With Three Case Sizes, There’s a NOMOS Club Sport for Everyone
SHARP & NOMOS Glashütte
Choosing the “right” watch — the one you’ll love and cherish, the one that fits like a glove when you put it on — isn’t always an easy task. Falling in love with a design is half the battle, and a watch that looks fantastic but doesn’t fit is one of the most painful pitfalls of the collecting hobby. If I had a dollar for ever watch that I loved until I tried it on, well, I wouldn’t be a millionaire but I’d certainly have more money in my watch fund.
Luckily, at least a handful of brands have gotten wise to this, and offer watches in a variety of sizes to suit wrists both big and small. NOMOS Glashütte is one such brand. Their new 39mm Club Sport neomatik arrives as what you could call the missing member of the family, as it completes the collection alongside the existing 37mm and 42mm Club Sport references. Each fitted with a slender three-link bracelet, with a quick-change system and micro-adjust clasp, the Club sport line bears a more casual aesthetic that most of its counterparts. Depending on one’s personal style, what seems like a modest difference in size can drastically impact both wearing comfort, and whether or not a watch suits your wrist.
Now, when it comes to NOMOS and its case design, I’ve been through my own kind of selection struggle before. I am currently the proud owner of a Club Campus 38 Future Orange, which “on paper” is a touch smaller than the watches I would typically wear. The NOMOS Club cases have long lugs that only slightly curve downward, thus they have a tendency to wear larger than their overall diameter would imply. I’ve said for some time now that the lug-to-lug length of a watch — the distance from the “top” of the case to the “bottom” when looking at the watch on your wrist — will always be the more important determining measure.
With those factors tucked in the back of your mind for a moment, it’s also worth considering what kind of impression you’re looking to make, and what sort of style you’re looking for in a new wristwatch. The more time I spend staring at this charming NOMOS trio the more I realize that, much like three siblings, they each have their own charm, and their own personalities.
Starting with the Club Sport 37, it’s hard to look at its diminutive frame and not think vintage. The vintage watch scene continues to boom, and the ’50s and ’60s brought us a plethora of watches in that 34 to 38mm size range. Yes, the choice of colour, hands, and indices clearly break the Club Sport away from feeling like some sort of vintage reissue, but that feeling lingers nonetheless. I will say, the bracelet makes a world of difference; even on my smaller wrist, this 37mm case on a leather strap would feel a bit too small, whereas the bracelet adds just enough substance to make it work.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Club Sport neomatik 42 date arrives to make a statement. Bringing the NOMOS Club proportions up to 42mm shifts far from any sort of vintage aesthetic, and straight into “statement piece” territory. On a smaller wrist, this Club Sport teeters on looking oversized — think not-quite-big pilot — but in trade it will be a vastly more suitable fit for those need something a bit bigger. In trade, the 42mm reference does get a minor boost in specifications. Of the trio, it’s the only version with a screw-down crown, and 30 ATM (or 1,000 feet) of water resistance.
Again, pending one’s own wrist size, the new 39mm Club Sport neomatik is the perfect middle ground in the Club Sport family. Not too big and not too small, it easily suits just about all occasions and wrist sizes. Some would be quick to call the Club Sport (in all sizes) a dress watch, but even that doesn’t begin to cover the essence of the collection. That’s not to say it’s not an elegant or well-executed watch; it’s quite the opposite. A good watch is equal parts charming and effortless. It’s something that just feels “right”, and doesn’t make you overthink it.
Whether you lean larger or smaller, bolder or more reserved, it’s clear the Club Sport collection covers all of the requisite bases nicely. This isn’t a case of “right or wrong”, or “good or bad” that applies to everyone. Instead, we’re really looking at a matter that’s much more personal; all three of these watches are a solid choice, so it’s a matter of what will fit you the best.
