What We Know
If you asked me to pick a watch from the catalog that best represents the small but mighty German brand Nomos Glashütte, I’d probably choose the Metro Date Power Reserve. Sure, it’s not the distinctive Tangente, nor is it a simple Club Campus. But I think the Metro Date Power Reserve embodies so much of what makes the brand special to me—a beautifully considered, minimalist design by designer Mark Braun, a splash of color to make it interesting, a quirky power reserve indicator, and an in-house manually wound movement with the finishing you’d expect from the brand. That’s why I bought mine a few years ago, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.
However, unlike many other watches in the lineup, the Metro Date Power Reserve is a tricky model to recommend to friends, especially those just starting out in this dangerously addictive space. That’s because for all that the watch delivers, it has its Achilles’ heel in the form of a non-quickset date. Yes, that means that if you haven’t worn the watch in a while and the date is off a bit, you’ll need to keep moving the hands back and forth past midnight to advance the date every single time. If you’re fifteen days out, it gets tedious, and there’s no way around it except to accept that your watch shows the wrong date. Luckily, after more than a decade in production, the model gets a new refresh.
Today, Nomos brings a new in-house caliber, DUW 4701, to power the new generation of Metro Date Power Reserve. Most importantly, it brings quick-set date functionality to the watch, which dramatically changes the overall proposition. Yes, it almost seems amusing to be excited about a quick-set date in 2026, but for a watch like this, I’m glad to see it here. The movement keeps the same dimensions as the outgoing DUW 4401: 32.1mm in diameter and 2.8mm thick, which means the case is also unchanged at 37mm in diameter and 8mm in case height. In addition to the new quickset date mechanism, the power reserve has increased from 42 hours to 52 hours. Rather than the typical Glashütte striping we’ve seen on most Nomos calibers, this one gets a sunray-striped decoration found in some of the brand’s newer movements.
The old DUW4401 (L) versus the new DUW 4701 (R).
The power reserve at a little over halfway.
The new Metro neomatik 41 Update in Ice Blue.
To mark this new update, the original ref. 1101 will receive this new caliber (and, to my knowledge, will keep the same reference number). But the Metro Date Power Reserve also gets a new colorway the brand calls “Ice Blue.” A very cold color palette keeps it all in shades of light blue, white, and green, with all three colors seen in that unique power reserve indicator with two discs that turn in different ratios to showcase the passage of time. Also accompanying this model is the Metro neomatik 41 Update, which also gets the new Ice Blue treatment.
The new Metro Date Power Reserve Ice Blue and White references, along with the new Metro neomatik 41 Update, are available now at Nomos retailers. The Metro Date Power Reserve references are priced at $4,500, and the Metro neomatik 41 Update is priced at $5,390.
What We Think
I’ll temper my excitement at seeing one of my favorite Nomos designs finally address its major weak point, but this change has been long overdue. Look, I will fully acknowledge my biases as an owner: if this were a different watch without the strong design identity of the Metro language or the quirky layout and complication, I probably would have eviscerated the fact that a non-quickset date was still being sold at this price point much sooner. But better now than never feels like the right sentiment here, and I’m glad that this new caliber has finally made its debut. Now, within Nomos’ catalog, this appears to be the end of any current production reference with the older, non-quickset date.
The new Ice Blue colorway is quite pleasing, and a bit different from many of the different directions the Nomos design team has taken with its bolder offerings between models like the Club Sport Worldtimer, the Tetra, and the Tangente 31. But most importantly, I’m thrilled that they are keeping the original design and colorway as it stands, with both of these now in production. Perhaps that’ll mean even more colorful possibilities in the future, and I’ll be waiting for a fun new color to say goodbye to my now-discontinued, non-quickset version.
The Basics
Brand: Nomos Glashütte
Model: Metro Date Power Reserve & Metro neomatik 41 Update
Reference Number: 1121/1121.SB (Metro Date Power Reserve Ice Blue); 1101 (Metro Date Power Reserve); 1166 (Metro neomatik 41 Update Ice Blue)
Diameter: 37mm (Power Reserve); 40.5mm (Update)
Thickness: 8mm (Power Reserve); 9.1mm (Update)
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Ice blue or white silver-plated
Indexes: Printed
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 5 atm (splash-proof)
Strap/Bracelet: Horween leather or textile strap
The Movement (for the new Metro Date Power Reserve)
Caliber: DUW 4701
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, quick-set date, power reserve indicator
Diameter: 32.1mm
Thickness: 2.8mm
Power Reserve: 52 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 VpH
Jewels: 23
Chronometer Certified: No
Pricing & Availability
Price: $4,500 (Power Reserve), $5,390 (Update)
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No.
For more, click here.
