A “one-watch” collection contender? The Nodus Duality is the first watch I bought online, having never seen one in-person. In some watch circles, Nodus has built itself quite a reputation. Before it was released, Nodus teased the community with hints, macros, and glimpses of the yet to be released model for a few weeks if I remember correctly! Everyone wanted to see it! On the first day the Nodus Duality was revealed, I promptly ordered mine.

The design is reminiscent of super compressors, similar to the Longines Legend Diver (LDD). I’ve admired the LDD for a long time, but the lugs are just too long for my wrist, so I never bought it. The LDD reminds me of a cat stretching all four paws… those lugs are just too long. The Nodus Duality’s 40mm diameter and 48mm lug-to-lug fits me properly. With pre-registration, you could choose a black or white dial, and a bezel with minute marks for diving, or hour marks for a GMT. Since I’m not a diver and was buying this to be a travel watch, I opted for the GMT. In a sea of black dials, the white stands out perfectly.

The 20mm lug width allows me to accessorize with all my Speedmaster straps, of which I have plenty! The Nodus Duality might not be a “strap-monster” like the Speedy, but it does get close. I’ve yet to find a strap that does not go well with it. I’ve worn this with leather and nylon natos, rubber straps (the white Barton Bands rubber strap with this one is superb), and leather straps. I’m not certain if the black dial would support many of those options, but the white dial certainly does!

Is this a “one-watch” collection contender? It depends… If you are reading this, you probably have quite a collection already, and having only one watch will never be possible! However, if your collection is still small and mostly consists of less expensive or “starter” watches, such as Casios, Orients, older model Seiko 5s and other similar watches, the Duality might rocket its way to the top of your collection and become your main watch or even the jewel of your collection. If you are lucky enough to have a larger collection, featuring a few top notch “stars”, the Duality will give them a run for their money. Mine fights with a Speedy, a Carrera, and a few other personal favorites for wrist time, and I feel that the quality is on par with all of them. I don’t feel like it is “lesser” to any others that I own.

It does wear on the smaller side. Having an inner bezel (which you use the top screw-down crown to control) seems to minimize the size of the watch. The sloping lugs are fairly sharp at their end and might dig into your wrist if yours has more girth. (+10pts to Hufflepuff for the use of the word “girth”). For me, the size is perfect. With a sapphire crystal and 300m water resistance rating, if I was to go diving or snorkeling, I would have zero issues using this one. Both crowns are screw-down, and the overall feel is quite solid. It can take a knock or two (or probably ten!).

It’s seen use from t-shirts to suits, and it never feels out of place. Some would have an issue with a dress watch that has two crowns, but I believe that it could easily pull off tuxedo duty. (Do people still wear tuxedos in 2020?) The case and bracelet are mostly brushed, except for the shiny outer bezel, which is very much like a steel Datejust. The lume is fairly good, and both crowns have sapphire inserts on their end which also feature luminescent material. The dial is sandwhich-style like Panerai, and they’ve even added metal contours to facilitate reading the time. Combining contours and a sandwich dial really help in adding depth to what could otherwise be a rather simple face. This is a comfortable watch, with a good bracelet and very solid clasp. Whether you prefer business or weekend looks for your watch, this will pull dual duty… (see what I did there? Smh… I know…)