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Nomos Glashütte Metro 38 Datum
Ref. 1102
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Stepping up in Nomos Glashütte's range
The Metro 38 Datum begins as a revision of a 37mm design by Mark Braun that won considerable attention on its release — the original Metro 38 Datum drops the power reserve indicator that appeared on that watch, and the freed dial space allows a more balanced arrangement around the oversized date window at six o'clock. The DUW 4101 inside is hand-wound and regulated across six positions, with Nomos's proprietary swing system at its heart — an in-house escapement built in Glashütte that gives the movement a tempered blue balance spring made entirely on their own premises. At 7.8mm thick, the case sits flat enough on the wrist to disappear beneath a shirt cuff, which for a dress watch with this much going on mechanically is a real achievement. The wire-style lugs and narrow bezel make 38.5mm read larger than it measures, while the galvanised silver dial with its fine mint-green dot indices and a single red accent on the small seconds hand rewards close attention without competing for it. The strap is Shell Cordovan from Horween, one of the few leathers that softens in texture with wear rather than simply ageing, and the quick-change spring bars mean swapping it takes seconds.
- Reference
- 1102
- Brand
- Nomos Glashütte
- Collection
- Metro
- Case size
- 38.5mm
- Case thickness
- 7.8mm
- Lug width
- 19mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- DUW 4101
- Functions
- Date, Small seconds, Power reserve indicator
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45.3mm
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
Learn more about Nomos Glashütte
Roland Schwertner, a photographer and computer technician from Düsseldorf with no watchmaking background, registered Nomos in Glashütte in January 1990 — two months after the Berlin Wall fell and before German reunification was complete. The town's watchmaking infrastructure had been state-owned for four decades and was suddenly available.
The design language was settled from the start and has barely moved: Bauhaus in the strict sense, drawing on the Dessau school's functionalism. Sans-serif numerals, no applied ornament, no unnecessary line, and dial layouts where every element earns its place. The Tangente, one of the first models, remains the flagship and looks the same today.
The technical ambition came later and was considerable for a company of its size. Nomos moved from modified Swiss ébauches to its own Alpha calibre, then to the DUW family, and in 2014 introduced the swing system — a proprietary escapement with an in-house hairspring, the component almost no independent manufacturer makes. Fewer than a dozen companies worldwide produce their own hairsprings.
The house is still independent, still based in a converted railway station in Glashütte, with design offices in Berlin. It occupies unusual territory: in-house movements and German finishing at prices closer to Swiss mid-range brands using bought-in calibres, which has made it the most common entry point into serious German watchmaking.
- 1990
- Roland Schwertner founds Nomos in Glashütte.
- 1992
- The Tangente launches and defines the house style.
- 2005
- Production shifts to in-house movements.
- 2014
- The swing system escapement with in-house hairspring is introduced.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,355), Leather Strap Watches (1,083), Silver Dial Watches (743) and Dress Watches (548).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 38.5mm suits most wrists
- 7.8mm is unusually slim for a 38.5mm case
- 45.3mm lug-to-lug keeps the 38.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Nomos Glashütte Metro 38 Datum alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 1102 | L29604782 | R32193018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,920 | £3,350 | £2,120 |
| Case size | 38.5mm | 41mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 30m | 100m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 68 hours | 80 hours |
| This watch |
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|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
19mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45.3mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38.5mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £2,920. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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