Post by timelessluxwatches on Jul 22, 2016 14:09:43 GMT -6
The Minimatik is an all-new watch and collection from Nomos. It has a unique case and dial but it’s most noteworthy for being the first watch to feature Nomos' ultra-thin DUW 3001 automatic.
The Minimatik is kind of a rarity in the watch industry. Usually, new watches are really just different versions of old watches. They may be a different size, or have a different color dial, or maybe they add a GMT complication. The Minimatik, conversely, is truly "all-new". Everything between the sapphire front and back was created for, or introduced by, the Minimatik.
The dial is quite novel for a Nomos, and is part of a trend within the company to get bolder, more experimental, and frankly just more fun. The Tangente or Ludwig turn the austerity up to 11 and rip the knob off, but the new Metro, and the Minimatik, do not. They turn the austerity up to a meager 8 or 9, which is downright bananas for a Nomos.
Well, I suppose I should talk about what you're probably here for, the new DUW 3001 movement. We'll get really, really in-depth with it in the movement section, but for now you need to know just three things: it was designed and made in-house, it's beautiful, and it's crazy thin.
While the Minimatik is new, I can see that Nomos drew from the heritage of at least three models. The numerals, while dark blue, are pretty similar to the classic Tangente (or Tangomat). The red seconds hand and round markers come from the Metro. The red main hands, perhaps the most striking aesthetic feature of the Minimatik, are indeed new, but they actually aren't the first red hands Nomos has used. That was actually the Club.
So the dial takes elements from three other models, but what is the overall feel of it? Well, I'd say it's probably closest in feel to the Club. It's a very carefree design, intended for casual wear. It feels weird to say it, but within the context of the Nomos collection, the Club is the most "military" or tactical of the designs, with its bold, vertically aligned numerals. The Minimatik doesn't have that feel, so in that sense it’s even more relaxed than the Club.
The dial proudly declares that the Minimatik, or at least this Minimatik, is a Neomatik. What exactly is a Neomatik? Well, it's a sort of meta-collection that includes all of the watches that ushered in the DUW 3001, including models from other collections like Tangente.
The most striking elements of the dial are the Minimatik's red hands. Unlike the Club, which uses red paint inside otherwise black hands where lume would normally go, these are totally red. It's a bit of a subdued hue of red. The hands are of a slightly different shape compared to the more typical Nomos hands, like the ones you'd find on the Tangente. They're a little more graduated from axis to the hand which I think actually looks really good.
The seconds subdial is much closer to the Metro's, however. In the Club, the seconds hand is black, but it also has numerals in the subdial. The Metro and the Minimatik both use linear ticks instead.
Another Metro-esque quality is the use of round minute and hour markers instead of the typical ticks from other Nomos watches. These range from a bright blue minute marker to a very thick gold hour marker. The numerals closely resemble those found in the Tangente. They're a bit bolder and a bit shorter, and of course, they're a dark blue, but you can definitely see the Tangente heritage there.
The exception is this lone 6:00 marker, which has a tangerine-colored dot. Also note that the DUW 3001 lacks a date. Currently, the new ultra-thin movement is simply unavailable with any complications at all. I'm sure they'll introduce them in the future, hopefully this time with a quickset date. Still, the tangerine dot fills in a space normally left noticeably vacant on a Nomos and that balances the dial a little better.
So do I like the new dial? Absolutely. In fact, I voted for the Minimatik as one of the best watches of the year in our 2015 WUS poll. The only thing I might change is to perhaps tone down the colors of the markers. They're really small and wouldn't bother me, but I think I'd probably stick with the gold hour markers and change all of the light blue and tangerine markers to the same dark blue used in the numerals. Otherwise, however, I love it. The Minimatik is easily one of my favorite looking Nomoses, up there with the Tangente and Orion.
The case is quite interesting. This isn't because of some strange or novel design choice, but its dimensions.
As the name might suggest, the Minimatik is, well, mini. When I compare the thinness of lithe automatics, I always use the Jaeger Master Ultra Thin Moon. This isn't because it's charitable to my comparisons, it's simply such a great watch that it has become the standard bearer of ultra-thin automatics.
While it's worth remembering that the MUT Moon has two complications, which do contribute to thickness, it is still extremely impressive that the Minimatik is more than 1mm thinner despite a rather large price difference.
The crown, as you'd expect, doesn't screw down. As it is rated for just 30 meters of water resistance, this isn't going to be your go to watch for swimming. Instead, you're going to want an Ahoi. However, for the conditions the watch is designed for, this is quite enough.
The back, thankfully, is sapphire. Nomos is a company whose movements are so beautiful that they should just use sapphire backs across the board (and, for the most part, they do).
The overall dimensions are almost as demure as the thickness. At 35.5mm, it's a bit small for me personally, but do keep in mind that Nomos watches, including this one, wear large as a rule. On the plus side, the curved lugs will not overhang on almost any wrist.
While the entire watch is new, and got plenty of attention when it was announced, it was the new movement, the DUW 3001, that got the lion's share of attention.
In the watch collecting world, there has long been a debate about what an in-house movement precisely is. Is it a movement designed and] made entirely in house? What if it's made 70% in-house? What if it's not designed in-house but it's made in-house? Nomos is interesting in that it's gone through the entire gradient of outsourced to in-house movements.
They've gradually acquired intellectual property and manufacturing capability to take preexisting movements and make them in-house, then modify them with their own designs, and eventually create very different versions like their automatic line of movements. But their DUW 3001 is their first widely produced, fully in-house movement. Even their incredibly beautiful and high-end DUW 1001 and DUW 2002 lack their in-house escapement. The DUW 3001 puts it all together in a way that those, at least not at the moment, cannot.
Nomos took this as an opportunity to make some real changes. This balance bridge is the first of its kind in a Nomos. This design is relatively rare these days, used primarily by Rolex and Omega (and recently Tudor), although you'll find it on a few other movements like the AP 3120. This design is the alternative to the ubiquitous balance cock, which is basically half of the balance bridge. Because the balance is anchored on both sides in a bridge, it is considered to be a little more robust.
Nomos has stuck with their smooth balance/regulator combination that they've used since the company's first movement. This design is much easier to adjust, as the name would suggest, than competing designs like the free sprung balance. There's a very curious change here from the prototype DUW 3001 I handled some time ago. Nomos has dropped their Triovis fine adjustment mechanism, which they use on all of their movements except for the more decorative swan's neck regulators on the DUW 1001/2002s, in favor of what they call the DUW regulator.
Information on the DUW regulator is scarce. In the only view I have of the movement (I had an uncased DUW 3001 prototype, but that had the Triovis), it's very hard for me to see any difference between the DUW regulator and any other regulator. That doesn't mean that there isn't a difference, only that I can't see what it is to explain it to you. In this photo you can also see the in-house blued hairspring and just barely detect its bright blue hue. In-house hairsprings are exceedingly rare, even among in-house movements, although pretty much all Nomoses bought today will feature them, not just the DUW 3001.
The DUW 3001 receives a new rotor too. It's very similar in style to their other rotors, the main difference being that it has a much bigger portion removed from the middle. This is great, because the movement is gorgeous and you don't want to cover it up any more than necessary. It appears that Nomos has stuck with their ball bearing approach, which has pretty much become the de facto design for all watch movements going forward. Also like all other Nomos automatics, it remains bidirectional winding, although looking closely it appears they may have revised the actual method they use to accomplish this.
Given that the DUW 3001 is an all-new movement, I suppose some discussion of basic specifications is in order. The 42-hour power reserve typical not just for Nomos, but is basically the industry standard. The old-school 21,600 BPH movement is also typical for Nomos, but slower than the average 28,800 BPH seen in most watches. That isn’t to say that this is a weakness. A lot of elite watchmakers actually prefer lower frequencies, like Patek for instance. By far the most interesting specification, however, is its crazy 3.2mm height. That makes it one of the thinnest automatics out there for under $10,000, and it allows Nomos to give you an automatic watch in a case that'd be thin for a hand wound.
It probably needn't be said at this point, but it really is a very beautiful movement. If you appreciate a well decorated movement, the DUW 3001 can really go toe to toe with watches that cost two or three times as much, or even more.
So that's the Minimatik, inside and out. Nomos has really been on a roll lately, releasing not just new versions of watches, but entirely new models and lines. It wasn't that long ago that they released two other major hits, the Ahoi and the Metro. Those are great watches, but for my tastes, the Minimatik is the best of them.
Indeed, the Minimatik is one of my favorite Nomos models of all. It's up there with the Tangente/Tangomat, Orion and Club Dunkel for me. The fact is, I'm an old school Nomos fan. I've liked them for many years and have grown with their older models. The Minimatik stays a little closer to the source material, if you will, namely the Tangente. It's like the Tangente's more easygoing younger brother, adding a Club taste to an overall Tangente design.
Of course, that's not the only reason I like the Minimatik. A big part of it is the DUW 3001. It's a very impressive movement, to be sure, and it's also interesting in that, despite being all-new, Nomos has stayed the course with traditional design. You'll find no silicon hairspring or escape wheel here. But it's also remarkable in that it's yet another stepping stone for Nomos or, perhaps, it's not a stepping stone but a destination, finally reached.
While the Minimatik may have heralded the new movement, in an unexpected turn of events, it wasn't the only one available this year to have it. In fact, there were a wide number, from Tangentes to Orions, all with the Neomatik name. So if you're wanting a super thin in-house watch, but find that the Minimatik isn't ideal for you, check out the other Neomatik models.
As I said, it's a bit small for my personal tastes. I always aim for 38mm when I wear a Nomos watch. Nonetheless, the lugs are somewhat similar to the Orion, meaning that they're a little more conventional in shape. Many Nomos cases have lugs that come nearly straight out, which can create undesirable lug overhang. The Minimatik's curved lugs hug the wrist and make it one of the most comfortable Nomos watches yet. It doesn't hurt that it's incredibly thin and light either. I do hope they make a 38mm later, but in either case, this would make a top notch daily wear watch.
