, with the New Black.

For obvious reasons, and in addition to a variety of colourful models, Nomos watches have long been associated with silver-plated dials with blue accents. Indeed, when it presented its four inaugural watches in 1992, all of them featured minimalist silvered dials. One of them, alongside the classic Tangente, the square-shaped Tetra and the retro-styled Ludwig, was the Orion, a watch with a slim elongated case and a toned-down but sophisticated dial. Surprisingly, after 32 years, the original design remains untouched. And with age, this collection has gained confidence and wants to attend grown-up events… Black tie outfit at the opera? Yes, please. Tuxedo and gala dinner? Sure. Other watches from Glashütte are now invited to the Semperoper or Dresden Opera.

The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black Collection is built around a single design, available in three different sizes, and meant for both genders. But you’ll see that if the shape and movements are (almost) identical, some tiny little details on the dial reveal their true personality. All New Black Orion watches rely on the classic “lens-shaped” case design, with a soft central case with almost no bezel and elongated, slim lugs – beware, these watches wear larger than the diameter suggests. All of them are relatively compact, though, and considering their dressy vocation, thinness was key.

Another common point of all three models is the matte black galvanised dial with either silver or gold accents – or both at the same time. These watches rely on thin central hands for the hours and minutes, as well as a small seconds sub-dial elegantly located at 6 o’clock. Finally, in line with the black tie outfit, these come on a black Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan strap with tone-on-tone stitching.

Going into the details of each model, we start with the most compact of them all, the Orion Neomatik New Black. This version has a 36.4mm case with a height of only 8.5mm. The fully polished case features sapphire crystals on both sides. The black dial is punctuated by gold-coloured hour markers, with all hands treated in silver. It is powered by the brand’s in-house neomatik movement. This calibre DUW 3001 is visible under the sapphire back, beats at 3Hz and boasts a 43h power reserve.

The second model in this line-up, the Orion Neomatik 39 New Black, is probably the sleekest and most versatile of the three, with its mid-size 38.5mm case with an 8.7mm thickness. More than just a slightly enlarged version of the watch above, it has its own personality, as its black dial only features silver accents, save for the small neomatik mention at 12 o’clock. This version also relies on the calibre DUW 3001.

Finally, the largest version, known as the Orion Neomatik 41 Date New Black, comes in a slightly oversized case of 40.5mm with a height of 9.4mm. Besides its dimensions, this version reveals some unique features on its dial. It has a date at 3 o’clock in a large window and gold accents on the hands and date disc, while the hour markers are treated in silver. This version is powered by the calibre DUW 6101, the date version of the neomatik in-house movement.

All three watches in this new collection are part of the permanent portfolio and are available now. The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black, Orion Neomatik 39 New Black and Orion Neomatik 41 Date New Black are respectively priced at EUR 3,040, EUR 3,180 and EUR 3,500. For more details, please visit nomos-glashuette.com.