NAOS XS Automatic gold / Noble 16 dark blue

Dark blue leather is the shortcut to making gold look considered instead of loud. On a 33 mm case, that balance matters more than usual.

Sternglas has been designing watches in Hamburg since 2016, and the Naos is its core collection: a Bauhaus-inspired dial reduced until only markers, hands and a date remain. The Naos XS Automatik shrinks that dial to 33 mm and, unusually for the size, drives it mechanically.

The gold-finished case sits on 16 mm lugs and houses the Miyota 6T15 automatic, running at 28,800 vibrations an hour with hand-winding available. A six-screw glass caseback shows the movement turning. Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces, 5 bar water resistance, date on the dial. The strap here is the Noble 16 in dark blue leather.

Blue and gold gives the XS a slightly formal register without tipping it into jewelry, which is a harder trick at this diameter than it sounds.

Perfect for: blue leather strap watches, compact automatic dress watches, gold-tone watches for slim wrists.