When I received the press release for these novelties, I sat in silence and studied the technical information and images side by side for a long time. I was stunned. As I write this, I still am. I’m not sure I thought what NOMOS has achieved with these new 38.5mm Ahoi models was possible. But it would seem, it is not only possible to do, but possible to do very, very well indeed.

Up until this point, NOMOS Glashütte’s famously wide DUW 6101 automatic date caliber (which measures 35.2mm uncased) has never been fitted to a case below 40mm in diameter. It has been seen in 42mm housings (the Club and Tangente Sport models), 41mm (the Autobahn family), and even 40.5mm cases (the Tangente, Ludwig, Orion, and Metro versions), but never in a sub-40mm skin. I had (wrongly) assumed that was because it simply wouldn’t fit. And, although we now know that it most definitely does fit, I’m not sure I quite believe it just yet.

The Low Down

I would describe this release as “the magic trick nobody asked for because nobody realized they were able to.” It’s a curveball from left field. Not only do we have a (massive) 2mm reduction in diameter for a watch powered by the DUW 6101 (which is probably NOMOS Glashütte’s greatest ever technical achievement), we have it in the Ahoi collection, of all things.

The Ahoi is NOMOS Glashütte’s “dive-inspired” watch. It is not a dive watch by any technical metric but it draws design cues from the beach and the ocean, has a screw-down crown, prominent crown guards, and an unnecessary but welcome and reassuring 200m water resistance.

That last specification is, in these iterations, even more remarkable. Why? Because to squeeze the 35.2mm wide DUW 6101 into a 38.5mm case, the walls of that case have been thinned to a maximum thickness of 1.65mm.

As a result, the case back screws are perched right on the very edge of the case and are pin-prick thin. I can’t even imagine how fine their threads are or how minuscule the holes must be, but these excavations of the case band are additional weak spots when it comes to a watch maintaining its structural integrity when under the kind of pressure one can expect to find 200 meters below the surface. That, above all else, is why I find them 38.5mm wide, 9.9mm thick, surprisingly versatile novelties so compelling. They are sporty and smart. They are refined and robust. Somehow, they knit together the glorious aesthetics of the “old” NOMOS with the more colorful character we’ve come to expect from this playful Saxon maker and present the result alongside the technical excellence we’ve come to demand from a brand that has shown how capable it is of being a leader in its field.

Simply put, in my opinion, these two NOMOS Glashütte Ahoi models are engineering miracles. They are a gift to the industry and a jaw-dropping addition to the brand’s catalog. If that sounds like hyperbole, remember we’re talking about a brand whose story began just 33 years ago and only became a true manufacture with the release of the DUW 6101’s time-only forerunner, the DUW 3001, in 2015. In Glashütte, change happens slowly. Novelties are often incremental updates to existing lines. Colors may change but new models and technical leaps forward are rare. Seeing the brand’s most sophisticated caliber now paired with a more wearable case size while retaining adequate hardiness for everyday wear is a big deal. It might make these new models (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) the best pieces the brand has ever produced.

IMHO

 I never cared for the Ahoi that much before this release. The 40.3mm automatic was a bit bulky for my tastes, and while the 36.3mm neomatik model (powered by the 3001) is gorgeous, it was just too small for my wrist. Now, out of nowhere, I might have to put this new release right at the very top of my wishlist.

But which color to choose between the fetching (and trendy) sky blue or the slightly metallic “sand” dial? Initially, I gravitated towards the blue, because it is a beautiful color, but, rather quickly, the sand started to grow on me.

With the popping orange seconds hand, it feels like a natural and more masculine evolution of the champagne neomatik series that NOMOS released to mark the debut of the neomatik calibers in 2015. Those watches were aesthetic darlings of the industry, but with their diameters coming in below 36mm, they wore far too small for the majority of men to consider them seriously. By revisiting the colorway and adding some much-needed grit to it (quite literally), NOMOS has struck a fine balance I find almost impossible to fault.

It is important to remember that while the 40.5–42mm versions don’t sound too intimidatingly large on paper, they are all very thin (relatively speaking). Given NOMOS Glashütte’s preference for clean uncluttered dials, often presented, initially, at least, in a particulated silver color, the watches wear enormously. While 38.5mm will sound small to some, the 9.9mm thickness paired with the visually light lugs mean this watch will wear more like 41mm while retaining the comfort its more delicate dimensions deliver. If a comprehensive, even-handed approach to watch design is what we’re looking for, NOMOS has delivered.

The NOMOS Glashütte Ahoi Neomatik 38 Date Sand And Sky Specs and Price

Movement: In-house DUW 6101

Functions: Time and date

Cases: 38.5mm x 9.9mm 316L stainless steel

Dial: Either sky blue or golden sand

Strap: Navy blue or dark gray fabric

Price: USD 4,660