Sunday Morning Showdown: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Vs. Tudor Black Bay Pro
It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time for a nice cup of coffee and an early morning watch battle. But as this is the last Sunday before Christmas, this will be the last Sunday Morning Showdown of the year. Next week, Jorg will look back at some of the most remarkable showdowns of 2025 to see which watches were gloriously triumphant and which ones bit the dust. Before that, though, we have one last battle to go. In today’s matchup, the Tudor Black Bay Pro goes up against the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. Both come in at less than €4.5k and are great travel watches. It’s time to find out which of the two will be crowned the winner of the final Sunday Morning Showdown of 2025.
Today’s matchup pits two GMTs from 2025 against each other. Tudor unveiled the opaline-dial version of the Black Bay Pro during Watches and Wonders. The Tudor designers cleverly designed an opaline white dial with many nice details that make it easy to get excited about the release. This watch will face off against the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. This new hit from Nomos also debuted during Watches and Wonders. It’s a different take on a GMT that is both playful and practical. With a variety of colorful dials in the lineup, it makes for a great series of new travel watches from the German company. Let’s find out which one wins!
Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…
Before we let Mike and Jorg battle it out, though, let’s take a look at the previous showdown. In last week’s matchup, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Monoface Small Seconds comfortably beat the Cartier Tank Américaine. The Reverso ended up taking 72% of the votes, leaving the Tank Américaine with only 28%. In the comments, the Tank seemed to be an early favorite, despite the numbers suggesting otherwise. The Reverso, however, took the lead in the voting from the outset and never relinquished its position. As a result, it won last week’s battle with ease.
Jorg: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer
Here we are, Mike, in the final battle of the year! Let me start by saying that I had a lot of fun this year in all our Sunday Morning Showdowns. Regardless of the winners and losers, this series is always a nice way to reflect on some of the recent releases. It sometimes results in tough matchups in which I like both watches. Today is no different. It is no secret that I am a fan of the Tudor Black Bay Pro. The inaugural black-dial model from 2022 has been an enduring favorite of mine. With the new opaline-dial version, Tudor shows why the Black Bay Pro is such a popular watch in its lineup.
It raises the question of whether I prefer this new version over the black-dial model. That was the central premise of a reflective article I wrote about the two watches. The inevitable elephant in the room, of course, is the chunky case. But I will not be a hypocrite and dismiss the watch because of it. I know that many of you will choose “my” Nomos for that simple reason.
But the reality is that I had the black-dial Black Bay Pro on my wrist for almost 12 months, and the slab-sided case didn’t bother me for a second. Sure, the visual drama is quite over the top, but if you know that I have an 18.5cm wrist and the number-one watch on my wish list is the Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 16600, you will understand that a chunky watch does not phase me.
Why I’m choosing the Nomos over the Tudor in today’s showdown
So, why would I pick the Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer over the Black Bay Pro? When the German brand unveiled this release, a palpable buzz was in the air. The new models, especially the six limited editions, were among the biggest hits of Watches and Wonders 2025. With this series, Nomos released a travel watch that delivers on all fronts.
First off, the 40mm case addresses a typical gripe that many enthusiasts have with Nomos watches — their long lugs. Indeed, many of the brand’s watches feel unnecessarily large on the wrist due to their excessive lug-to-lug spans. The new Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer’s case, however, has more reasonable proportions, with its 40mm diameter, 9.9mm thickness, and 48mm lug-to-lug. As a result, the watch sits very nicely on the wrist.
Additionally, the limited-edition versions we saw this year perfectly demonstrated that Nomos is one of the leading brands in terms of color usage. The dial design allows for the use of many different colors.
I won’t go over all the different details of the dial, but as you can see, the outer city ring and the 24-hour home-time register are used to introduce various color palettes to contrast the main dial. Throughout the year, we saw Nomos use a wide variety of colors for the dials. Some of them don’t seem to make sense at first glance, but if you let them sink in for a bit, everything comes together perfectly.
The in-house-developed Nomos DUW 3202
I’d be remiss not to mention the Nomos DUW 3202 caliber. This automatic GMT movement is fully designed, developed, manufactured, and assembled at the brand’s manufacturing plant in Glashütte, Germany. It is a well-proportioned caliber with nice finishing, including a skeletonized rotor, blued screws, Glashütte stripes, and perlage. But most of all, it offers a complication that is so fun to use. As I explained in my lengthy review of the watch, clicking the pusher at 2 o’clock to change the local time is addictive.
All these elements together make the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer a wonderful daily wearer. Additionally, it offers a fresh take on a classic GMT that I found truly exciting. Clicking the pusher to change the local time is such a satisfying experience. And if you have clicked once, you know you have 23 more to go to get back to the correct local time.
Lastly, the different dial variations revealed exciting creativity. I’ve already seen multiple favorites, including the Glacier and Jungle variations from the first LE series, the green Vector edition that was part of the Night Navigation series, and especially the recently released purple-dial version for Mansour Jewellers presented during Dubai Watch Week. They all solidified the feeling that I will eventually end up with a Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer on my wrist. That’s exactly why it is my pick in today’s matchup.
Mike: Tudor Black Bay Pro
Admittedly, it’s a cool time when Nomos is producing a watch that can take on a Tudor. In this battle, the new Nomos Worldtimer is pitted against the Tudor Black Bay Pro. The watches both excel in displaying a second time zone, although each uses a different method. For the Nomos, a focus on displaying cities with an internal rotating bezel brings us back to a different era. The Tudor, however, uses the more familiar 24-hour bezel.
It’s a family affair
Whether one chooses the black or opaline dial, the Black Bay Pro is a dead ringer for the vintage Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655. However, unlike that watch, which basically showed whether a spelunker was cave-dwelling during the night or day, the Tudor is a full-fat traveler GMT. This means that the manufacture Kenissi MT5652 automatic movement has an independently adjustable 12-hour hand that makes one-hour jumps.
Design-wise, as mentioned, the watch channels an older Explorer II. That said, there are enough Tudor-specific cues to differentiate it. Features like the snowflake-shaped 12- and 24-hour hands are typical of the brand. Plus, as much as we would have loved to have seen a light-dialed 1655, Tudor came through with this variant in 2025.
Other niceties
Despite its position in the semi-affordable luxury segment, Tudor famously offers high levels of value. The aforementioned movement is a COSC-certified chronometer with a 70-hour power reserve. Additionally, like the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, the Tudor Black Bay Pro is available on several straps or a bracelet.
The latter is slightly controversial with its faux-riveted links, but it is beautifully finished. It also comes with a toolless micro-adjustment system in the clasp. Finally, from a functional perspective, the watch has a 200m depth rating, which is double that of the Nomos.
A great everyday watch
Owners love their Tudor watches, and the Black Bay Pro has proven popular. With its 39mm diameter, the watch is immediately attractive to many. What causes some consternation is its 14.6mm thickness. Mind you, this includes a domed sapphire crystal, but it’s still a decidedly thicker watch than the Nomos. Is it a deal-breaker? I think it depends on whether a prospective buyer wants a sportier watch with more robust capabilities or if a more eccentric model is of interest. Pricing-wise, the two are close, with the Tudor coming in at €4,440, which is €500 more than the Nomos (oddly, the Tudor is less expensive than its competitor in the UK).
Time to choose
Like many of our Sunday Morning Showdowns, there’s no wrong choice. Still, a vote must be cast, and one of our combatants will lose. Will you opt for the classic Tudor Black Bay Pro or the surprising, inventive, and colorful Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer? Let us know which one you chose and why in the comments section below.
