Our mission is to bring you unique timepieces and to shine some spotlight on intriguing finds that catch our watchful eye. As you know, we love watches that are a perfect blend of great value, high functionality, and outstanding design.
This time, we bring you the Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom. Let’s take a look at all there is to know about our newest find.
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH36
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 39 mm
- Lug Distance: 20 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 47 mm
- Water Resistance: 100 m
- Price: $500
Nodus: The Brand
Nodus was founded in 2017 and is based in Los Angeles. The brand’s main goal is not just to produce great watches, but to produce watches that are comfortable to wear, and are durable. Nodus is constantly pushing boundaries, and that is why they’re prioritizing rigorous testing and innovative manufacturing techniques.
Nodus watches are assembled in Los Angeles, which is the site of quality control and testing as well.
California plays an important role in the brand’s overall vision, as the cultural diversity works as a source of inspiration to create a life for the community that everyone loves. As individuals and communities evolve, paths are crossed, and these experiences and intersections shape, well, everything. The name Nodus was picked for this reason. In their own words: “the name Nodus represents the multitude of roads that cross, tangle, and merge in life.”
Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom: Overview
The Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom is a very masculine watch. Not trying to be minimalistic, yet it balances with ease the different elements, features, and complications in a design that feels steady and stable. The deep dark colors of the dial combined with the brushed stainless steel bracelet add to this rugged, virile look.
The Sector Pilot Phantom is a modern pilot watch. Its straight-to-the-point design oozes confidence, its rugged appearance ensures the utmost reliability, while the subtle, well thought out design elements remind us of the fact that functionality is incomplete without aesthetics. Overall, a well-rounded timepiece.
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH36
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 39 mm
- Lug Distance: 20 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 47 mm
- Water Resistance: 100 m
- Price: $500
Dial
The dial of the Sector Pilot Phantom is complex, yet not overwhelming. The dark blue dial has a textured inner circle to fill up the negative space in the middle. This texture plays well with the brushed stainless steel case.
We have Arabic numerals with the 3, 9, and 12 o’clock positions that are slightly bigger for better orientation. The numbers themselves are curved to neutralize the watch’s overall angular look. Numerals and hands are coated in Super-LumiNova® BGW9 Grade A, which has a blue glow. The day-date complication is at the 6 o’clock position: the day window is placed within the inner circle, while the date window takes position as part of the outer ring, maintaining the symmetry.
In order to make sure the dial is not heavy along the vertical axis, the textured inner circle has two horizontal lines to keep the perfect balance, and to bring the resemblance of sitting in a cockpit and looking at the display.
The obelisque (or obelisk) hour and minute hands are a great choice for the design, the straight lines and angles are perfectly aligned with the overall design, and since the hands remain wide at the base, the middle of the dial feels full in the best way possible.
Bezel
The slightly serrated bezel adds to the rugged look and emphasizes functionality. It is a bi-directional friction bezel, meaning there is a wave spring between the bezel and the case. Because of this, there are no clicks when you adjust the bezel to use its countdown function.
You have the option to pick between two different bezel finishes. The Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom is available with either a Black DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) steel bezel, or stainless steel. We think both options look great, however, we would like to call out some important points regarding the bezel color choices:
- The black version makes the watch very sporty and less elegant, and it’ll be harder to dress it up.
- The stainless steel bezel visually blends with the case and could make the watch feel much smaller. Remember, the case width is 39 mm, so definitely not a sizable watch to begin with.
Case
The case is brushed stainless steel with 39 mm width, making it a good fit for most wrist sizes, however the lug-to-lug distance is 47 mm, which could be pushing it for smaller wrists. The height of the case is 12.5 mm, which is a perfect size for sports watches. It won’t feel too thin, and this height will add a bit of a mass to the timepiece – it is a pilot watch after all—it needs to be robust.
The screw-down crown has the Nodus logo, and the crown itself doesn’t have guards around it, making the bigger crown itself the center of attention, which makes perfect sense as with most pilot watches, an easy-to-operate crown is an absolute must.
Additionally, the sapphire crystal provides great scratch resistance, and has a blue anti-reflective coating on the underside.
The watch is water resistant up to 100 meters, which we think is absolutely needed if you want the Nodus Sector Pilot to be your everyday go to, so you don’t have to worry about most situations involving water.
Movement
The NH36 is a three-hand movement that comes with day and date function and it has a 41-hour power reserve. The movement is provided by Seiko, and the Japanese automatic movement is a budget-friendly and very reliable solution.
The NH36 caliber has 24 jewels. What’s interesting about this movement is that it’s the unbranded version of the Seiko caliber 4R36. So if you see Seiko’s watches with their own in-house 4R36 caliber, the NH36 caliber is the same exact movement, minus the branding.
The accuracy range is within -20~+40 seconds per day under normal conditions.
Stainless Steel Bracelet
The Sector Pilot Phantom comes with a stainless steel oyster bracelet. It is one of the most popular bracelet designs, as it gives a sporty yet classy look, therefore it’s a great fit for most occasions.
The bracelet comes with quick-release spring bars, which is a very pleasant surprise and it makes it so much easier to swap different bands.
NodeX™ Clasp
The NodeX™ clasp technology is a proprietary clasp solution by Nodus. With the help of this module, wearers can conveniently adjust the clasp on-the-go, providing added comfort. The module has been developed with a focus on maximizing space efficiency and is housed within a streamlined casing crafted from high-quality surgical grade stainless steel. With the ability to lock into five different positions, achieving the ideal fit is a simple matter of pushing a button.
Pros and Cons
Let’s take a look at the summary of pros and cons, in our humble opinion:
Pros
- The 39 mm case width is a great size.
- Rugged sporty look, but still can be dressed up.
- Textured dial is an inspired design solution.
- The watches go through rigorous testing.
Cons:
- The 47 mm lug-to-lug distance could be too long for smaller wrist sizes.
- Black bezel makes it fairly sporty.
- Some people might shy away from new smaller brands – and we hope to help put some doubts at ease.
Summary: Takeaway and Final Thoughts About Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom
The Nodus Sector Pilot Phantom is a character of its own from a new and exciting brand that delivers a modern and unique, yet timeless design. The 39 mm case width, the brushed stainless steel case and bracelet make this watch a perfect choice as an everyday go-to timepiece that can perform well in more formal situations as well. The automatic movement (NH36) provides a 41-hour power reserve. The Sector Pilot Phantom is a refreshingly modern take on the pilot watch that has the potential to become an evergreen classic.
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH36
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 39 mm
- Lug Distance: 20 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 47 mm
- Water Resistance: 100 m
- Price: $500
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