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Nomos: The Art of Understatement
German watchmaking is characterized by an essential principle that gives signature to a very special and differentiated style, reflecting the culture that shaped it. We all associate German creations —everything that comes from its fascinating industries, whether it’s a car, a medical device, a power tool or a train— with certain features that are impossible to ignore. German products are functional, reliable, precise, immaculate, and impeccably designed and built.
The German Watchmaking Capital
The town of Glashütte is located just south of Dresden, about 40 minutes by car. Originally an agricultural and mining town, Glashütte was forced to change directions in 1800 when the mines were exhausted. Ferdinand-Adolph Lange, with his foundational efforts to create original watchmaking —and pretty much save the region too— was the architect of the legendary 180-degree turn that turned Glashütte into a small watchmaking capital.
In 1990, Nomos started operating a small building on Altenberger Street, right next to the Glashütte train station. Only a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Roland Schwertner launched Nomos, and the first four Nomos designs, by Susanne Günther, came to light in 1992. From the outset, the brand favored purity in design, based on the Bauhaus principle of minimalism where function is preferred to form and monochromatism was prevalent. This is exactly what the first Nomos watches were, spearheaded by the now classic Tangente.
The Three Cornerstones
Tangente has been, since its creation, discreet, elegant, even stealthy. It may well be considered as a formal or dress watch, but that is only a consequence of its form. Since the first Tangente by Schwertner and Günther, the formula has remained unchanged: a round steel case, with slender, straight, slightly downward lugs; a slim bezel supporting a sapphire crystal, under which extends a silvery-white dial with minimized graphics —printed on the registered Nomos font— with a few numerals, all even and interspersed with baton indexes at the odd hours. At 6 o’clock lies a small recessed seconds sub-dial. A set of three blued-steel hands were the touch of distinction and dedicated workmanship. On the rear, the basic caseback of the first watches was solid steel, with barely an engraving or two of a name and a number. Like a grey suit for a gentleman or a black dress for a lady, the Tangente was a watch that went well with everything at any time. That particularity has earned the watch the admiration and praise of the whole world for almost 30 years.
The most oversimplified way to describe the Nomos Ludwig is this: it is like a Tangente, but with Roman numerals and a peripheral chemin de fer track. It is not inaccurate, but, well, it is unfair: Ludwig’s origin was simultaneous to that of the Tangente, so its proposal of watchmaking art is original and unique, where its Roman numerals and fine indexes are subtle and the play between bezel and handles is elegant. Ludwig is available in seven different models, with either the Alpha (hand-wound) or Neomatik (self-winding) calibres, with or without a date and in various case sizes. Its particular sobriety can be defined by a single word: poise.
Coloring Bauhaus
Although we all think of a small and white wristwatch when we hear “Tangente,” Nomos has long since ventured into new possibilities to appeal to many different tastes but keeping the essence of the timepiece undisturbed. Tangente has been a great canvas to expand the flavor of Glashütte, in the way of new editions that show how the offerings of the house have been enriched. Tangente Midnight Blue is a glorious example.
Tangente Midnight Blue takes its essence to a new color level. Available in two versions, both build on the legacy of Tangente with the Alpha manual wind caliber and case sizes of 35 and 38 mm. For the first time, an elegant midnight blue dial enhances their faces. The golden accents provided by the hands and the typography not only harmonize beautifully with the beige velvet leather strap, but also give the smaller version a nice warmth. The Tangente 38 also features exclusive silver hands and lettering, which are coordinated with the stainless steel case and the anthracite velvet leather strap. The metallic details of both watches are framed by the deep blue of their dials.
In-House Capabilities
In these 30 years of Nomos, the evolution of this Uhrenwerk has been measured but precise. The style remains undisturbed, and the constant rubrics of the old original collections have only found new facets as the manufacture has evolved its mechanics and added them to its forms. Maybe the greatest example of this growth has been the development of its in-house calibers, featuring their proprietary Swing Escapement with its own, locally made balance spring.
This story of overall success of the brand is obviously told by each Tangente, Ludwig, and Orion, but also by modern classics such as Metro, Tetra and Ahoi, or by the “youngsters” Club and Autobahn. In all cases, the Nomos formula is sought after and respected, just as Roland Schwertner envisioned it in 1990. Today the brand is proudly watched over by Uwe Ahrendt, current CEO of Nomos. Confirmation and testimonials to these achievements are the numerous design awards and accolades the company has earned over the last decade, the most recent being this year’s iF Design Award for the super cool Tangente Sport, the first diving, bracelet-equipped Tangente.