There are many micro and independent brands that make tool watches of all sorts and at either ends of the price spectrum—from very cheap to unnecessarily expensive. And only some of them are dedicated to filling up their entire catalogs with tool watches which is a bit of a gamble since watches aren’t necessary tools anymore. But rare are the brands which consistently offer purpose-driven timekeeping devices which are well-built, look singular, and are attainable. Not $100-Ali Express-spec-monsters affordable, but honest watches which can do the job well and which are designed by “the good brands” of this niche corner of the watch market. (Read: those who strive to put out their own genuine creations at reasonable prices.) Should I reach for an analogy here, I would choose that of cars again because I don’t have many hobbies beyond horology: Toyota or Kia which make overall good cars at reasonable prices. 

While I’m considering that in the future I should perhaps find better subjects for my analogies, all of this is to say that we’re lucky to live in a world where brands like Nodus exist. As far as I can recall, the Los Angeles brand mostly creates watches whose prices orbit the $500 USD mark, and for that you always get a lof of watch for your hard earned virtual money. The latest Nodus we have in for review is the Sector II Pilot with a stainless steel bezel insert, a black dial, and enough features to make this watch the horological equivalent of a Swiss knife. It retails for exactly $500 USD and is readily available on the brand’s website. The Sector II Pilot is the kind of watch that can be both a great first-watch or one-watch collection timepiece. It does it all and it also looks quite elegant on the 5-link stainless steel bracelet. 

Beware, I have a lot to say about this watch! 

Specifications

Although the name of this model indicates that we’re dealing with a pilot watch—which is true of course based on some key design elements we will discuss later—we’re actually dealing with something that’s much more than that. From a technical standpoint, the Sector II Pilot is a symbol of how much more value micro/independent brands can offer compared to the big boys of the Swiss and Japanese watch industries. While it doesn’t have a COSC or METAS certified caliber, it has a multifunctional one, the Seiko NH36A (3Hz/41 hours of power reserve,) which has a day/date complication and which is known for being ultra reliable. I for one would always opt for a cheaper and more useful entry-level Japanese movement over a luxurious high-end Swiss one that can only tell time. Although it is nice to know that a Rolex 3230 or Omega 8900 is accurate and reliable beyond our wildest dreams, the watches they are put inside retail for 15 times more than the Nodus. 

And the Sector II Pilot is much more than the workhorse caliber within. The case and bracelets are made of 316L stainless steel which showcases excellent alternations of brushed and polished treatments; the crown and case-back screw-down so that we get a good 100 meters of water resistance; the crystal is a piece of boxed sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating; the bezel is of the unidirectional type with 120 ball-bearing-style clicks; there is plenty of SuperLuminova BGW9 lume on the hands, applied markers, and inverted triangle on the bezel; and the bracelet has screwed links, quick-release spring-bars, and a proprietary on-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanism called NodeX (which Nodus sells to other brands.) So we can agree we do get a lot for $500 USD by just looking at the spec sheet. But as we know, the Nodus Sector II Pilot is also a watch that comes with a singular design. 

Design

While I can easily say “of course the Sector II Pilot is my type of watch” because I’m a huge tool watch nerd, I can also say, with a high degree of confidence, that this watch could be your type of watch even though you and I gravitate in different watch spheres. That’s because the Sector II Pilot is an elegantly designed, purpose-driven timepiece which strikes the perfect balance between visual practicality and aesthetic everyday versatility. What does that mean? Well, first of all, it’s easy to read for it has a full stack of Arabic numerals for the hour markers which are paired with large hour and minute hands. All these elements are painted white and set against a black background so that they pop. That’s a tool watch right there. But the numerals come in two sizes (to emphasize those at the cardinal points) which makes the dial look less utilitarian and more appropriate for everyday wear. It’s actually a bit elegant of the urban chic type. 

Second, because on this version the bezel insert is made of brushed stainless steel so that it blends in with the case. What blends in stands out less which, by definition, is what being classy is all about. (Right?) Though I would say that the two other versions of the Sector II Pilot are also endowed with this cameleon-like visual quality which makes them equally versatile. Moreover, the day/date complication is neatly tucked in above the six o’clock as the information is printed in white on black discs, and the dual texture and sector layout of the dial add a little je-ne-sais-quoi of everyday elegance. The center portion is endowed with a pronounced matte, sandy texture while the outer section (where the hour markers are) comes with a very fine radial finish. (You have to look at the macro shots to see it.) This means there is indeed a lot to look at but not in the way that it makes this watch err too much on the overly done utilitarian side. 

Despite all of the above, the Nodus Sector II Pilot remains a tool watch and as such is extremely legible. But the magic is in how the brand went about marrying different elements of the design of this watch so that they work well together. The hands are indeed large and come with a matte finish (white surrounds,) just like the applied hour markers are large but come with shimmering silver surrounds. (The dimensions of the hands and markers are typical of pilot watches.) The hour markers being applied and inhabiting a raised portion of the dial, the Sector II Pilot is endowed with a lot of depth which contributes to creating the utilitarian aspect of this model. I also appreciate the narrow and angled rehaut on which is printed the minute track, and how the tiny Nodus logo above the 12, and rectangular markers at the 3, 6, and 9 are recessed within the rehaut. All of this again contributes to making the Sector II Pilot a versatile and urban chic tool watch. 

Last but not least, let’s talk about the case. It has a now typical Nodus profile with wide lugs that are flanked by wider-than-usual polished chamfers, a thin mid-case which angles down towards the wrist at the lugs, and a large conical crown of 6.8mm in diameter (at its widest) which both looks good and is easy to grip. Moreover, the bezel overhangs by 2mm above the case for a total diameter of 40mm, while the case itself measures 38mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 11.7mm thick, and has a 20mm lug width. The aforementioned bracelet is fully brushed and tapers down from 20mm at the lugs to 16mm at the clasp, which makes the watch more comfortable to wear and visually more pleasing than straight bracelets. See? I did have lots to say about this model. 

The Heart of the Matter

As mentioned in the introduction, Nodus as a brand is one of the few to make a lot of good tool watches. From field and pilot timepieces to GMTs and divers, all around $500 USD and all coming with a singular Nodus aesthetic. All of this is already excellent for one brand to offer and it makes Nodus one of the few one-stop-shop kinds of brands from the micro/independent side of things. (And unlike big brands like Seiko, all models from the California house are priced more or less the same which is an important point I want to make.) Because besides their tool watches, they also make more elegant urban pieces like the Unity. But as far as we’re concerned today, the Sector II Pilot best exemplifies what makes Nodus so interesting and worthy of your attention: a well-spec’d, well-built, singular-looking all-rounder tool watch which will look just as good hiking as it would during a cocktail party. 

Conclusion 

I’m writing and publishing this review in March of 2025 and today there are loads upon loads of ultra-spec’ed and allegedly well-made watches on AliExpress and elsewhere in the world. (Because these watches are also offered by a plethora of brands in North America, Europe, and Asia.) And so it’s possible to get a better deal than this Nodus but what you would be missing out on is the nascent heritage the latter comes with—which makes of Nodus a brand known the world over for designing and making good watches—as well as the authenticity and good nature of those who created and run the brand. (But you can only take my word for the latter point if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Wes and Cullen.) But all of this matters to me and it might matter to you as well, as Nodus is the type of brand you can put a face on and meet in trade shows. 

So if this matters to you and you like what you saw today, then I invite you to check out Nodus' website to learn more about what the brand does. 

Thanks for reading.