Earlier this year, all I was ever hearing about was sand dials. First, Tudor and Rolex released dune, and beige inspired dials for their GADA watches, the Ranger and the Oyster Perpetual. Both of which I’ve handled and experienced on wist, subsequently adding myself to the wait list for the latter. Then the more niche brands followed, like Hanhart with their 417 TI Desert Pilot, Tag Heuer with their Carrera Chronograph Glassbox Sand – and the list goes on. Christopher Ward even has a Dune dial C65 Aeolian, and they essentially copied the Rolex Pistachio dial with their Sealander Automatic, but didn’t go as far as to double down with a beige version.
Nomos was actually the first to the ball, having released their Ahoi 38.5mm Date with a sand dial way back in 2023, and just a few weeks ago now migrated this same dial over to the Ahoi Neomtaik 36.3mm reference 569, which is the watch we’ve been enjoy for some time now, and have in our studio for review. As an owner of two Nomos watches, the Metro Date Power Reserve, and the Nomos Orion, I’m attune to Nomos designing watches differently “their way”, and so it was no surprise to me that their version of a Sand dial is quite different from the rest, using a golden grainy texture to emulate the appearance of shimmering sand under the sun. This is the only sand or beige hued dial with an almost sunburst like finish, with the majority of the other options from different brands in lacquered or matte finishes.
Inspecting the Dial
As I sit here and write this, despite having already experienced this new offering for some time now, I have the watch right next to me on my desk, and I’m occasionally picking it up and checking out the dial under my Amaran 200x S lighting system. As I gaze at it this very second, the dial has a champagne hue to it, with an extremely fine texturized graining. In some lighting it looks like flakes, but currently it appears grainy to me, which is the look from this dial that I kind of prefer.
Now, I also keep a jewellers loop on my desk as well, and using this to view the dial brings out a third dimension that appears glittery, almost like an incredibly fine grit sandpaper with a polished champagne/silvery/golden tone. Looking at the dial through the loop certainly reveals that the dial is indeed physically textured, but again, it’s incredibly fine. So fine, that I’m not sure we’d be able to feel the texture should we be able to run our fingers across it. Interestingly, the small seconds subdial retains the usual concentric circling pattern, which is alsy quite difficult to discern, I believe due to the polished glittery appearance of the dial, which seems to mask the finer details.
The handset has not changed much over time, if at all, and the Ahoi still has the very simple and slender baton-style minute and hour hands that I remember from previous generations, with a generous Super-LumiNova lume insert, and the special part is the fact that they’re rhodium-plated with a high polished finish. So again, simple, but done to perfection with tasteful materials and a thoughtful finish. The small seconds hand retains the iconic siren orange color in a mini-stick configuration, plain shape, but with a splash of eye catching color. The dial makes for a clean and serious watch, but with a fun side, a style seldom executed properly, but one that Nomos has mastered.
Well Known Ahoi Case
I’m no newcomer to the Ahoi line, having reviewed multiple variants of this collection in the past, such as the Doctors Without Borders LE, Atlantic Neomatik, and the very similar silhouette of the Tangent Sport Neomatik back in 2019. The dial layout has always intrigued me, with the skinny long Arabic numerals painted on at 2-4-8-10 and 12 o’clock, each one accompanied by a small rectangular plot of lume above the number, as well as above the alternating baton markers. The dial is overall minimalist, but it’s very far from ordinary, which I think is an excellent keynote of a bauhaus dial well done, German modernist dial, or whichever way you choose to describe this style and era of dial.
Like all successful designs, new variants tend to not change much, and that’s what we see here with the Ahoi Neomatik 36. It’s a tried and true platform that borders dressy and sporty simultaneously. You can dress the watch up with formal attire, or you can make it feel casual it with a more relaxed outfit. For my 6.5 inch wrist, the 36.3mm version we have here is absolute perfection on my wrist. Keep in mind this is a watch that accentuates its dial by the use of a very skinny bezel, it doesn’t take many millimetres of case sizing to make this watch appear too large on wrist, so a drop from the larger 38.5mm to this one here is a substantial difference both visually and in terms of comfort.
The lugs still retain that sharp downward angle, in a sort of rectangular wire shape, which initially upon experiencing the Ahoi model many years ago, did not appease me as much as they do now. After handling so many watches, I can appreciate the uniqueness, and the sort of classic look they’ve built for themselves throughout the years. The Ahoi has always had those sharp slanted crown guards, bringing out its sporty side, and the crown is screw down with a red warning indicator, requiring quite a few turns to get it tight and secure. This may have you questioning the watches water resistance, which is a remarkable 200 meters.
In-House Caliber DUW 3001
If the unique sand dial isn’t enough for you, the bread an butter attraction for many people who discover Nomos, is their excellent in-house movement production. This one here is the well known DUW 3001, with a very good track record or reliability, and a beauty that will captivate even well seasoned collectors. This is the Neomatik variant, of course translating to automatic, so we can see the slim rotor swinging around in the back. Some people prefer its convenience, but on a watch like this, some enthusiasts see it as blocking what would have been a more open view into the mechanics should it have been absent.
I kind of lean towards hand-wind movements with Nomos, for the sheer pleasure of the full view, and I let my Rolex selection be the daily drivers. I’m not complaining though, this is still an excellent option for someone who wants to daily wear the watch, especially considering its very reassuring water resistance and adaptive style. On the technical front, the movement beats at 21,600 vph, and is equipped with hacking for ease of use. It only has a 43 hours power reserve, but that’s OK since it’ll never run out as your wear it, and well take the exchange for the 3.2mm height of the movement, allowing for a very skinny case around it.
The finishing and details of the movement are value packed considering the price tag of $4,150 USD. Some standout techniques include the Glashutte three-quarter plate, Glashutte ribbing, Nomos perlage, and one of my favorites on all Nomos watches including this one are their very well done tempered blue screws. The rotor is also skeletonized, and the balance uses a proprietary bridge secured on both sides instead of the conventional balance cock.
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