There are plenty of ways to make a limited-edition dive watch look different. New colors are easy. Changing the dial material is increasingly common. Nodus and Holme & Hadfield took a cooler route with their new Sector II Dive H&H Edition, and most of the change happens within a few millimeters of vertical space above the dial.
The collaboration is limited to 75 pieces and starts with the familiar Sector II platform. Inside is a NH38 automatic movement, regulated by Nodus to ±10 seconds per day. The stainless-steel case measures 38mm across beneath a 40mm bezel, with a 47mm lug-to-lug and 11.9mm thickness. You also get 100 meters of water resistance and Nodus’ steel bracelet with its NEM micro-adjustment clasp. So the mechanical foundation isn’t really the story here. The interesting stuff happens up front.
Nodus has replaced the usual Sector II dial arrangement with a matte black base covered by a separate sapphire plate. The hour track, minute track, and logos are printed onto that transparent upper layer, placing them physically above the black surface below. The date has also disappeared, and aside from a green seconds hand, the dial sticks to black and white.
Adding more information or color could easily turn the layered construction into another dial gimmick competing for attention. Instead, Nodus has stripped the Sector II down enough for depth to become the defining visual feature.
Holme & Hadfield provides a reasonable connection for the idea. The company makes watch display cases, so using a transparent material to frame the watch’s display makes conceptual sense. I wouldn’t read too much more into it than that. The collaboration works well because the resulting design is interesting on its own.
There is one choice that feels less settled. Nodus uses CuAl5 bronze for the bezel structure and screw-down crown, both of which will develop patina over time. Bronze gives the watch another changing visual element, although an all-steel case might have kept the focus more on the dial. We’ll have to see what those bronze components do to the overall character after they’ve aged.
At $650, the NH38 will inevitably be part of the conversation. Nodus already uses the regulated movement elsewhere in the Sector II family, and nobody is buying this edition for an exotic caliber. The additional cost appears concentrated in the unusual dial construction, bronze hardware, and small production run. That feels like a reasonable place to spend the budget if the sapphire treatment works as intended.
Multiple transparent and reflective surfaces can behave very differently as lighting and viewing angles change. The floating effect looks convincing in the press images. Seeing whether it remains that clean in ordinary conditions will tell us considerably more.
Early access begins August 27 at noon Eastern, with any remaining watches becoming publicly available August 28 at noon Eastern.
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Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.