NOMOS Glashütte Ludwig 33 noirvsZelos Swordfish 3

The NOMOS Glashütte Ludwig 33 noir is widely praised for its elegant, ultra-dressy Bauhaus design featuring Roman numerals and gold hands, its slim profile, and its value as an entry into in-house German watchmaking at $1,700. Owners appreciate the smooth manual wind movement, with some noting the availability of display case backs on other Ludwig models. However, the 33mm diameter may be considered diminutive by some, and the long lug-to-lug distance is a point of discussion, with owners split on whether it appears disproportionate on smaller wrists or contributes positively to the design by creating a gap between the dial and strap. One pre-owned example was noted to have slight marks on the bezel and case, with wear and creasing on the strap.

Owners widely praise the Zelos Swordfish 3 for its strong value, with reviewers highlighting the textured sandwich dial, Seiko NH35 movement, 200m water resistance, and surprisingly good bracelet. The titanium construction is noted for making the watch compact and comfortable, weighing 117g. Some owners find the dimensions fine on paper and based on experience with other models. One reviewer flagged that legibility can suffer in bright light and bracelet edges are sharp. Overall, owners and reviewers rate the Zelos Swordfish 3 highly for its incredible value and fun design, particularly with unique dial options.