By Popular Request: Nomos Reintroduces And Updates The Original Club Reference 701
What do you do as a brand when you’ve discontinued one of your references but people keep asking for it? Well, if you think anything like the people at Nomos do, you bring that reference back, of course. There’s a challenge, though, because you want to bring the design up to today’s standards and not lose the appeal that the original watch had. Well, don’t worry because the designers at Nomos have found a way to do just that. The result is the new Nomos Club reference 701.1. Now, bring your loupe, and let’s take a look.
The Nomos Club reference 701 was the first Club model back in 2007. With its big numerals at 2, 4, 8, 10, and 12 o’clock, its more rounded case shape, and tapered lugs, it was quite a bit sportier than other watches in the brand’s portfolio at that time. It was also the brand’s most affordable offering at €780. Nomos produced the watch from 2007 until 2017 when it was discontinued. But as many people kept asking for that original Club design, Nomos decided to bring it back, including a 2023 design update.
The original Nomos Club 701
The look of that original Nomos Club 701 was called “hell,” which, in German, means “bright.” It had a white/silver dial with dark gray numerals and black hands. The hour and minute hands were filled with a red substance, which didn’t have any luminous capacity. Its color, however, did match the bright numerals in the dial’s minute track.
The all-polished stainless steel case of the Club, which we are very familiar with by now, came in a 36mm size. It measured only 8.2mm thick, and the lugs were, as we’re used to with Nomos, quite long for the case size, measuring 47.5mm from tip to tip. It came on a Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan leather strap in brown with red stitching. That’s right; it was sporty in a “very Nomos” kind of way.
And now, six years after it was discontinued, the Nomos Club 701 is being reintroduced. This is because, as the brand states, customers were still asking for the original design. But in the meantime, the Club has received numerous little updates, and the original, of course, couldn’t be left behind. That’s why Nomos is now relaunching the Club 701 as the new and updated Club 701.1.
The “new” Nomos Club 701.1
A few weeks ago, Fratello was invited over to the Nomos Forum in the brand’s hometown of Glashütte. This is where guests get to see all the upcoming novelties and have a tour through the Nomos facilities. If you’d like to get an idea of what that’s like, make sure to check out Nacho’s coverage of last year’s edition. This year, though, I was the lucky one to go there. And that’s when I saw the new Club 701.1 for the very first time.
It was projected on a big screen next to the original Club 701 from 2007. I quickly checked what had changed by scanning from left to right. But I could’ve never come up with as many things as the people at Nomos make us believe they’ve changed. “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes, and that’s certainly the case here. However, I must admit that the updated Nomos Club reference 701.1 looks like a more mature version of the 2007 original. All right, let’s take a look at what has changed exactly.
Different but still the same
To me, the most obvious difference is the greater visual impact of the Club’s signature numerals. They are still dark gray, but they are slightly bigger and now have a black outline. In addition, the dark gray portions are now Super-LumiNova to make it easier to read them in the dark. Then we get to the minute track, which stands a bit closer to the edge of the dial. You can notice it by looking at the “Made in Germany” text at 6 o’clock. It looks like it’s a bit more squeezed in between the minute track and the bezel.
Also, the minute markers are now a little shorter, and five-minute numerals are a bit smaller too. But the best part is that their bright red color matches better with the color of the luminous material on the black hour and minute hands. Those hands are now also a bit longer and wider than the ones on the original, bringing them into proportion with the “new” dial layout.
The sub-seconds dial now features numerals at 20, 40, and 60 seconds. And finally, when it comes to the dial, its color is now a bit lighter and brighter, and the Nomos logo is more stately. But you’re excused if you didn’t catch that last one.
The Nomos Club reference 701.1 still has the exact case dimensions of the original. But when you hold the two watches side by side, you will notice the improved overall finishing, which suits the clean Nomos design language.
Don’t worry, not everything is different. However, the price is…
Some things stayed the same, though. The movement inside the Nomos Club 701.1 is still the brand’s hand-wound in-house Alpha caliber. It has a 43-hour power reserve and 17 jewels, and it runs at a 21,600vph frequency. In addition, the brown Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan leather with red stitching is the same as the one on the original 701.
However, the final important difference I have to tell you about is the price. As I said, the original Nomos Club 701 cost €780 at the time. The updated Nomos Club 701.1 will cost you €1,300. And if you’d like to get it with a sapphire exhibition case back (reference 703.1), then it’ll cost you €1,500. For more information, check out the official Nomos website.
Final words
I think it’s a shame that Nomos doesn’t offer any watches under €1,000 anymore. But looking at the watch market as a whole, I think the brand is still asking a fair price for its products. I like how Nomos was able to keep the Club 701.1’s design so similar to that of the original, and I think the designers made wonderful changes in exactly the right places. I’m sure many people will be happy with the return of this modern classic and are even happier now that it’s updated to the brand’s current standards.
What do you think of the Nomos Club reference 701.1? Let me know in the comments below.
This is a preferred-position post. Learn more.
