I need to admit upfront that this will not be my usual review. You see, I had this lovely Nodus Avalon II in hand for only a brief time before the District Time show, where it was given away as a door prize. Yes, District Time is pretty awesome that way, but I digress. You see, I didn’t want to risk damaging a prize watch by sizing and wearing it, and frankly, I was so busy preparing for the show, I wouldn’t have had the time anyway. This will be more of my initial impressions of the Avalon II as opposed to a full hands-on evaluation. Oh, and the watch sold out in a hot minute, so if you like it you will have to wait until May when they should be back in stock.
That said, my initial impression is that this is an excellent watch. I reviewed the original Avalon back in 2019. I loved its turtle case, top-notch bracelet and clasp, and clean modern dial. All of those elements return in the series II, but each is improved.
Let’s start with the case. It measures 43.5mm wide, 48mm long, and 12.75mm thick. It is a big watch, but it does not wear that way thanks to a gentle arc, a broad polished bevel, and an aggressive undercut, all of which trick the eye into seeing less bulk. At each end, the case tapers to meet a 20mm lug box. Just as it did before, the Avalon wears easily. Its width diffuses its thickness, and its contours fit comfortably on my 6.75″ wrist. Yes, I just sort of draped it over and pinched the bracelet, but you get the idea.
The bezel is slightly smaller than the case (42mm) and has the same Doxa-esque edge pattern as before. A ball-bearing mechanism provides flawless action through its 120-click rotation. The insert is glossy ceramic, engraved, and fully lumed. Speaking of lume, you get plenty of T-C1 SuperLuminova for s strong blue-white glow.
When looking for updates, you will most likely notice the waffle dial first, and that bold texture really does provide some powerful character. The polished hands and hour markers are similar to the original, but their thick faceted frames give them a sturdier, more aggressive appearance, even as some of those markers have been shortened. On the whole, I prefer the new look. Nodus has taken a collection of strong elements and managed to get them all to work in harmony. Nothing overwhelms. I must give extra kudos for the color-matched date wheel and truncated marker at 6 o’clock. Very nice.
Around back, Nodus has repeated the Excalibur illustration from the original and vastly improved it, now depicting just the hilt stamped in a high relief instead of the previous engraving of the entire sword that looked a little lost in that space. I still don’t understand the connection between Avalon, Excalibur, and diving, although according to legend, watery tarts and farcical aquatic ceremonies were involved. Behind it beats a smooth and sturdy Miyota 9015 automatic.
I appreciated the attention to detail that went into the first Avalon’s bracelet and clasp, but for the new model, Nodus took it to a whole other level. The H-link is 20mm wide at the lugs, tapering to 18mm at the clasp — and that is the main attraction. Watch brands rarely break new ground with clasps, but Nodus has given it a shot. They call it NodeX, and it features a button on the underside that releases a glide mechanism for on-the-fly micro-adjustment. Unlike other expansion clasps, it maintains a low profile. It’s brilliant.
The Avalon II is available (or will be after restocking) in Coral Yellow, Trench Black, Seaspray White, or the Pelagic Blue shown here. It sells for $700 and, as we have discovered, sells quickly. If you want to grab one in round two, I recommend you head over to NodusWatches.com and sign up for alerts.
