Hands-On The Nomos Glashütte Ahoi Neomatik 38 Date In White

Upon first glance at the Ahoi, it's clear that this isn't a dive watch — so we won't refer to it as such, even though the model's name and 200-meter water resistance suggest that it's a watch designed for underwater use. Its familiar long, thin lugs and essentially bezel-less case evoke the classic Tangente, but slightly bolder proportions, complete with crown guards, indicate that it's built for a bit more than the classic dress watch. The Ahoi, in its 38.5mm wide and 9.9mm tall stainless steel case, is water resistant to 200 meters with a screw down crown.

Other white dial variations of the smaller 36mm Ahoi neomatik are already featured in the catalogue, alongside a similar-looking colorway with a silver-white dial and a very stark "siren white" version. However, the combination of the accents for this larger Ahoi yields something slightly different. The softly diffused silver-plated white dial for this Ahoi is contrasted by a rich red small seconds hand in the subdial located above the six o'clock position. At the same time, the "neomatik" signature under the brand's logo is printed in a subtle metallic gold. Completing the trio of colorful accents are the hour and minute hands, which are filled with a pale blue Super-LumiNova for easy legibility. 

Replacing the printed three o'clock index is the oversized date window, one of my favorite touches of the Ahoi date. It's highly legible and the typeface proportions work wonderfully to fill in that extra space. An interesting quirk of the Nomos quick-change date system is its ability to cycle forwards or backwards, theoretically making any change around the date wheel even quicker than usual.

When you flip the watch over, you get a full view of the DUW 6101 automatic movement. It is sized very nicely to the case, with the caliber filling out most of the caseback. This in-house caliber features a 42-hour power reserve, a beat rate of 21,600 VpH, and Nomos' in-house designed and built Swing System escapement. Although the caliber has been used since 2018, the DUW 6101 continues to showcase the brand's ability to offer movements that are both thinner (at 3.6mm high) and better finished than most other in-house calibers at this price point.

On the wrist, the Ahoi Date wears larger, perhaps closer to what feels like a 40mm watch. The lugs are short, but don't quite hug your wrist, resulting in the case sitting higher than expected. When combined with the all-dial proportions of the front of the watch, you get a watch that is optically much larger than the measurements on paper would suggest. But for those like me who feel that this is a bit larger than expected, it's a good time to remember this is precisely why Nomos' date-windowless Ahoi option remains a great option at 36mm.

I've always been a fan of the Sky and Sand models that kicked off this collection, but having the white dial join the lineup offers perhaps the most traditional, Teutonic Nomos styling for one of its more adventurous (at least in intent) watches. Priced at $4,460, this new Ahoi offers something very compelling as an alternative to the wave (no pun intended) of Swiss dive watches provided at this price point, for those who pick Bauhaus over a bezel and are looking to take a well-designed piece of German watchmaking into the water.

For more, visit Nomos online.