It appeared like virtually in a single day, Nodus watches had been in every single place. It went from being a model that operated on the fringes of social media to 1 that you simply see each time you open Instagram. I tend to be skeptical when issues like that occur. Nodus, nevertheless, deserves consideration. Debuting again in 2017 with its Trieste diver, the model has put forth a concerted effort to make uniqu, high-quality, reasonably priced timepieces that stand on their very own deserves. Nodus makes an effort to discover completely different elements of watch design with its releases. The Duality, Nodus’ most up-to-date launch, examines depth and dimension on its dial by combining sandwich dials with utilized parts.
Nodus Duality Case
The Duality is available in a 40mm 316L stainless-steel case. That is fairly easy for a watch of this caliber, though once you get it on the wrist, you discover that the Duality has a luster unfamiliar at this value level. I feel that is due primarily to the polished bezel, polished handset, and utilized indices. If you’re carrying this watch, it dances by way of the sunshine like a small mirror.
The case itself has a fairly easy “delicate” brushed end throughout the tops of the lugs and alongside the edges. There’s a large polished bevel separating the 2, which additionally lends itself to the above “lustrous” assertion.
Amongst these many optimistic elements, there are some sharp edges, primarily the place the lugs terminate. When it’s on the wrist, the problem isn’t super-noticeable, and at this value level, I suppose it’s one thing to be anticipated.
Flipping the watch over, you might be greeted by a easy screw-down caseback with a captivating half-circle polished reduction. I actually like this, and the design can also be on the second crown. The polished half-circle design is a play on the “duality” motif; it’s price tacking on right here that the Duality is rated to a full 300m.
Talking concerning the crowns, there are two. It is a “compressor-style,” watch. The highest crown at roughly 2 o’clock adjusts the interior bezel. The crown at three:30 winds the watch and units the time. One factor I’ve seen is that it’s good to be very intentional when screwing down the bezel adjustment crown. In any other case, it doesn’t absolutely disengage the mechanism, and it’ll transfer it a hair when you’re screwing it down. Not a giant deal, however price mentioning.
The Motion
Nodus selected the Miyota 9015 for the Duality. This appears completely fantastic to me — 24 jewels and a 28,800 BPH motion. That is usually regarded as a less expensive various to a Swiss motion. Whereas this could be the case, I’ve owned a number of watches with Miyota 90XX actions, and so they at all times carry out excellently.
Maintaining price in thoughts, these Dualities are simply $700. I imagine that’s a extremely enticing entry-level value level — the incorporation of a Swiss Sellita or ETA motion would possible bump the worth of this piece into a special class.
Nodus Duality Dial
The dial is the place the Duality actually hits its stride. The watch has two crowns, is obtainable in two colours, and has a double-layered dial. I’d personally argue that there are three layers to the Duality’s dial, nevertheless. The hour markers are utilized, however the facilities that will normally be crammed with lume are reduce out within the model of a sandwich dial. The lume is beneath. As you may think about, this delivers an unlimited quantity of visible curiosity. The sacrifice, nevertheless, appears to be the lume depth. I’d guess that it has to do with the publicity the luminescent paint will get to the sunshine.
The sapphire crystal is kind of fascinating, as nicely. There’s a pointy bevel alongside the edges of the crystal that lead right into a flat airplane. One of the best ways to consider it will be someplace in between a boxed sapphire crystal and a domed crystal. This crystal provides to the sparkliness of the watch itself. The bevel catches the sunshine actually properly, however the flat middle portion cuts down on any potential distortion. That is clear within the photos.
The chapter ring on the Duality has been changed by the inside rotating dive bezel. This watch can also be accessible with a 12-hr vacationers bezel, which might be my most well-liked configuration. The inexperienced painted triangle at zero is lumed and ought to be seen when wanted. The rest of the painted numbers aren’t. This bezel appeals to me as a result of it’s simply adjusted in both course; this is able to be particularly helpful within the 12-hour configuration as you progress by way of timezones.
Strap/Bracelet
The Duality ships on a properly executed 20mm (tapering to 18mm) metal bracelet. The hyperlinks are of a screw-together development. By all accounts, it is a nice strap choice. The clasp doesn’t depart loads to the creativeness, with a signed foldover push-button model. It jogs my memory of quite a lot of the clasps you see on well-made aftermarket bracelets for Seikos (not a nasty factor).
It’s price mentioning I feel, specifically, that the black-dialed model would look nice on a tropic-style rubber strap.
Aggressive Choices
For my wrist, I feel the Duality hits the candy spot in a number of classes. The first two can be mainly measurement and, virtually as importantly, price. The Duality is sized nicely and priced proper at $700, placing it in direct competitors with a few of the heavy-hitters within the impartial watch model world.
The primary and most evident comparability can be the Halios Seaforth (if yow will discover one accessible). The Seaforth lacks the interior rotating bezel however is well-known for its distinctive ending and design. It’s roughly the identical value; nevertheless, the Halios does make use of a Swiss ETA motion, and that’s a worth choice the purchaser might want to make.
Subsequent, after all, can be a Seiko comparability. Maybe not a direct apple-to-apple comparability, however the brand new Seiko Arnie reissue would provide you with an uncommon and but extremely purposeful piece just like the Duality does. The Arnie is a photo voltaic quartz watch that packs a ton of performance right into a tiny package deal and is priced a bit underneath the Nodus at $525. Once more, this can come right down to a client choice possible primarily based on how important a purely mechanical piece is to the client.
Should you have got a Compressor-style watch, however you’re discovering the $700 for the Nodus a tough capsule? Nicely, there’s at all times the Dan Henry 1970 Computerized Diver. It is a 40mm metal diver with an inside rotating bezel just like the Nodus. It’s priced at a really cheap $290 however, for my part, it lacks the depth and character of the Duality.
It feels virtually clichéd at this level to focus on how crowded the impartial watch model panorama is. It’s true, although, and it takes one thing particular to face out. Generally, the particular one thing is a design that speaks to you, or generally its a performance/worth equation that works in your wants. In my view, I Nodus straddles the 2 with the Duality. You get a well-rounded and extremely purposeful timepiece for exactly the fitting value. Plus, it’s one thing that you would be able to be proud to place in your wrist. I do know I’ve been. The Nodus Duality is obtainable instantly from the model for $700 and might be ordered in both Chasm Black or Unity White. For extra data, go to noduswatches.com.
Essential Knowledge
>Model: Nodus
>Mannequin: Duality
>Value: $700
>Measurement: 40mm
>Would reviewer personally put on it: Sure!
>Pal we’d suggest it to first: Somebody who’s searching for a contemporary compressor-style watch.
>Greatest attribute of watch: The multi-layered dial.
>Worst attribute of watch: A number of the sharper edges; that is very minor, nevertheless.
