Today we are gonna take a look at another Sternglas watch! So as you know Sternglas had one model which was quartz and it was kind of transition from the first collection to the second collection (Zirkel, Junis, Topograph). But after huge demand from the fans of this brand, they decided to release the Naos with automatic movement! And I like that Sternglas listens to what people want! As you all know I’m a big fan of Sternglas and always they will be in my top 10 microbrand watch companies in first place. And as you remember they invited me also to the release of their new watches back in October 2018, and I was honoured that I was the only watch blogger which was invited as I was the first one to reach out to them and the first one to start reviewing their watches when they just published their Kickstarter project a while ago! And it is quite interesting to see how big the company has gotten and how popular it is. And it isn’t a surprise, as their watches are very well made, the design is very simple but unique and the prices are very good for what you get!

The Naos we have here is a sample watch as the IndieGoGo campaign is still active and they will start shipping out the finished versions to customers only in June this year! The campaign got funded on the first day! Right now they have a whopping 83293€ raised which is 270% more of what they needed and they have still 14 days to go and I believe they will get 100000€ no problemo! Before I start the review take in mind that this is a sample watch, it might have small differences from the finished version!

The Naos will come in the same boxes as all the Sternglas watches come in. In the box, as usual, you will get the watch, instructions and warranty. The first impressions were good, I actually was waiting when they would release a 38mm automatic watch for some time. As you remember the first watch they had had the same specifications (38mm and automatic movement). And this watch kind of brings back the memories from their first models that I reviewed 2-3 years ago.

The case of the Naos is made of 316L stainless steel. The case is very well machined with nice and sleek lines. The case shape is round with small lugs. The finishing all over the case is polished. The finishing is also done quite good. The diameter is 38mm, the thickness is 13mm and from lug to lug it measures at 43mm. The proportions, in my opinion, are perfect! I like when companies make small case size watches for men as there isn’t that lot on the microbrand market. And smaller watches always wear better on the wrist and throughout the day it is more comfortable to wear a smaller watch than a big diver or sports watch. At 3 o’clock we have a small push-pull crown which is relatively easy to grab and change time. The exhibition case back is held on with 6 small screws which are kind of a tradition in German watches. The crystal on the case back is flat sapphire which is a nice addition that you don’t see on watches at this price point! Around the case back bezel, you will see some specifications engraved in German.

The dial comes in two version black and white. This time I chose the white one as I think it looks the best for Naos. The dial is matte white and looks exactly like the Naos quartz version has. The pretty simple and minimalistic design kept as functional and legible as possible. on the dial, we have these slim lines for the minute track and longer lines with numbers every 2 increments for hour markers. The printing is done very nicely and all the lines under loupe are pretty crisp. At 12 o’clock we have the nice Sternglas logo which I really like as it is simple and well designed, saying that by the way as a graphic designer. At 6 o’clock we have the size “38mm” and “Bauhaus” printed on the dial. At 3 o’clock we have a square date window with a white date wheel. I wish they made a no date versions of these watches as it would look a lot cleaner dial wise. The stick-shaped hour, minute and seconds hand are painted in this blue colour to resemble that classic German watch style with blued hands.

The movement that is inside the Naos is Miyota Caliber 821A. It has 21 jewels, it beats at 21,600 BPH and the power reserve is 42hours. The movement is automatic, but you can also wind it with the crown. The rotor is customized, when I was in Hamburg, Dustin (founder of the company) told me how they do it. They basically get all the movement from Japan, take them to a guy who grinds off the top layer of the rotor so there is no writing and then engraved the Sternglas logo and other info on the rotor. And he said that it was very problematic to do as Miyota doesn’t send out movements with clean rotors, they all come with Miyota engraving. The movement is pretty normal, my example runs at +13 to +14 seconds a day which is pretty good.

The Made in Germany leather straps that Sternglas gives with their watches are always very good. My readers probably know that this is the most recommended company for strap quality. The leather is very nice quality and soft to touch. When you receive a watch from them, the strap is very supple so right out of the box the watch will wear very comfortably on the wrist throughout the day. The strap comes with built-in quick release spring bars which are very helpful to swap the straps quickly. The strap has a tang style buckle with Sternglas logo deeply engraved in the end. On the wrist, the watch wears like a dream. It is small, but not too much to look stupid, it is light, has a nice comfortable feel with that strap. Basically, this is the perfect Bauhaus watch in this price category that can be worn every day and also for some fancy events.

Overall I really like the watch. I’m not saying this because I have such a great relationship with this company, I’m being honest, Sternglas watches are really good and well built for a very great price! This particular model I love because it is 38mm and automatic, I was waiting for this for some time as they discontinued their first collection which had the same case size with automatic movement. So I’m very excited to see this watch going live on IndieGogo and getting funded in the first day! I highly suggest you get this watch as it is still available in IndieGogo for pre-order (ships in June this year) and it has lowered price right now for a limited time! So go and check out the Naos on IndieGogo!

The watch right now is available for only 239€ (the retail will be 299€)

@ IndieGogo