Nodus Watches releases the Contrail II Automatic

Nodus Contrail II – $600 ($675) shipping est. late Sept. 2020

Not too big, not too small. Not too sporty, not too dressy. Not cheap, not luxury absurd expensive. The USA-assembled Contrail from Nodus is, frankly, a pretty close to perfect every day watch. And they’ve just re-released it with a few tweaks and upgrades.

Non-gilt options also available with a stainless steel bezel.

Leaning heavily on dive-watch aesthetics yet still possessing aviation design elements, this 200m water resistant, Miyota-automatic movement powered, flat-top box-shaped sapphire crystal equipped wrist watch is… I believe the technical term would be: pretty freakin’ cool. And it could very well supplant a handful of “just not quite right” wristwatches in your box. Because having a handsome as hell daily dependable time-teller is the right call for many.

Gilt = some of the warmth of gold but not overdone.

Based in Los Angeles, Nodus is a micro brand that really knows what the heck they’re doing. Their designs are terrific, the materials they source are often exceptional, and the end products have the feel and looks of something both unique and robust. Especially considering the relatively reasonable price. These are not another department store jewelry counter watch.

Bang-for-the-buck with true artistry thrown in. That’s Nodus.

Oh hi, high contrast.

The Contrail II is 40.5mm wide including the bezel (39mm case width), 12.6mm thick, and the lugs are 20mm. So it’s in the sweet spot for plenty of guys. It has presence but it isn’t some wrist-brick. Hardly.

The movement is a regulated in 4-positions, Miyota 9015. Hacks and hand-winds. And it even comes with a nifty regulator card. The Nodus guys care about that sort of thing. Using the best movements and materials they can, assembling and checking the things stateside, and doing their best to keep the price reasonable.

Mr. Sandman.

If past is prologue, that means the bracelet should be exceptional. Nodus makes some of the best bracelets on the market, no matter the cost. Solid H-links. Beveled edges. None of the goofy flash of top side chromed out links or inserts. Straight forward. Tool-like. Handsome without flexing.

Black with the optional stainless bezel insert.
Sapphire insert is shown at the very top of the post.

Water resistance is 200m. And that’s plenty. The bezel is a 12-hour, dual-time bezel, which helps you tell the time in a 2nd time zone (here’s a demo on how, on a different watch). Comes with either a sapphire insert, or a stainless steel insert, depending on the model (gilt options are limited to sapphire to prevent a clash between indices and bezel). The date window has moved to the bottom of the dial, at 6 o’clock, and really balances out the look. And that date window is anything but forgotten. Colors have been picked to match, and instead of a basic square cutout, they angled the lines for a subtle trapezoid, complete with a reinforced frame around the edge.

Gilt and blue

Yes they sometimes use a pre-order model (pay now, watches ship later), but with Nodus, the time frame is reasonable. Estimated shipping is late September. And that bit of leeway truly does also allow the very, very small team at Nodus to do all the work they want to do. (Assembling in the US, testing and regulating, etc…) It also helps keep the costs down. Truly. They’re not just blowing smoke in that regard, compared to some other brands that won’t shut up about “cutting out the middle man! saving our customers money!” Good grief, enough with that crap already. With Nodus it’s not a marketing point. It’s a necessity.

Pre-orders are live now. Five different color schemes to pick from. And again, shipping is estimated for late September. We’ll do our best to get hands on with one. But with a couple of in-person Nodus looks already in the books, this one seems like a pretty safe bet.

Welcome “back” to the new and improved Contrail II from Nodus.

The textured “sand” dial specific to that colorway, plus a stainless bezel option.