Hands On: Holding Onto Summer With The Nodus Avalon II

During this time of year, beaches start to get less crowded, airports quiet down, and days slowly but surely get shorter with each passing day. We’re only several days removed from closing the door on the ‘Sunday of Summer,’ but that doesn’t mean we have to stow away our big divers and bright dialed watches just yet. I mean we still have 17 days to “officially” say it’s the end of the season after all, much to the chagrin of Zach Kazan. We’ve been spoiled for choices this year when it comes to adding a watch that fits the relaxed vibe of summertime – a point during the year where our preferences may loosen up, often leading to a watch that wears slightly bigger, or less traditional in the dial color department.

Back in March, Nodus was one of the several brands that got the jump on offering a selection of watches that had the staying power to keep on wrist for the whole Summer season, and then some. And the watch we’re talking about was Nodus’ new and improved Avalon II diver. Nodus offers a range of watches that include their Sector Series, the Contrail and the Duality, but what remains as their flagship product is their Avalon diver. When we introduced the Avalon II, I highlighted the case design and finishing, the bezel and their proprietary NodeX clasp, all of which I wanted to, and I hate to say this, but I will anyway, see in the metal. Well, now we finally get the chance as I go ‘Hands On’ with the Nodus Avalon II.

Having the Avalon II in hand, you notice an immediate heft to it, and that’s a good thing. With the Avalon II on its steel bracelet, sized to my 6.25” wrist, the diver weighs in at 161.6g. For reference and to get a better idea of the Avalon II’s weight, a Doxa Sub 300 on its bracelet and sized to the same wrist size, comes in at a lighter 150.3g. Like the Doxa, the Avalon II is also formed into a cushion style case, but this isn’t your ordinary cushion case design. One look at its side profile puts the dynamic case on display. The polished side angling down from the top of the case flares slightly away. At eye level, that same exact polished facet narrows toward the center of the case and widens towards the lugs. The case is edged beneath and once again, polished, which including the polished facet above, adds a sharpness and style to a watch that can pull serious dive duty if need be. But that’s not all. The bottom half of the case dramatically angles inwards towards the caseback and has a smooth pebble-like brushed finish. The result with all these traits at play, is a case that looks leaner and sleeker, despite the 43.3mm (according to the digital calipers) case width.

Everything about the bezel is exactly what I look for in a proper dive watch. The bezel action is great, with just the right amount of resistance and a satisfying ‘click’ with each turn. Oh, and when I say there’s zero play with the bezel, there is ZERO PLAY. As I assumed from the photos in the press release, gripping and turning the bezel is effortless with its wide-sawtooth edge.

The lume on the Nodus Avalon II is fantastic. The numerals and markers on the ceramic bezel insert, hour markers and hand set all glow an indigo blue thanks to the SuperLuminova® T-C1 X1. It only takes a bit of sun and a marginally dim room to notice the blue glow, which I might add, matches nicely with the Pelagic Blue dial. And in complete darkness, the lume pops.

The steel bracelet that comes on the Nodus Avalon II tapers slightly, from 20mm at the lugs to about 18mm at the clasp. The clasp itself spans about 4.5 bracelet links in length, bears the ‘Nodus’ name and houses a pair of deployant buttons that are engineered as such that they recess neatly into the clasp. On the underside, the Avalon II features Nodus’ proprietary NodeX™. NodeX™ is a push-button bracelet extender located in the clasp, allowing the bracelet to lengthen at five different locked positions. The idea is great, but in my experience with the NodeX™equipped clasp, a bit of patience is needed to extend and retract the bracelet, and could be smoother.

The Nodus Avalon II wears decently on wrist. There’s a heavy wearing feeling that comes with the Avalon II but without feeling too bulky or top-heavy. The 48.2mm lug to lug and 13.3 case thickness (again, according to the calipers) are more than mangagable. The crown at 4 o’clock ensures a comfortable wear, avoiding any digging into the backhand. The Nodus regulated Miyota Cal. 9015 has kept accurate time, staying within -5 seconds over the course of several days.

The Nodus Avalon II most certainly pulls different elements from classic dive watches. It is seen throughout its cushion case, textured dial and sword hand set. That said, Nodus mixes in their own style, especially with their distinguishable case, to make the Avalon II their own. We can expect Nodus to continually evolve their watches, fine tuning them, so that the next iteration combines innovation and progression, while still keeping the core design. And that’s not just for the Avalon. This goes for their entire catalog. A quick browse through their “Future Releases” section sheds light on a couple of interesting projects in the pipeline including a DLC coated, LHD, 500m WR Sector Deep and a 38mm Sector GMT. In short, there’s much to look forward to from the folks at Nodus.

So whether it’s your Nodus Avalon II, or any other chunky diver or Summer timepiece, keep them clasped on wrist and the good vibes going. I know I’ll be holding onto Summer as long as I can.