Metropolitan Life: Checking Out the New Look of the Metro 33 from NOMOS Glashütte
The Glashütte-based brand aims for the urban adventurer with this colorful trio of stainless steel timepieces.
What pops up in your mind’s eye when you picture a city? Is it a collection of glass and concrete structures? Or is it of vibrant street life and tightly knit neighborhoods built along tree-lined streets? No matter what you’re picturing, the reality is often a mix of both these scenarios.
It may seem claustrophobic at first, but once you get the hang of the hustle and bustle, cities are usually quite open and full of new ideas, experiences, cultures, and a myriad of opportunities. And just as a city can contain multitudes, there are three new iterations of the NOMOS Glashütte modern and minimalist Metro, each representing a different aspect of urban life.
First, there is a silver version, which recalls the reflective surfaces of glass-walled skyscrapers. Next, a muted red model represents historic brick buildings like those found in Brooklyn. And finally, the sage green used for the third model is reminiscent of metropolitan green spaces such as parks where people gather together.
Ready For Its Close Up
Since its debut in 2014, the Metro collection – designed by the noted Berlin-based designer Mark Braun – has received multiple awards for its cosmopolitan, finely crafted flare.
Inspired by Manhattan (the archetypal urban environment) and its environs, the Metro is aptly named. For instance, you can see the silhouette of the Empire State Building reflected in the Metro’s elongated hour and minute hands. You can also see the influence of the Big Apple’s Jazz Age in the Metro’s signature dot indices that circle the wide dial. Meanwhile, even its slim bezel and rounded, ribbed crown give off big-city vibes.
Now, the Metro 33’s new colorways add even more diversity to the collection.
Ready For Its Close Up
In cities, every inch of real estate matters. Thus, with a diameter of only 33mm, these Metro 33 models are compact yet assertive thanks to their silver, muted red, or sage dials. Moreover, these hues also set off the small seconds sub-dial and petite yet sharp Arabic numerals that count off the New York seconds and minutes.
Additionally, NOMOS Glashütte’s designers cleverly use color to accent the display. For instance, the silver model (References 1122 and 1122.SB) is almost entirely monochromatic, with only a few subtle white accents to break up the sea of silver. Meanwhile, on the muted red version (References 1123 and 1123.SB), its brick house-inspired dial gets pink accents in the form of its second hand and minute markers, with the sage variation (References 1124 and 1124.SB) getting the same accents but in yellow.
Equipped with a smart grey vegan leather strap, all three Metro 33 models are designed to embrace the metropolitan lifestyle, where time seems to move at a different speed.
Powering a City
Water-resistant up to 5 ATM (50 meters), these Metro 33s are powered by NOMOS Glashütte’s hand-wound Alpha movement, which beats at 3 Hz (21,600 vph), has 43 hours of power reserve, is adjusted in six positions, and is decorated with Glashütte ribbing, tempered blue screws, and perlage.
Luckily, all these decorations can be admired through a transparent sapphire crystal caseback (although references with closed casebacks are also available for engraving).
Pricing & Availability
Available now, the NOMOS Glashütte Metro 33 is priced at $2,030 for the references with the closed caseback and $2,330 for the models with the exhibition caseback. For more information, visit the NOMOS Glashütte website.