Fears Archival 1930vsNOMOS Glashütte Metro 38

Owners and reviewers widely praise the Fears Archival 1930 for its elegant, vintage-inspired Art Deco styling, featuring a captivating champagne dial with Deco numerals and heat-blued hands. The watch is noted for its comfortable, thin 8.54mm case and surprisingly substantial wearability, even on smaller wrists, due to its curved caseback and light weight. Its pull-out crown is easy to grip and wind, and the use of a new old stock ETA 717 movement from the 1930s adds historical appeal. However, some owners and forum members question its value proposition, citing components like an ETA 7001 movement and a Hong Kong case, with a power reserve of 38-40 hours requiring frequent winding. On balance, owners and reviewers rate the Fears Archival 1930 highly for its unique vintage design and comfortable wearability, despite some reservations about its price relative to its components.

Owners and reviewers widely praise the NOMOS Glashütte Metro 38 Datum for its high-quality polished stainless steel case, flawless matte/metallic silver-plated dial with a sloping design, and Bauhaus-inspired minimalist aesthetic. The in-house DUW 4101 movement with the Swing-System escapement is also a highlight. Legibility is a point of mixed opinion, with some finding the thin silver hands on the grey dial difficult to read in certain light, while others report no issues. Some owners note a slight convexity on the front window's edge, and a few find the hand length and dial's shininess distracting. Accuracy is reported as +2 sec/day by one owner. The $3.5k price point is seen by some as a turn-off, while others consider it reflective of the watch's value and craftsmanship. Overall, owners and reviewers rate the NOMOS Glashütte Metro 38 Datum highly for its distinctive design and in-house finishing at its price point.