Nomos Watches

About NOMOS Watches

To the Nomos brand, location is everything. Nomos first established in 1990 in Glashütte, a small but significant town in the eastern Ore Mountains near Dresden. Since 1845, Glashütte has built a reputation for both the watches produced there and the watchmakers who produce there. These are not just any watches. They’re some of the most unique and high quality watches in the world.

Carrying the Glashütte designation of origin bears a lot of weight in the industry. This is because the watchmakers in Glashütte have to uphold extremely stringent quality standards. In order to receive the Glashütte designation, a company must create at least 50% of their watch’s caliber in Glashütte. Since 2005, Nomos has gone beyond this regulation, building up to ninety-five percent of each movement in Glashütte. In addition, Nomos builds a majority of their movements by hand. The process of composing renderings, completing the handwork, and crafting a watch ready for consumers is extremely labor intensive. In fact, it can take years. For the Nomos, every step, no matter how arduous or detail-oriented, is worth the time and attention required to produce an exceptional product.

Nomos released their first model shortly after their founding in 1992. The Tangente’s design established the minimalist, Bauhaus style of the brand. The original model featured a round case and white dial with a small seconds subdial and a date window at the six-o’clock position. Since its debut, the Tangente has gone on to receive several awards for its design. These include the Chrono Award and the iF Award. Over the years, Nomos has created countless editions of the Tangente. One of the most recent and memorable came in 2018 with the launch of the Century of Bauhaus limited edition. As the name suggests, the model commemorated the legendary design movement that has heavily influenced the aesthetic of the brand.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Nomos unveiled their first automatic movement. To launch the new caliber, they created a new collection called the Tangomat. As you might guess from the name, the Tangomat closely resembles the iconic Tangente in its design. The primary difference is the movement. In addition, the Tangomat gets a slightly modern upgrade with a larger build.

In 2011, Nomos launched another staple of their catalog: the Orion. This vintage inspired dress watch stays true to the brand’s DNA while drawing from classic dress watch elements. Like Nomos’ other core models, the Orion has taken many forms since its inception. An exciting variation came just three years after its initial debut with the Orion 1989. The model celebrates the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pivotal moment for the city of Glashütte and the Nomos brand.

Nomos spent most of the first half of the new millennium concentrating on new movements. However, by 2013, they had shifted their focus back to design and introduced the Ahoi collection. This ultra-modern sport watch showcases a superior water-resistant case design. The model is not a true dive watch, as it lacks any type of bezel. Still, it’s an admirable and functional sport watch and welcome addition to the Nomos lineup.

At the end of the day, Nomos prides itself in melding classic watchmaking techniques with new technology and the improvements it affords. While the brand honors its watchmaking lineage, they also believe that one can’t just rely on what worked in the past. In order to progressively advance, the brand has forged two key partnerships. These include work with the Fraunhofer Institute and the Technical University of Dresden. With their help, Nomos is able to gain access to the up-and-coming generation of watchmakers who focus on technical innovations. These partnerships also help Nomos contribute the most recent findings about new materials into their timepieces. No amount of time, energy, and effort is too great for Nomos. As long as the end product exudes top notch craftsmanship and artistry, it’s worth the investment. Nomos believes one of the most profound lessons in the art of watchmaking is patience.