Hands-On with the Nomos Glashütte At Work Metro Neomatik Silvercut

Let me preface this review by saying that I really like Nomos Glashütte. I mean, who doesn’t? They produce some of the most consistently attractive watches in today’s market that are able to check off all the boxes a watch geek may have while remaining approachable to the general public. The watch industry can be intimidating even for seasoned collectors, and Nomos is the opposite of that which makes them a brand I always use to introduce someone to watch collecting. Before I joined WatchTime, I covered watches for a media company that focused on architecture and design and no matter who it was in the office — the editors, designers, or the management team  — they all wanted a Nomos. There’s something about the simplicity of their designs — whether at the high-end with the Lambda or the entry level with the Club — that draws in everyone.

Despite all these reasons and my profound appreciation for the brand, I could never find that specific model that I would want to wear on my wrist consistently. I loved the simple sobriety of the Tangomat, the everyday appeal of the Ahoi, the annular forms at play on the Lambda, and I haven’t met someone yet who doesn’t appreciate the brand’s take on a worldtimer with the Zürich Weltzeit, but I could never figure out what model I would take home with me if I could.

That all changed when I had the opportunity to check out the new “At Work” collection during a press preview last month. The “At Work” series (which we covered here) is the next step for the brand in marketing toward a more professional audience. Nomos introduced 14 new models that upped the size from 35 mm to 39 mm, creating a more masculine presence on the wrist. On four of the watches — the Metro 39, Tangente 39, Orion 39, and Tetra 39 — the brand introduced a new dial described as Silvercut with a textured silver-gray color that is created through a nine-step process involving a gold-and rhodium-plated blank that is varnished and wet-blasted repeatedly to remove layers 1/1000 of a millimeter at a time.

Now we’re talking.

A few weeks after that initial preview, I was able to bring the Nomos Metro Silvercut in for a test drive and it remained just as entrancing each day I wore it. I’ve always held a deep admiration for the Metro. Designed by the Berlin industrial designer Mark Braun, the Metro just exudes a sense of cool. This has been amplified with the Silvercut version, with the dial texture ratcheting up the sex appeal of the watch so much so that it was hard to take my eyes off of it. During my time wearing it, the Metro Silvercut even attracted attention from non-watch people, which as many of you know is a feat in itself.

I really appreciated the way the hands grow skinnier about halfway down, adding this sort of uber-cleanliness that screams professionalism and a razor-sharp ability to be on time. All at once, the watch is sober and precise, modern and progressive. The red circles that act as indices at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock add a sort of levity to the overall seriousness of the watch.

Inside the Metro, the DUW 3001, a 3.2 mm automatic, winding, in-house movement that features the brand’s patented Swing System escapement offers up a healthy 43-hour power reserve. It’s the same caliber that powers the other 13 watches in the At Work line and many others throughout the Neomatik collection. It’s reliable and precise, just like you would expect a watch meant for the office to be.

Overall, the Metro Silvercut is a watch that gets it all right. From a striking design that is unlike anything else at the price point to a potent in-house movement, it’s a deeply satisfying timepiece from start to finish. Finally, I can say I’ve found the Nomos for me.

The Nomos Glashütte Metro with a Silvercut dial is priced at a reasonable $4,280. The rest of the At Work series varies between $3,780 for the Tangente 39 to $9,700 for the rose gold Metro model.