Nomos is a brand that is known for marching to the beat of their own drum. Their watches don’t follow contemporary trends, they aren’t running around talking about what celebrity wore them on the red carpet, and they maintain a relatively affordable (though ever ascending) price point for in-house horology. Another way in which Nomos is different from the norm (norm being Swiss retail) is in their strategy towards new watches. They regularly have new releases, but they rarely release new lines. Instead, they put their focus on increasing the variety of watches within their existing styles, adding complications, using different movements and finishes, etc.
Just a few months ago, Nomos exhibited this strategy with the “At Work” line, a series of watches encompassing 14 new models across four existing lines, covered here. All were powered by Nomos’ newest caliber, the DUW 3001, earning them the “neomatik” moniker, and all were a touch larger than their siblings at 38.5mm in diameter. Within this series, they also revealed a new type of dial dubbed “silvercut.” Perhaps the most intriguing element of the release as a whole, the silvercut dial is a dramatic use of the surface, and it’s unlike anything we’ve previously seen from the brand.
The silvercut dial is available on the Tangente, Metro, Orion, and Tetra lines, currently only in the 38.5mm (confusingly named 39 by Nomos) size. In general, it’s a bit of a departure for the brand. Known for their minimal yet playful approach to design and color, the silvercuts are darker, heavier, and a bit more solemn than your average watch from Nomos. Utilizing a multi-step, proprietary (and secret) process, the dials are a steely metal color with random horizontal striations. It’s at once industrial and organic, bringing to mind the surface found in certain wood grains or barks, but rendered in cold, hard metal.