NAOS XS white gold / Noble cognac

Cognac leather has a color that shifts with the light, which makes it an unusually good partner for a gold case. That is the whole idea behind this Sternglas NAOS XS.

Sternglas builds the Naos around Bauhaus-inspired reduction rather than any historic link to the school itself, which ran from 1919 to 1933. The principles it borrows are clarity, high contrast and sans-serif typography, and they show up here as a white dial with fine markers, three hands and a date.

The case measures 33 mm across with 16 mm lugs, in a polished gold finish, making this the small-wrist member of the Naos family. A Miyota GL12 quartz movement runs the hands and the date, with a 36-month battery. Domed sapphire with double anti-reflective coating protects the dial and the rating is 5 ATM. The Noble leather strap arrives in cognac, a warm mid-tan with genuine depth to it.

Classic in the least ceremonial way, and easy to wear from a desk to a dinner without changing anything.

Perfect for: cognac leather watches, gold-tone watches for small wrists, everyday minimalist watches.