The Nove Modena’s Striking Design

Aesthetically, the Nove Modena is certainly rather striking. I’ll be honest and say that it’s not my cup of tea, but it is an original design, and in Nove’s defence the build quality is rather good. I think that the dial in particular is rather well executed. It has a fumé grey sunburst finish that looks rather striking in the light, and the horizontal lines cut into its surface break the surface up nicely. 

The Modena has no minute track, and the hour markers are small polished dots. I get why Nove went with such a minimalist design as the case is so complex, but I’d have liked to have seen them use bigger lumed hour markers. The reason being that the dots are rather small, and as a result, there’s a lot of negative space on the dial. 

The polished handset is simple, clean, and legible. They’re pretty well finished and I like that they’re bevelled as it adds a bit of detail to the Modena’s dial. The hands are of course lumed and though it isn’t super bright, there’s enough there that the hands are readable in the dark. 

All this sits beneath a double-domed sapphire crystal that’s got both anti-reflective and anti-smudge coatings. And, one really nice bit of attention to detail is how perfectly the curve of the sapphire matches the angle of the bezel, to create one seamless curve. 

Unusually, the Modena also has a domed sapphire crystal on its display case back. When I first saw it I was worried that it would make the watch sit awkwardly on the wrist, but I needn’t have been concerned. I don’t really notice the crystal when wearing the watch and I actually quite like the effect of using a domed crystal on the display case back. 

How The Modena Feels On The Wrist

This now brings me on to the comfort and wearability of the watch. When I first got the watch I was worried that it would be too big for me, as the case measures a sizeable 44mm in diameter. However, the lug-to-lug of the Modena is only 46mm, so whilst it’s still a large watch, it’s not too big for my wrist. It’s also only 12.5mm thick, including the crystals, so it sits rather nicely on the wrist. 

As to the case’s design, it’s unusual, to say the least. It seems to be a multi-piece construction where the lugs, bezel, and crown guard all screw onto the case. Along with a combination of brushed and polished surfaces, this results in quite a complex-looking design. On a functional level, the case uses a screw-down crown and has 200m of water resistance, which makes the Modena a watch you can take virtually anywhere.

When it comes to the H-link bracelet, the links themselves feel well-made for the price point, and the bracelet feels comfortable. However, it does have a big flaw which is the butterfly clasp. It’s not that it’s a bad quality clasp, it’s just that by design it has no micro-adjustment, so it’s very hard to get the right fit. For example, I had to wear this one a little loose. The links are held in place by split pins, and though I’d prefer screws, pins are what I expect on a watch at this price point. 

The other thing to note about the bracelet is that it’s secured to the watch by a screwed-in bar, rather than traditional spring bars. Whilst this means that the bracelet is very securely attached to the watch, it also makes it very unlikely that you can swap it out for a different kind of strap. 

An Unusual Movement

To make it tick, the Nove Modena uses a Ronda R150 automatic movement, which is a calibre you don’t often see. Indeed, this is the first time I’ve gotten hands-on with a watch that uses the movement, and it seems pretty solid. The specifications are all pretty standard for a Swiss-made movement, and the R150 has 25 jewels, a 4Hz beat rate, and a 40-hour power reserve. The movement also has bidirectional winding, a hacking seconds hand, and Incabloc shock protection. 

As to the movement’s accuracy, Ronda state that on average the R150 should be accurate to within +/-12 seconds a day, with a maximum deviation of 30 seconds a day, which isn’t bad for a base calibre. In fact, from what I’ve experienced with the Modena, the R150 seems like a good alternative to the more mainstream movements from ETA and Sellita. 

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Nove Modena is a well-made watch that’s priced very reasonably for its specifications. The specifications are spot on for a steel sports watch, and I think that the R150 is a good choice of movement that seems to be a notch above the alternative Japanese options. It’s just a pity that the clasp has no micro-adjustment and that you can put the watch on another strap. 

But apart from those two points, there’s not much to objectively criticise about the watch, and the Nove Modena will be a good pick for anyone after an affordable steel sports watch that’s visually rather different from the usual choices. 

You can read more about the Modena on Nove’s website here. 

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The specs

• Dimensions: 50mm diameter x 13.2mm height x 60.8mm lug to lug
• Weight: 127g
• Water resistance rating: 20ATM / 200m
• Movement:
• Lug width: 27.5mm, 16mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £455 / $580
• Available from: https://nove.com/products/nove-craftsman-swiss-made-ebony-wood-stainless-steel-watch-1

The video review

The post Nove Craftsman Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The key in the statement is “non-specialised diving watch”. Whilst those other brands have created world-changing thin timepieces, they only have 30m water resistance, so not really suitable for the water.

The Nove Trident is a crazy thin 6.8mm tall and has a very unique style too – and when you consider it’s Swiss Made and costs a pretty impressive $320 / ~£245, it’s definitely worth your consideration. Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 46mm diameter x 6.8mm height x 48.7mm lug to lug
• Weight: 149g
• Water resistance rating: 15ATM / 150m (now updated to 20ATM / 200m)
• Movement: Ronda 1062 Slimtech
• Lug width: 25.4mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: $320 / ~£245
• Available from: https://www.nove.com/collections/trident/products/nove-trident-swiss-made-stainless-steel-watch

The video review

The case

What else can I lead in with apart from the insanely thin height of 6.8mm? It’s certainly the thinnest watch I’ve come across that’s this affordable at only $320, with a working bezel and 150m water resistance (which has since been upgraded to 20ATM / 200m, so anyone who buys one now will have the upgraded resistance). So first and foremost, Nove must be commended for that.

That being said, the diameter is pretty huge at 46mm. It’s a bit of a conundrum really; as it wears beautifully thanks to the height – but visually it does look like a dinner plate on the wrist if yours is below average in size.

Because of the slender height, there’s not a lot to the case, but they’ve still managed to make it interesting. For the most part, it’s hidden away underneath the large flat bezel, but the sides demonstrate some decent attention to detail – for instance, polished shoulders next to brushed top and sides, and a chamfered bottom corner. The crown guards also follow suit.

Another very interesting element of the case is the 3-point ratcheting system of the bezel, which is specially created to ensure the thinness. It works really well, and I’m surprised I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s not a gimmick; the spring-loaded ratchets provide no backwards play whatsoever and the action is firm but smooth. The level stoppers are all rose gold plated, which catches the eye and works well with the other accented elements. The design of them is also meant to reflect the points of Poseidon’s Trident which I can see.

The exposed element is definitely intriguing, however, I do find that it can pick up dust and fluff – I suppose that’s the downside to the open channel where the stoppers reside.

The bezel itself is definitely on the large and bold side – they’ve definitely made it a key feature. It exaggerates the thin height of the case, as the entire top of the watch is just so insanely flat. The bezel has a frosted finish, with the numerals and markings raised and polished accurately. The grip is huge and easy to grab, with a protrusion every 10 minutes, housing the larger numerals.

The crown is rose gold plated, delightfully angular, and to my surprise screw-in. It definitely looked to be too small to contain a thread, but lo and behold – it works really well and feels good in the hand. The logo is lightly engraved on the end.

The Nove Trident is fitted with a flat sapphire crystal, which has an evident anti-reflective coating that works well.

The caseback is fixed via 4 screws and is very flat – which is expected. It’s polished for the most part, with a frosted centre disc with details and the logo raised and polished against that backdrop. It’s not particularly exciting, but there are certain things that need to be forgone for such a thin case.

The dial

In reality, to keep the height of the case so thin, the dial has to be kept as flat as possible. I’m pleasantly surprised to find applied indices to provide a subtle bit of depth.

The hour and minute hands are a simple, bold sword shape with polished rose gold borders, and filled with lume. There are no seconds hand, so that saves a fraction of a millimetre. They’re well proportioned – providing excellent legibility at a suitable size. They’re subtly pitched too, with either side catching the light in different ways.

The green SuperLuminova lume is reasonably bright and charges effectively.

The applied hour markers are small, simple polished rose gold pips. It’s good to see these reflective elements as it ensures the watch isn’t just about an outrageous case with a comparatively plain dial. The logo and the words “Swiss Made” are both technically applied, however they’re more of a thin sticker than anything substantial. They don’t look as good as the hour markers which is a shame, perhaps they would have been better printed.

The bracelet

The svelteness of the case follows through into the bracelet. It’s good to see that there are screws either side of the lugs for easy removal, however, the shape of them means you’ll be unable to find an aftermarket strap that’ll fit without chopping some of it away. The screws are rose gold to match the other accented elements which is a nice touch.

The links are 3.5mm tall and have an interesting base. The brushed top ensures they’re resilient to scratches, whilst the polished sides provide flashy reflections when the light hits them right. Whilst the bracelet measures 48.7mm wide where it meets the case, it does reduce down to a more regular 22mm wide at the butterfly clasp.

The butterfly clasp is comfortable and easy to use thanks to the side pushers. The Nove N logo is deeply stamped to an impressive degree, plus I really like it when the logo folds over the other half as it does here.

The movement

The quartz movement powering the Nove Trident is the Ronda 1062 Slimtech. It comes in two grades; Swiss Parts and Swiss Made – the latter is used here. It has 4 jewels, is gold plated, 1.9mm tall, and has a rather impressive 6-year battery life. Some may be put off by the fact that its quartz, but if you want a watch this slim with a mechanical movement then be prepared to spend thousands and thousands instead of only $320. The fact that it doesn’t have a seconds hand makes it virtually impossible to tell anyway.

Final comments

Nove describes the Trident as a watch of versatility, as well as the thinnest non-specialised diving watch in the world. Clearly, they’re incredibly proud of what they’ve created – with good reason too.

I think the design might be a bit “too much” for some; the bezel is a key feature of the watch which you cannot ignore, which will go down to personal preference if you like it or not.

The fact that the Nove Trident is only $320 is rather staggering really. Such a custom watch that is Swiss Made with a bezel system I’ve not come across before at that price is mightily impressive. The design won’t be to everyone’s taste, that’s for sure. But, apart from that, it’s the kind of watch that I love to review: affordable, different, with unique features.

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