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Nodus X The Pen Addict Review

Pens and watches go together like peas and carrots

There is a huge overlap between watch enthusiasts and fans of pens and assorted stationery. Broadly speaking, they both intersect in the “EDC” space along with bags, knives, and other assorted gear. So it should come as no surprise that fans of podcasts such as 40 and 20 are often also fans of The Pen Addict podcast (as Everett has recently learned).

Hi, my name is Michael. I am a new name here on Watch Clicker, but I have been a long-time listener to 40 and 20 and an even longer-time listener to pen podcasts. As a collector and user of both pens and watches, I immediately jumped when Nodus opened its Design Lab program to the public. The Pen Addict Slack #watches channel had discussed doing a custom watch for a while, and the Design Lab made it very easy to create such a collaboration.

That project soon ballooned to what we have arrived at: the Nodus Sector Dive GMT—Pen Addict Edition. I should preface this review by saying that it is hard for me to write anything objective about this watch since I also led the design process for it from the Pen Addict side, but perhaps by talking through the choices made in creating it, I can convince you to consider adding it to your collection.

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The Platform

The design process started with polling the channel members about the existing Nodus models and what we might want to build on regarding functionality.

Pro Tip: DO NOT try to design by committee. Even though the end watch is stunning, trying to corral the opinions of twenty plus watch and pen fanatics is, in the words of one of our members, a borderline “goat rodeo.” I was sometimes pulling my hair out, but it was all worth it in the end. All of us were exceptionally happy with the result!

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Very quickly, the channel honed in on the Sector Dive and Sector GMT, though in our heart of hearts, we wanted both, and when I suggested a Dive GMT to Wes Kowk of Nodus as an option, he did not skip a beat and quickly said that while they had never done that, they could look into it. This must have been around the same time as the Watch Clicker Dive GMT (both using the Seiko NH34), which was also in talks since Wes so quickly said okay. Of course, we (and most of you) did not know that Watch Clicker and Nodus were separately working on the same base idea (great minds…).

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Another decision the group made (that I pushed hard for) was having a countdown dive bezel. I have loved this feature since I first saw it on the Pelagos FXD and have wanted it on a watch ever since. Thankfully, the channel agreed with me.

I am not a diver and live in eastern Utah’s deserts. However, I do a lot of cooking in the oven, and it is much easier to set a bezel at thirty-five minutes and watch it count down to zero rather than remembering how long dinner is supposed to be in for. A bonus feature of the bezel I was thrilled was possible (that I actually did not consult the channel about, so it was a surprise to them) is that not only is it a 60-click bezel, but it is also bi-directional. This was again done with the ease of use in mind instead of conforming to traditional dive watch standards.

And let me tell you, I have now handled four watches with 60-click bezels, and the Nodus is not far off the best bezel I have handled: the Black Bay 58. It is perhaps a bit more “squishy” but is no less precise in its clicks.

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(Important disclaimer: These are impressions based on the prototype, so for all I know, the bezel could be even more refined in the production version.)

The Sector is a great platform as it is that classic, mid-sized skin diver that works for many wrists. I have a 6.5″ wrist for reference, which is exceptionally comfortable. The watch ships on Nodus’ flat-link bracelet featuring the NodeX toolless adjustable clasp and a Pecan Brown Horween Leather Strap. I have not had hands-on with the strap, and due to my issues with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I did not do any long-term wearing the bracelet. However, no matter what strap I wore it on (NATO, perlon, or leather), the watch looked and felt fab.

Nodus X The Pen Addict Specs

Case Width

38mm

Lug-to-Lug

47mm

Case Thickness

12.75mm

Lug Width

20mm

Water Resistance

100m

Strap

Bracelet

Crystal

Sapphire

Lume

Super-LumiNova BGW9

Movement

Seiko NH34

Price

$475

Aesthetics

An easy choice we all knew going into the process was the color scheme. There was always really only one choice: orange and gray. These have been the long-time colors of The Pen Addict, and there was never really a discussion; it was more how they would be deployed. Multi-colored dial? Orange dial, gray bezel? So on and so forth.

What we settled on was an orange dial with a gray 24-hour rehaut. The bi-color bezel with alternating orange and gray was the suggestion of one of the channel members, and everyone quickly rallied around it. This was modeled after the Pen Addict membership poker chip and is one more deep-cut reference to the blog and podcast.

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Lastly, since we knew not all TPA listeners and readers are watch people, we color-coded the handset to help folks know how to read it: the white hour hand points to the sizeable lumed hour markers, the black minute hand points to the black numbers and bars on the countdown bezel, and the gray GMT hand points to the gray rehaut.

The last element of the dial to mention is that striking orange sunburst. This was a late game change done by Wes at Nodus. He got the prototype photographs from the factory with a matte dial, which he quickly called an audible, basing the sunburst orange on the then recently announced Canyon Sunset Orange edition done with Matt Farah. When we got the pictures of the new dial back, we knew we had something special on our hands.

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Finally, I have to comment on the quality of the case finishing with Nodus. I am a massive fan of Grand Seiko, and ever since I got my SBGN003, it has been my benchmark. I will never say that Nodus is at the same level, but I will say that Nodus does not leave me wanting a Grand Seiko version. The case has nice chamfers along the midcase and a lovely chamfer along the inner side of the lugs, not unlike the Monta Noble. Overall, the alternating brushed and polished surfaces have tons of visual appeal for the owner…when you are not falling headfirst into the dial.

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Watches and Pens for Good

I’ve saved the best part of this project for last: it is raising money for charity.

Another very early decision in this process that I made in conjunction with Brad Dowdy (founder of The Pen Addict) was that neither he nor I would make a dime off the project. With such collaborations, Nodus usually sets aside a portion of the profits for the partner. Still, Brad and I, without even talking about it, decided that any money we would have made should instead be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Every September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Relay.FM (the podcast network that The Pen Addict appears on) raises money for St. Jude’s, culminating in an insane “podcast-a-thon.” Additionally, The Pen Addict does its charity raffle that gathers donations from multiple manufacturers, retailers, and private individuals as prizes. Over the past five years, Realy.FM and its many shows have raised nearly three million dollars for St. Jude’s.

Of this watch’s $475 sales price, $50 will be donated to St. Jude’s. However, I am offering up an additional twist.

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Before living in the desert of Utah, I lived in Memphis, TN, home of St. Jude’s. I used to drive past the hospital regularly and lived across the street from some free housing families can stay in while children are receiving treatment. While living there, three things happened to me: 1) I fell even more deeply into the pen hobby and community, 2) I began my exploration of watches, and 3) at the age of 39, I took up running.

At the end of my first year of running and doing races, I did the St. Jude half-marathon (just my third ever race, after a 5K and 5 miler). It was an amazing experience that melted my jaded heart when it passed through the hospital’s campus, to say nothing of what felt like the entire town showing up to cheer people on.

So, my pledge and twist is that if we can sell 100 of these watches, I’ll return to Memphis this December and run my first full marathon.

In My Collection and Final Thoughts

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I offer a few comparisons and thoughts about how this watch fits into my collection. In terms of price, the Nodus Sector Dive GMT is not unlike a dozen other microbrand divers—a dime a dozen these days. However, its distinctive color scheme and functions (GMT and countdown bezel) do set it apart from those, to say nothing of the quality you get from Nodus.

For me, however, the prototype I have had in hand since late February has quickly become a default wearer after I get home from work or on weekends, a role that has previously been occupied by (in order) Seiko SKX013, Oris Divers 65, Tudor Black Bay 58, and most recently the Seiko SKX025. You see, I like my divers on the small side and have searched for my ideal one. The SKX013 was great but a little thick, while the Divers 65 and BB58 were excellent but fell aside for various reasons. The SKX025 was the recent contender and, in many ways, was what I wanted the BB58 to be (a bit slimmer and smaller wearing, without the slab sides), but the Nodus has quickly come in and forced it from the rotation.

The Nodus Sector Dive GMT is most comparable to the BB58, and while it is unfair to compare a $475 watch to one that, even used, is still over 4x the price (if you can find a great deal), I will say that the Nodus holds its own, especially in the bezel department. When you add in the unique functions, color scheme, and charity aspect, one does not need to be a certified Pen Addict to strongly consider picking one up.

The pre-order will be live through March 27th. You will pay half now and half when the watches are ready to ship around late July. You can order yours here.

Check out more Nodus reviews at The Watch Clicker here

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  1. I am not a part of the Pen addict community, but I did love the St. Jude tie in and of course the watch and brand. Now saying that, I do have collected a lot of pens in my years. I have fountain pens and dabbled in different inks to find “my” ink, which is a Kon Peki Iroshizuku Pilot ink, but I digress. I was able to join in on this and I see that there were about 120 of them made and I have number 37. I wasn’t aware it was a limited run like this. I had a feeling these would go quick, not just because of the brand but because of the color combo and other factors Nodus brings to the table for the price point. I am happy to add this beautiful orange fact to my stable and glad to know good things happened because of my small purchase.

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