NOMOS Glashuette: The Album by Olaf Wielk

NOMOS Glashütte The Album.

2013 edition

NOMOS Glashütte: The Album. C ompletely new and already famous sides of the Glashütte watch manufactory.

© NOMOS Glashütte/SA Roland Schwertner KG Ferdinand-Adolph-Lange- Platz 2 01768 Glashütte Germany Telephone +49 35053 4040 Fax +49 35053 40480 nomos @ glashuette.com www.nomos-glashuette.com Text and design: Berlinerblau GmbH Responsible under press law: Judith Borowski Translation: Mitch Cohen, Christopher Cordy Photography: Florian Braun (pages: 3, 4, 7, 34, 37, 69, 71, 72, 75), Hans Hansen (pages: 9, 17, 23, 30, 38/39, 41, 46, 49, 52, 55, 63) Marcus Krüger (page: 21) Holger Wens (pages: 10, 12/13, 18, 24/25, 26, 29, 33, 42, 45, 50, 56, 59, 60, 64, 67, 79–84, 88–111) Lithography and printing: Europrint Medien, Berlin Medialis, Berlin Consulting: the watchmakers and engineers of NOMOS Glashütte We reserve the right to make technical changes.

New pages from NOMOS Glashütte

2 Fine time from a fine place

Glashütte, out in the backwoods: the home of NOMOS watches. The home of timekeeping is in the Ore Mountains

4 How time is made

8 The Zürich watch

Zürich: made for people with a clear mind

50 A well-clad wrist

The classic watch for people who want to—or must—give their lives a bit of respectability

54 The Tetra watch

56 Time squared: watches with edges and corners

Tetra, NOMOS’ only “shape watch,” is a special work of art

12 Design, of course

But what does that mean in detail? Close-up of a watch

48 The Ludwig watch

Seven big steps to a watch

10 Glashütte worldwide — polyglot with a single watch

14 Digression: Self-winding or handwound: to wind or not to wind?

62 The Club watch

64 Young, casual, and enigmatic

A bit sportier and more robust—but still suited to the executive chair

How does the time get into the watch?— It’s no mean feat

Watch terminology sometimes sounds difficult. But it’s not: these words help

20 The movement that’s a starlet

The Xi caliber runs in the Zürich Weltzeit and the Tangomat GMT. And 23 new parts are at work in it

22 The Tangente and Tangomat watches

26 The Bauhaus, the Werkbund, and Glashütte

The Tangente put NOMOS on the map. Their design has tradition

34 A little lesson in handicrafts

We show you how much effort the time can demand

40 The Orion watch

42 Chic curves

Multifaceted and extremely timely: the NOMOS hand-wound watch with the heavenly dome

76 A whole different caliber: seven motors

An overview of the NOMOS movements from Alpha to Xi

78 The heart

A mechanical watch lives from its caliber. More precisely: the movement is the actual watch

86 The watches. All together, each on its own

The NOMOS models in overview

68 Homework time

112 Prizes and awards for NOMOS Glashütte

A final corner for trophies and certificates

Fine time from a fine place

Glashütte is hardly the center of the world. If you are headed from Dresden (in Saxony) in the direction of Prague, you’ll pass near the little town on the other side of a few mountains. But despite its remoteness—or perhaps because of it—some of the finest watches are made here. Glashütte is considered the home of the watchmaking art, all over the world. NOMOS Glashütte and the NOMOS watchmakers, many of whom are watchmakers of the fifth or sixth generation, ensure that this doesn’t change and that Glashütte remains a promise of quality in the world of fine watches. The rules for Glashütte watches are strict—the town’s name is a protected geographical indication for watches. To be allowed to be sold as a “Glashütte watch,” at least 50 percent of the work on the caliber (i.e., the watch’s movement), must be performed on site in Glashütte. Straps, clasps, and jewel bearings are purchased from suppliers out of town. But the NOMOS movements are developed and made in our workshop in Glashütte—depending on the model, up to 95 percent of a NOMOS caliber is built by our watchmakers on site. This creates jobs for watchmakers, engineers, and toolmakers in the eastern Ore Mountains. But above all, it means the best watches for you, the wearers. For a watch to earn not only the Glashütte designation of origin, but also the name NOMOS Glashütte, it must fulfill additional criteria. First, the reasonable, stringently calculated price. A NOMOS wearer has not paid for a brand’s image, but for what makes a good watch: beauty, craftsmanship, and good materials. Secondly, engineers, watchmakers, adjusters, and engravers in Glashütte are intimately involved in the inner values of each NOMOS timepiece. They ensure that every watch that leaves the workshop has a quality that NOMOS cannot improve upon further. And where is the origin of the designs for the cases, dials, hands, and everything around our movements? NOMOS Glashütte watch designs are drawn up in Berlin, the capital of German art and design. So NOMOS Glashütte also means: the best design for the best mechanical watches “Made in Glashütte, Germany.” Finest timekeeping, in every way. The name NOMOS Glashütte guarantees all of this.

Handmade in the Ore Mountains, designed in Berlin. Watches from NOMOS Glashütte are special watches—and for many people, the only ones that so skillfully combine the best quality in the movement and in form. And this at a price that is also special (always a little less than you expected).

How time is made

How does one build mechanical timepieces? It’s quite simple—at least in theory. Of course, no text can replace a watchmaking apprenticeship. Reading alone won’t enable you to construct the necessary tools or movement parts. But it will help you understand how a watch is constructed and that building wristwatches requires a great deal of work, if one does it right. That’s why we’ve tried to summarize in seven big steps how NOMOS watches are made in Glashütte. The time from the first construction drawing to marketability, when the watch can be sent out into the world, often takes years. And that may be the most important lesson: those who build watches need time and patience. 1. The movement is designed: a rather complicated matter. Forces and tolerances have to be calculated, plates, bridges, and bars have to be drawn. A prototype is built—and usually several. What works on paper sometimes proves unworkable when built. Then new considerations, new drawings, new measurements are required. The barrel has to be enlarged, but the wheels and pinions don’t want to be moved closer together? A good movement has gone through many developmental steps before production really begins. 2.

Parallel to this work by the design engineers, toolmakers, and watchmakers, other people are drawing: the case of the new watch is initially created on a computer monitor. Or sometimes on beer coasters in pubs or on canteen napkins. The designers ask themselves: What would this new watch be if it were a car or a piece of furniture or jewelry? What does a watch have in common with a well-set diamond? Or with the arena of a sports stadium? Here, too, models are built. Today there are printers that can print works in 3D—watch forms in bright plastic that can be lacquered. These models show the designers very precisely: is the bezel too delicate? Are the case horns too round? What is the course of the twist leading to the case? It’s a battle over fractions of millimeters, over materials, over their surfaces.

Dial and case producers build the first real prototypes; as a rule, a long back-andforth follows among the NOMOS design engineers, the marketing department, and the designers. When everything is right, functions properly and is pleasing to the eye, when the movement has found its form and a pilot lot has been produced, then NOMOS orders raw materials for plates and bridges: brass and steel. The metals are die-cut, tempered, relaxed, and ground to tolerances of thousandths of a millimeter—steps that require months. But these processes are the prerequisites for the precise functioning of NOMOS watches. At the beginning of series production, steel and brass bars three meters long are prepared; from these, the toolmakers cut the turning work pieces—for example pillars, pinions, and bushes—for the 5

future caliber. Plates and bridges, but also steel springs, are milled, drilled, and eroded. Some pinions, pillars, bushes, and wheels have to be hardened and cut, polished and roller-burnished. Only then comes the surface finishing: ribbing or sunburst perlages stand for the finest Glashütte provenience. Now all our watchmakers are schooled in the new tools and parts. Construction of the series can begin. 4.

Pre-assembly begins. Jewel bearings, pins, and pillars help to form the scaffolding of the caliber. Wheels and pinions are pre-assembled, for example the third wheel or sliding pinion. Technical and optical quality controls follow, repeated again and not to be forgotten!

5. The movement is assembled—and ticks for the first time. And watchmakers then say: it’s alive. The caliber, still without the watchcase, is adjusted in six positions. The timing check is so fine that the result corresponds approximately to what watches achieve when they go through a chronometer test (though the testing process in the latter is much more expensive). In this step, the watch must achieve the best results in all dial and crown positions. Further quality controls follow (for example, for flawless appearance). 6.

With date watches, only now is the date mechanism placed around the caliber and set in motion. This decides not only whether in the future the watch will know what date it is. It also determines whether the watch will have a dark or light face: the color of the date ring determines that of the dial. The watch now gets its dial and hands. The caliber is set into the case, or as watchmakers say, it is cased. The watch’s rate is tested again: the watch is placed on the so-called watch mover, which simulates various everyday stresses. After this, the watch must exhibit precision in six positions for about another week. Only then is the strap of Shell Cordovan, the finest horse leather, mounted. Many NOMOS ladies’ models are given one of fine velour, because this is visually more delicate.

7. The watch is now ready to be sent to the shops of the NOMOS dealers: Tangente and Orion, Tetra and Ludwig, Zürich, Club and co. travel around the world. Whether dark or light, with or without complications, self-winding or hand-wound.

Pssst! Everyone at the NOMOS chronometry on the slope of the Erbenhang is as quiet as a mouse, all working with deep concentration. For this is where the complications—all the additional functions of the watches—are added. At NOMOS Glashütte, these include the patented date index, the power reserve indicator (which also received a patent), and the automatic winding. And let’s not forget the most recent NOMOS construction—the world time mechanism.

Z端rich

Yes, Switzerland is attractive. Almost 300,000 Germans live there. But about 77,000 Swiss also live in Germany. Some of them even build watches. But only the design of the Zürich model—its beautiful body is pictured above—was by a Swiss, Hannes Wettstein, a native of Zurich. The watch itself is built by genuine Glashütte watchmakers, of course.

Glashütte worldwide: polyglot with a watch

Large, masculine, and fairly conspicuous. Suave and elegant, decisive and tolerant, clever and well-considered. But despite all these exemplary qualities, it’s not at all pretentious. Zürich manages the balance. Zürich is a massive (men’s) watch that remains discreet despite its size. With it, NOMOS Glashütte has another watch for customers who like them big. Because they themselves are a bit bigger and more masculine. Or maybe simply because time has altered perceptions of watches and proportions. And Zürich is a timepiece for people with a clear mind: the design with the elegantly domed sapphire crystal reflects dedication to engineering art and to logic. All the details of the case are generous, but very fine and precise at the same time. It’s built up of simple geometric forms. The body of the watch is set in the case like a diamond. Ingenious twists, interesting refractions—Zürich is a watch with which the home of watchmaking Glashütte wants to bow a little in the direction of worldly Zurich. And it’s a watch for a second glance: what seems so simple at first sight turns out to be rather complex. It takes awhile to get to the bottom of it. This NOMOS model is a small-format work of art that tells the time for a lifetime—and longer. This watch reveals only the best about its wearer, everywhere: whether dark or light, with or without date. Or as a watch with world time function, making it de facto 24 watches in one. Don’t worry, we’ll show it to you in just a few pages.

Design, of course: But what does that mean in detail? The Studio Hannes Wettstein in Zurich has made a list of what makes the Zürich watch what it is and explaining its architecture. Sometimes years are spent on the tiniest corners and curves. A

The conical form tapering downward makes the Zürich especially elegant and slim. Despite its large size, this watch is not ostentatious (ever!). The cone also determines the direction of the watchband clasps. It only looks as if these abut vertically with the case. All in all, generous proportions which seem fine and precise. Most watches have nothing between the crown and the case, but here there is a cone. It ensures a good grip. But formally, it also mediates between the case and the very elegant, independent crown. Its

elegant body and the cambered prongs underscore the watch’s claim to be not only from Glashütte, but also to be a watch with global aspirations. C

Above, in the middle, below: the watch is divided into three well-proportioned levels. They are: opening and glass; watchband clasps and crown; case and screw fastening.

Logical twists, beautiful forms: the watchband clasps and their elegantly polished surfaces form a bridge between the watch and the strap. With the radially rounded case horns, the watch finds a special end here: one that doesn’t irritate the wearer.

Simple and very NOMOS Glashütte: the bezel of the case becomes a fine ring around the dial.

Between the watchband clasp and the bezel, a small and very precise gap opens up. When viewed from the front, it makes the case look as if it were set—like a diamond in a ring.

Digression: Self-winding or hand-wound—to wind or not to wind?

Do you agree? We’ve observed that people tend to divide into camps—simply because they want to be different. For example, can you remember when the CD was introduced? Back then, groups immediately formed that damned the new technology and declared the vinyl LP to be the only true recording medium. Since watch enthusiasts began putting down the quartz watch as intolerable and thus pushed it out of the running, aficionados of fine watchmaking have had to look for new victims with whom to disagree. Ever since NOMOS Glashütte brought out its self-winding Epsilon caliber, even NOMOS wearers can quarrel a little. Isn’t that nice! So on the one hand there are the dyed-in-the-wool adherents of manual winding. They want constant control over the power reserve. They wind their watches exactly once a day at a specific time of day, just as a dutiful watchmaker taught them, and they take pleasure every day in being able to put time into their watches themselves. If their watch is equipped with the ingenious, patented power reserve indicator from NOMOS Glashütte, with a little discipline they can even make sure that it is always running in the optimal area in which the mainspring transmits its power with the greatest constancy. The adherents of the self-winding watch can only smirk at such pettiness. They don’t have to worry about their watches’ power reserve, as long as they keep moving. Because a rotating, eccentric weight ensures that body motions alone suffice to

Winding a NOMOS automatic watch: Selfwinding (or automatic) watches don’t need to be wound by hand; they wind themselves when the wearer moves. The best sport for this purpose is jumping rope, because under ideal conditions each jump will turn the rotor exactly once. But people who are less athletic can also wear self-winding watches, because an average day provides NOMOS watches with much more energy than is lost by driving the hands that show the time. Stirring soup, brewing coffee, working at a computer keyboard: such activities, too, give the NOMOS movement more than enough power.

provide the movement with energy. When they go to bed at night, these people can lay their watch on the nightstand without worry. The winding mechanism has supplied enough energy through the day to keep the watch ticking through the nocturnal lean spell. If that’s so practical, why does NOMOS Glashütte continue building watches without a self-winding mechanism, some may ask. And where people who prefer to wind by hand come in. They will argue that a self-winding watch can never be realized as compactly and elegantly as a watch one winds by hand. And they’re right about that: the NOMOS models equipped with the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta calibers are all flatter and a little smaller. The NOMOS classic, the Tangente, also owes its svelte figure to a movement wound by hand. Its big brother the Tangomat—like the Club watches with automatic calibers—have more meat on their bones. But both the smaller and the larger watches from NOMOS Glashütte have harmonious proportions.

Winding a hand-wound NOMOS watch with the aid of chocolate: If the energy contained in a chocolate bar (about 1,020 kJ/244 kcal) could be invested entirely in winding a manually wound NOMOS watch, the chocolate energy would wind the watch 3,400,000 times and the watch would run for 5,950,000 days. In other words, if 16,346 years ago, toward the end of the last Ice Age, a person living at that time had eaten a chocolate bar and used the energy thereby obtained solely to wind his watch, then it would only now be running down. But of course that’s purely theoretical, because we live in a world in which a lot of energy is lost to friction.

Voilà, Zürich Weltzeit: not just one watch, but actually 24 watches in one and thereby the most complicated NOMOS model to date. It helps people who think a bit more globally, who have friends out in the world, perhaps also a lover in New York or a business partner in Mexico. Can I call them up now, or are they still asleep? And when do I put the children to bed at home in Munich or St. Gallen—or Tunbridge Wells or Tokyo— with a long-distance goodnight story, when I’m on the other side of the globe?

And here is the Zürich caliber with worldtime function. The times of the globe are all homemade in Glashütte, because NOMOS places little value on “lean production:” at NOMOS Glashütte, we don’t outsource, but ourselves produce what is needed for the finest calibers. The world-time complication thus is almost 100 percent produced by us in Glashütte. That all the milled parts of the fine mechanism can be produced at NOMOS Glashütte is owed to the new tool-grinding machine in the lathing shop. Thanks to it, the NOMOS manufactory can produce special tools for every caliber. And this makes production processes possible and sensible that would otherwise be unthinkable.

The movement that’s a starlet

Round with teeth: a gearwheel—a watch movement has many of them. But a second time zone or a movement with world-time function needs a few more special parts. More like stars than gears, for example, are some of these world-time parts from NOMOS Glashütte—and that’s why they have names like corrector star wheel or hour star wheel. Some wheels are produced like classical gearwheels, i.e., with a milling tool—for example the positioning spring. Others, for example the corrector star wheel, are made on a wire-eroding machine. These cut with electricity, by means of a controlled short circuit that produces an electrical arc. This process is expensive and slow. But it is extremely precise. The hour star wheels for the very first prototypes of the Xi caliber were still produced by a milling and wire-eroding process. The drill hole in the middle was milled, the outer form wire-eroded. But the combination of two processes in one part was not advantageous for precision. Now both the hour star wheel’s drill hole and its outer form are produced on the wire-eroding machine. This is more expensive and takes substantially more time. But its precision cannot be surpassed. After the parts are cut out of the blank, the edges are smoothed and the surfaces polished. Then the watchmaker puts everything together, both the conventional gearwheels and the new special parts. The result: the finest mechanics—and beautiful to boot. A Glashütte movement that’s a starlet.

One of the new movement parts for the NOMOS Xi caliber: the corrector star wheel works together with the indexed wheel—the corrector star wheel moves the hour hand, the indexed wheel the city disk.

Tangente and Tangomat

A complete cycle with the Tangomat: The Xi caliber makes the wearer of a NOMOS Glash端tte watch global. As in the Z端rich Weltzeit (see the previous chapter), a Xi caliber also operates in the Tangomat GMT watch. The basic movement of the Xi is the already known and prizewinning NOMOS automatic Epsilon caliber.

The Bauhaus, the Werkbund, and Glashütte

The Tangente put NOMOS on the map. The round watch with all the right angles, this masterpiece of straightforwardness embodies the Glashütte manufactory like a trademark. And since 1992, it has been running and running: more than any other watch from NOMOS Glashütte, this model has earned the honor of “design classic.” Its form and quality are award-winning: Tangente and her sisters have become “watch of the year” several times and won the public’s choice at many watch trade fairs and international design awards. The basic, manually wound model with its perfectly straight but very flat and elegant case is often, and not entirely correctly, termed the “Bauhaus watch.” The similarity is solely that renowned design principles such as “form follows function” are visible in this watch, too. And that the idea for the striking typography on the dial comes from the ’30s, the Bauhaus period: a dial manufacturer that supplied various watch producers had this dial in its selection at that time. The watch was unsuccessful. But decades later, in the early ’90s, NOMOS founder Roland Schwertner recognized its potential—and, along with the designer Susanne Günther, transposed the old dial’s typography into the present, creating a case to go with it. The result is a watch that looks completely different from the ugly duckling of the ’30s, a modern watch whose simplicity is immediately striking. Rare is the brand that dares so few extraneous trappings, so little embellishment. But there is, however, a real connection between NOMOS Glashütte and the Dessau Bauhaus: the Werkbund. But how so? In 1907, twelve famous artists and architects—among them the renowned Peter Behrens, Josef Hoffmann, and Richard Riemerschmid—and twelve companies in Munich teamed up to form this association. “The ennobling of tradesmen’s work in the collaboration between art, industry, and craftsmanship,” was its declared goal. “From the sofa pillow to urban planning,” so they said, they wanted to shape the industrialized world of life in accordance with artistic criteria and use well-formed objects to have a didactic effect on the people. Since the middle of the 19th century, cheaply and dirt cheaply manufactured industrial products had increasingly flooded the market—and craftsmanlike and artistic quality was in danger of vanishing. Problems quite similar to those we know today.

The Deutscher Werkbund advocated and still advocates combining handcrafting and machining: that beautiful and functional products are made with the respectively best production techniques. The Werkbund idea took on enormous significance through cooperation with big companies like AEG, Bahlsen, the Deutsche Werkstätten, and the linoleum factory Delmenhorst, because these companies assigned artists to apply the Werkbund’s principles not only to their products, but for the first time also to their whole corporate image. The painstakingly designed and manufactured products from Germany sold better; art and quality work gave these wares a clear advantage on the world market. And to this day, this movement is considered the precursor of the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus itself no longer exists, but its forerunner the Werkbund does: today it includes Vitra, the company that builds the seating furniture design classics by Eames and colleagues in Weil am Rhein, as well as the Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau in Dresden, the “founding company” of the Werkbund in Germany’s first garden city. Numerous galleries and architectural firms are also members of the Werkbund—and NOMOS Glashütte. The Glashütte Werkbund manufactory (today, as before, working in collaboration with various artists) builds the most beautiful watches, which last a lifetime—mechanical wristwatches with hand-wound and self-winding calibers. Production is carried out responsibly—that is sustainably, with environmental and social concern. It’s clear that these criteria hold for all watches from NOMOS Glashütte, not just the Tangente. But perhaps this watch embodies them the most powerfully. And because we’d like as many people as possible to be able to take pleasure in good form, this wristwatch comes in several variants: along with the standard, manually wound model, NOMOS also builds the Tangente with a long-distance date function, with a power reserve indicator, as the Tangente Sport (waterproof to 10 atm and even more robust than the slender version), as an automatic watch with or without date (somewhat larger and called the Tangomat), with a second time zone as the Tangomat GMT, and a bit smaller as the Tangente 33. Good and beautiful, whichever you choose.

Typography from the 1930s, adapted for today. And with a very modern case. Tangente (the hand-wound NOMOS bestseller, here in the smaller 33 version) and Tangomat (here as the self-winding GMT model with a second time zone) have shaped the image of the GlashĂźtte brand more than NOMOSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; other watches have.

Design is not only the appearance of a finished product, but also the process of consciously designing, of forming, which generally (and visibly of course especially at NOMOS Glashütte) also applies to the aspect of beauty. Watches from the NOMOS Glashütte brand are considered design classics—because their appearance doesn’t chase fashion, but holds up under any number of glances. Three, eight, or 25 years after purchase, one likes these watches more than ever— and feels naked without one’s NOMOS.

At NOMOS Glash端tte, we call our new date the long-distance date, because its large indicator can be seen even from a distance. Especially nice: the mechanism, wrapped around the movement, made the watch a little wider, but not any thicker. So the new date models have simply perfect proportions.

A little lesson in handicrafts

Of course there are many more. But here, five examples from the NOMOS Glashütte manufactory will suffice to show how much effort creating the time can demand. Nothing in the watchmaking workshop can be done in a jiffy. Greatest concentration when cutting the gears for escape-wheel pinions The escape-wheel pinion is one of the many parts that NOMOS Glashütte produces in-house. The diameter of its pivots is 0.1 mm—and thus can be seen well only with a magnifying glass. This escape-wheel pinion needs ten teeth to take up the power of the fourth wheel. To cut the teeth for each of the tiny pinions, they are therefore mounted by hand on the gear-milling machine. They must not be jammed, or the tool is broken. Sunburst polishing: as in Lange’s days When wound, the crown wheel transmits power from the transmission wheel to the ratchet wheel. The tradition at NOMOS is to decorate all transmission wheels and ratchet wheels with an especially beautiful polish, the sunburst polish. This is carried out as it was in the days when Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded the Glashütte watch industry: by hand, with diamond dust, piece by piece, wheel by wheel. An employee has to practice for half a year before he masters the motions needed for this traditional polishing. Two employees ensure that freshly polished wheels are always on the watchmakers’ tables at NOMOS Glashütte. Polishing winding wheels is important, too The winding wheel of the NOMOS automatic caliber is made of copper beryllium; its underside has a narrow filet, i.e. a ridge, that lies somewhat higher than the rest of the gear’s surface. This ridge rotates on the caliber’s three-quarter plate, and for it to do this with as little friction as possible, it has to be polished. For the watchmaker, this means that before these wheels can be mounted, each of them has to be mirrorpolished on an extremely flat surface to ensure that the running surface is completely smooth. Not a work step that looks very impressive, but essential for the whole. Pre-assembly of the sliding gear: to transform right into left The NOMOS automatic caliber works with a rotor that winds in both directions—each movement of the wearer’s arm is transformed into energy for the watch. But the movement can be wound in only one direction. A contradiction? No, because these 35

calibers work with a so-called teeter motion rectifier, which reroutes the energy every time it changes direction. To build it, NOMOS watchmakers use two apparatuses. On one, the sliding gear and the sliding gear shaft are riveted together; on the other, two sliding gear wheels are added, each held in place by a sliding gear rivet. These two sliding gear rivets have polished surfaces in which one can even see one’s reflection. Great care has to be taken while riveting so that not even the slightest notch is made in this delicate surface. The timers and their art Any watch movement runs only as precisely as its parts are produced, mounted, and adjusted to each other. The speed of the balance wheel’s motion is fundamental, and of course must be not only constant, but also precise. That constancy and speed play well together depends on the art of the timer, i.e., on the watchmaker who mounts the balance wheel and adjusts it, setting the rate. To do this, he uses a fine adjustment, a device with which he can determine the active length of the balance spring and its play. A tiny shift of the index adjuster can already mean several seconds of rate correction. At NOMOS Glashütte, the watch must also prove that its rate is correct in six different positions. The watchmaker has to adjust all six positions to each other: none may deviate from the norm. This demands a lot of sensitivity and experience and sometimes requires drastic measures—for example, if a dynamic imbalance appears in this process, it must be eliminated with tiny drillings in the balance wheel, and the adjustment procedure starts again from the beginning. No wonder adjusting is the master discipline of watchmaking art: in earlier times in Glashütte, a sidewalk was reserved especially for the timers so that they didn’t have to share the same side of the street with other workers. Today that’s different. But what remains is that every movement ultimately bears the signature of the person who adjusted it, making the watch one of a kind.

Page 34: Alongside experience, sensitivity, and well cared-for tools, watchmakers also need a few auxiliary materials to do their work perfectly. The apparatus to test waterproofing (on the right in the picture) and a leak-finder (middle) for especially stubborn cases. All the way to the left—and here of minor importance—is a vessel with water.

The Club rides the merry-go-round. Here, everyday exertions are simulated. All NOMOS watches must prove on the watch mover that rotation does not throw them off course. And then they have to pass a few more tests.

Tidied up, for the photo: the workplace of the watchmaker who brings the movement and the case together. In the auto industry, this process is called the “wedding.” Here the Tangomat Datum is being married. (No. You’re right: the pieces of the Tangomat Datum are marrying together.)

Orion

We used to think one size should be enough, for women, men—for everyone. But people are different. And so now the Ludwig, Tangente, and Orion also come a little smaller, in the 33 version. And why 33? That’s simple: it’s the diameter in millimeters.

Chic curves

At NOMOS Glashütte it’s the secret favorite, and almost all of the designers who work for the brand wear it. And that although at first glance the Orion model doesn’t seem very up-to-date. Some think they’ve seen this form before somewhere—an uncle still has one from the ’60s … or does he? Nonsense. Nothing like the Orion was ever built in earlier decades, not so and not similar. It’s simply the verve of the case and the dome of the crystal that recalls earlier times; it’s the watch’s lines that make it seem softer, more sentimental, and that flatter the hand and arm. This watch is a prime example of absolute reserve and of the fact that NOMOS watches are not only reliable timepieces, but also the most beautiful kind of jewelry. The Orion owes its name to its chic curves. Because viewed from the side, the lens-shaped watch (especially the version with the domed glass back) resembles a UFO or a spaceship; as a matter of fact, it looks exactly like the ship in the classic German sci-fi TV series Raumpatrouille Orion. Thanks to its elegant sweep and the fine stainless steel bezel, it seems even flatter than other hand-wound watches from NOMOS Glashütte—almost unearthly flat. Masterpieces by the pupils of the German Glashütte watchmaker school served the NOMOS designers as godparents for its tidy dial. The result was a very modern watch that is clearer, more resolute, and more elegant than earlier watches. And precisely for that reason, it is timeless, a watch for a lifetime. Orion comes with a dial in white (silver-plated), in anthracite, and in delicate rosé; in the new 33 series somewhat smaller; and in the version with the long-distance date larger and even more elegant, because it’s flatter. The indexes of this watch are diamond-polished, the steel hands silver or gold or tempered blue. The Orion models are available with or without a glass back. Only one thing is always the same: all Orion watches are hand-wound. Their movement is the classic (and in this case one can truly say: heavenly) NOMOS manually wound caliber.

Here is the Orion in its original version and size, a unisex design. The gold shade of the indexes is not only in beautiful contrast to the steel of the case, it also harmonizes with gold jewelry.

And like the Orion on the previous page, so this one too—Orion rosé. A watch that solves a common, everyday problem: it also looks good in combination with a wedding ring. This watch, too, combines a pinch of gold with cool steel. The dial in a reserved rosé tone is for both men and women. You can give this watch to your darling and later steal it for yourself.

Ludwig

A well-clad wrist

The Ludwig is a watch that could hardly be more classical. With this timepiece on your wrist, the question of the wearer’s proficiency in Latin is already answered. And not just because of the Roman numerals, found on no other watch from NOMOS Glashütte. The Ludwig makes you super-intelligent at first glance. This model is extremely flat, has a conspicuously fine bezel (the part of the case that holds the dial fast) and similar horns (the posts on which the watchband is fastened). The Ludwig shares many traits with the Tangente—but its forms are less angular. They are more like those of a very flat pebble, like those washed ashore for centuries on the coast at Kühlungsborn, before some little boy showed up during his summer vacation and skipped it 28 times across the Baltic Sea. The Ludwig is—perhaps—not as extravagant as the Tangente, but in compensation it is a notch more elegant—is that even possible? Let’s put it this way: the Ludwig is perfect for people who like brogue shoes, listen to Bach, and prefer a crackling fireplace to socks decorated with Mickey Mouse. Or people who want to or must lend their wild lives a dash of solidity. The Ludwig is the good suit, the smart tie, the perfect costume for one’s wrist. Still relatively new are the smaller models, the Ludwig 33 in light and dark: watches for more delicate wrists. And the Ludwig Automatik—at first glance, the same watch, but markedly larger and with the Epsilon caliber (or the Zeta caliber in the version with the date). It’s clear that the Ludwig in gold looks especially classical—a watch available only by special request from NOMOS Glashütte. It was also planned this way, as a fine gold watch. Those who warm up to the model in steel are deciding for a minor aesthetic rupture. And that does the watch and its wearer good, making everything just a bit more unusual, a little cooler, more interesting. One way or another, though, everyone can see that this NOMOS is extremely beautiful. The Ludwig is a love that lasts a lifetime. A watch for people with a stable character, a sharp sense for trenchant dependent clauses, and the wish for a well-clad wrist.

The most classical of all NOMOS classics: the Ludwig. It now comes in various sizes and with various extras—and either hand-wound or self-winding.

A watch in its Sunday best. The Ludwig shares almost all of its characteristics with the Tangente, but its forms are a bit more angular. The watch is a dash more elegant, if you will. The Ludwig also comes larger, with an automatic caliber and a date function, or smaller, as the Ludwig 33.

Tetra

Time squared: watches with edges and corners

It rounds out the collection. The Tetra is the only NOMOS watch whose case is not round, the only shape watch, as it’s called in the technical terminology. Many people call it the angular sister of the Tangente. But it is only seemingly a square version of that watch: its typography is similar, but not the same. The numerals here are a bit simpler, more modern, because they are entirely without serifs. Many people associate a watch with a circle—after all, the hands run in a circle— so angular watches are bought less often. It’s a bit like that with the Tetra, too: the Glashütte watchmakers build fewer of them than of most of the round models. (Which doesn’t bother them, because angular watches are more difficult to build—it is a minor masterpiece and lots of work to make them waterproof.) But those who wear a Tetra love them; and on some wrists they are more becoming than a round watch. Try one out! Among the timepieces originally conceived as unisex watches, wearable by everyone, the Tetra is the one most often loved by women, although it is not a ladies’ watch. Its surface is smaller than that of the round watches. This is not all too marked in the large variant with the completely white dial, but very clear with the smaller Tetra 27. Tetra, whose name already sounds a bit angular,* is extremely flat for a mechanical watch; its horns—the pins to which the wristband is attached—are almost delicate. The doubled horns (visible in the picture on the left) make it possible to make the wristband narrower and the watch a tiny bit more like jewelry. As mentioned before, the Tetra comes in two sizes. The dial is silver-plated; the back is of steel or sapphire crystal. In either version, the watch with the NOMOS Glashütte manually wound movement is waterproof to 3 atm.

* But it means simply: four-sided. Tetra means “four,” and that’s why a tetrapod is a four-limbed animal, for example.

Page 56: The Tetra Karat with gold-plated dial and beautiful brushed finish—looks like gold, but has the price of steel. To the right: Tetra weltweiß (Tetra with worldwhite dial) is one of the new colored NOMOS quartet and is perfectly reserved: only a few blue numerals circle the otherwise off-white dial. A watch like the broad sky of summer; but it fits every season and occasion, matches every blouse or shirt. Modern, timeless, from a Glashütte manufactory—the perfect watch. You’ll find the other three watches of the quartet—Tetra himmelblau (Tetra with heavenly-blue dial), Tetra zartbitter (Tetra with bittersweet-colored dial), and Tetra biskuit (Tetra with scone-colored dial)—on page 102 and 103 of this catalog.

To the left: the Tetra from the back. Operating in this watch, too, is the NOMOS manufactory Alpha caliber, the tried and true manually wound caliber from Glash端tte. You can watch it tick off the time through the sapphire crystal back.

Club

For people who have a sense of direction: Club. Here the very masculine version with self-winding caliber and date. With a diameter of 41.5 mm, it is the largest watch so far from NOMOS Glash端tte.

Young, casual, and enigmatic

A steady job with a major newspaper at 29? Just become a father or mother, founded your own theater, won a chess tournament, or been promoted to the executive board? None of these, but at least the best loser at the rowing regatta? Whatever the case: here’s the one that fits, flatters, and holds up to everything. The NOMOS Club watch series is a dash sportier, more hands-on (perhaps also clearer, more striking, younger) than the manufactory’s other models, whose emphasis some describe as “quite intellectual.” How does the Club manage this balancing act? Actually, it’s simple. The watch has grown, and slimmed down while it was at it. The successful model, whose original version once attracted attention as the “good watch for graduation,” has long since gained a number of larger, more adult brothers—in the new variants, the dimensions of the original Club made room for proportions that suit any executive chair. For every wrist the fitting size, diameters 36 to 41.5 millimeters. And in its larger sizes, the whole watch seems new: these models are flatter, sportier, and more elegant: casual career types. For everyone who already has too much in his head to remember the date or to wind his watch, there is a Club with self-winding caliber constructed and built in Glashütte and NOMOS’ patented date indicator. All Club variants are waterproof to 10 atm. No matter which watch you fall head over heels in love with: Congratulations! The Clubs must currently be the watches that, far and wide, offer the best cost/benefit ratio in their respective categories. Beyond that, they make wrists pretty irresistible—but for now that’s a little secret, just between you and us.

How robust is a mechanical watch? It stands up to a lot more than most people think. A wristwatch with a Glashütte caliber (or a mechanical watch from elsewhere) isn’t indestructible, of course, but it’s fit for everyday life. Falls from great heights should be avoided, but one needn’t take off any NOMOS watch when jogging, taking a trekking vacation, or working in the garden. It’s important to regularly have a specialized shop check that your watch is still waterproof. The gaskets are made of synthetic materials like thermoplastic elastomers, and have to be exchanged when they become porous— which is true of the gaskets in all mechanical watches, including those from other makers. Not just for a downpour, but waterproof up to 10 atm—that’s NOMOS watches of the Club series (for example, in the picture on the right) and the model Tangente Sport. And that is a good feeling, too: in the long life of a watch, if something does happen, NOMOS watches can be repaired. NOMOS Glashütte makes its own replacement parts, and even after many, many years, if necessary, the Glashütte watchmakers can have your NOMOS running again. That makes watches from NOMOS Glashütte extremely sustainable products and heirlooms for generations.

Homework time

Incabloc, Nivarox, and Côtes de Genève? Don’t worry, watch language really isn’t that hard to understand. We’ll reveal a few important terms to you here. Glashütte three-quarter plate This is one of the movement’s frame parts. Ferdinand Adolph Lange introduced it for pocket watches in 1864; it’s considered a typical characteristic of Glashütte manufactories. The three-quarter plate replaces the bridges used elsewhere and forms the counterpart to the work plate. The gear train and the winding mechanism run between these two plates. Only the pallet and the balance wheel are held by separate parts of the frame, the pallet cock and the balance cock. The name “threequarter” plate means that it covers about 75 percent of the movement. The advantage lies in the solidity it gives the movement and the precision with which the drill holes for the gear train’s pinions can be positioned. NOMOS power reserve Power reserve is the time that a watch will continue to run without being wound. It depends on the tension in the mainspring—and that, in turn, can be increased by winding the crown. A power reserve indicator helps keep you from forgetting to wind your watch. It might make a car driver a little nervous if his vehicle lacked a fuel gauge—and it’s possible to view things this way with a watch. At NOMOS Glashütte, an especially simple and flat mechanism was invented that shows how much power a watch still has and when it has to be wound again. This power reserve mechanism was granted a patent. NOMOS date mechanism The date mechanism—yes, you guessed it—is a mechanism that tells the watch’s wearer what the current date is. Nothing special, actually—you occasionally find it in other watches. But at NOMOS there’s a special feature. The date ring of this patented construction was wrapped around the movement, rather than being laid over it, as with other brands. Thus, despite the approximately 30 extra parts, the movement still fits in the same flat case; the watch has grown no thicker. The date is altered with the aid of what we call the NOMOS rapid function by turning the hour hand back and forth by about five hours between the eight and the one. When the watch is wound, the rate continues for 42 hours—about an hour less than with the normal Tangente without date. The reason for the slowdown? Switching dates costs the watch some power.

Glashütte precision fiddling: the rotor of the NOMOS self-winding movement winds in both directions, which requires the mounting of a few additional gears. When everything’s finished, the caliber ticks in the Zürich, Tangomat, and automatically winding Ludwig models.

Stop-seconds mechanism Watches from NOMOS Glashütte are adjusted with particular care so that they run especially precisely. If you want to test it, set your watch to the time signal on the radio or the telephone time service. To this end, all NOMOS watches are equipped with a stop-seconds mechanism: it allows you to stop the second hand as soon as the crown is pulled to set the hands. The procedure is thus as follows: 1. Wait till the second hand has reached the uppermost position. 2. Pull out the crown. 3. Set the hour and minute hands so that they correspond with the expected time signal. 4. Press in the crown when the time signal comes. The watch will now run synchronously with the telephone time services. Decorative polishings It’s an old tradition to decorate movements with the aid of rotating grinding media. As a rule, this is either a stylus dipped in grinding paste consisting of diamond dust or a grinding wheel. Applying gentle, constant pressure with this rotating stylus to a plate leaves traces that delight the viewer with special light reflections. Especially with NOMOS watches. There are names for most of the decorations created in this way. Some polishing techniques are typical for Glashütte, for example perlages, also known as circular grain finishes. These result when the surface to be decorated are dotted with the rotating stylus in regular lines, so that the round traces overlap each other like the scales of a fish. Perhaps they also resemble pearls a little, which may help to remember their name. The Glashütte stripes: this is a striped decorative finish, usually drawn diagonally over the work piece. If the polishing is well done, the stripes continue without displacement across the individual parts of the frame. The Glashütte ribbing, Geneva stripes, or Côtes de Genève are very similar. Sunburst polishing A circular decoration in which the ratchet wheel, for example, is clamped in a machine with two motors running in opposite directions. On the surface of the ratchet wheel, which is also turning, a rotating abrasive sleeve produces a finish that seems to rotate when the light falling on it changes. With the ratchet wheel, this polishing is applied doubly; with the crown wheel just once. For the sunburst polishing, NOMOS Glashütte uses diamond dust. It is mixed in a paste according to a secret NOMOS formula that makes this elegant polishing especially beautiful.

Also pretty: grinding, polishing, and milling heads in various sizes. One of them is used at NOMOS Glash端tte to finely polish the case if it has a few scratches after a few years of wearing. Others are here solely to care for our tools.

Sunburst-finish stand: when the ratchet wheels receive their decoration from the hands of our specialists (so far at NOMOS Glash端tte, only our female staff can do it beautifully), they are threaded onto the stand and brought to ultrasound cleaning. Only after that can we see whether the Glash端tte sunburst polishing has turned out perfectly (see also page 35).

Blued screws The surface of polished steel permanently changes its color at high temperatures. This can be observed on the exhaust pipes of motorcycles, which sometimes exhibit a beautiful color gradient. An especially impressive blue is the cornflower blue that results on the surface at 300° Celsius through the formation of magnetite. Heating hardens the metal, thereby protecting it against corrosion, so watchmakers have traditionally treated the steel screws of movements by subjecting them to extreme heat. The screws blued in this way provide a beautiful contrast to the rhodiumplated surfaces of the frame parts. Bluing the tiny screws so that they all have the same hue demands lots of experience and skill. Nivarox hairspring A balance spring bent from a sliver-thin flat wire is mounted on the mainspring to make it swing back and forth. This hairspring is made of an alloy of steel, nickel, titanium, chromium, and beryllium and is manufactured by the Swiss company Nivarox. This name derives from the French “ni variable ni oxydable,” which means that the metal is insensitive to temperature fluctuations and does not oxidize. NOMOS Glashütte uses such balance springs, in the quality class Nivarox 1A, which simply means: the best. Incabloc shock protection Wristwatches, too, need shock absorbers. The mainspring is particularly sensitive, because its relatively large mass is borne by pivots that—to reduce friction—are relatively thin. To protect these pivots from damage if the watch falls, the jewel bearings are flexibly mounted in springs. Incabloc has been continually improved in the 80 years since it was invented.

Overtime for better times: the train station in Glash端tte, where NOMOS Glash端tte has its headquarters. The glass annex on the right is for thinking: maybe about new watch models, maybe also about this catalog. But it gets dark in this narrow valley a little earlier than most other places: the evenings are long in the East Ore Mountains. There is a lot of time to kill if you have no work to do.

A whole different caliber: seven motors

Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Xi.

The heart

A mechanical watch lives from its caliber: it is the heart of the watch and determines the watch’s quality. The caliber or movement is thus the actual watch, and this is why NOMOS Glashütte builds these itself—as well as because this is what is most fascinating about working with fine watches. But it cannot be assumed that every watch company builds its own calibers—not even with watches much more expensive than those from NOMOS Glashütte. There are fewer than 20 watch manufactories around the world. At NOMOS Glashütte, depending on the caliber, between 75 and 95 percent of production is on-site in Glashütte—and that is an extraordinarily high percentage. For example with the newest caliber, the Xi, which is a NOMOS self-winding Epsilon caliber expanded to include a world-time mechanism. The actual world-time complication—the mechanism that turns one watch into 24, one for each time zone—almost 100 percent of its production is on-site. Our manufactory must procure only a small proportion of the parts (for example, the rubies serving as jewel bearings and the Nivarox 1A hairspring) from third parties. Fine perlages and polishing on the working parts ensure that watch owners greatly enjoy viewing the calibers at work through the sapphire backs. All our watches are adjusted in six positions to ensure the best rate precision.

Time, all on its own: NOMOSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; automatic manufactory caliber, the Epsilon. The large rotor can be seen well here; no matter which direction it turns in, each swing delivers power to the movement.

NOMOS manually wound movement α (Alpha) Manufactory caliber. Diameter 10 ½ lines (23.3 mm); height 2.6 mm; power reserve circa 43 h. Decentralized seconds, stop-seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 17 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from

Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS manually wound movement β (Beta) for Tangente Sport Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 14 ¼ lines (32.1 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection,

balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS manually wound movement β (Beta) for Club Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 14 ½ lines (33.1 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection,

balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium- plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS manually wound movement β (Beta) with long-distance date for Tangente Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 15 ½ lines (34.6 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection,

NOMOS manually wound movement β (Beta) with long-distance date for Orion Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 15 lines (33.9 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection,

NOMOS manually wound movement β (Beta) with long-distance date for Ludwig Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 15 lines (33.9 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection,

Long-distance date: For some time now, NOMOS Glashütte has had a date indicator visible even from a distance and that we therefore call the “long-distance date.” The patented NOMOS mechanism, which was never small, is now huge. This increases the watches’ diameters—and makes them seem proportionally flatter and even more elegant. Thus, with the Tangente, Orion, and Ludwig, you can tell

from a distance whether it’s the 1st, the 15th, or the 31st, or even whether your royalties are due and whether vacation has begun. Another special feature is that the typography on the date ring was drawn individually for each model—an effort no other brand goes to. But it makes the watches special and beautiful—as can be seen above.

NOMOS manually wound movement γ (Gamma) Manufactory caliber. Diameter 10 ½ (23.3 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 43 h. Decentralized seconds, power reserve indicator in red, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte threequarter plate, 17 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring

from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS manually wound movement δ (Delta) Manufactory caliber. Diameter including movement holder 14 ¼ lines (32.1 mm); height 2.8 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, power reserve indicator in red or black, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 23 ruby bearings, Glashütte

stopwork, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodiumplated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS automatically wound movement ε (Epsilon) Manufactory caliber. Diameter 13 ¾ lines (31 mm); height 4.3 mm; power reserve circa 43 h. Decentralized seconds, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 26 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from

Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and duplex wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS automatically wound movement ζ (Zeta) Manufactory caliber. Diameter 13 ¾ lines (31 mm); height 4.3 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, date indicator, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 26 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection,

balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and duplex wheel with Glashütte sunburst.

NOMOS automatically wound movement ξ (Xi) for Tangomat GMT Manufactory caliber. Diameter 13 ¾ lines (31 mm); height 5,7 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, world time mechanism, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 26 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection,

NOMOS automatically wound movement ξ (Xi) for Tangomat GMT Plus Manufactory caliber. Diameter 13 ¾ lines (31 mm); height 5,7 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, world time mechanism, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 26 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection,

NOMOS automatically wound movement ξ (Xi) for Zürich Weltzeit Manufactory caliber. Diameter 13 ¾ lines (31 mm); height 5,7 mm; power reserve circa 42 h. Decentralized seconds, world time mechanism, stop seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, 26 ruby bearings, Glashütte stopwork, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection,

The watches. All together, each on its own

Tangente, Tangomat, Orion, Ludwig, Tetra, Club, Z端rich.

Tangente 33 Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 32.8 mm; steel back: height 6.45 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.55 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference numbers 122, 123 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tangente 33 grau Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 32.8 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.55 mm

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference number 125

Dial: galvanized, silverplated, gray

Tangente Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 35 mm; steel back: height 6.2 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.6 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 101, 139 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Tangente Gangreserve Movement: γ (Gamma)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and power reserve indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 35 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.6 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference number 172

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tangente Datum Gangreserve Movement: δ (Delta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding, date and power reserve indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 35 mm; steel back: height 6.2 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.6 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 169, 131 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tangente Datum Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 37.5 mm; steel back: 6,65 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.75 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 19 mm Reference numbers 138, 130 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tangente Sport Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding

Hands: steel, tempered blue (skeleton hands with superluminova inlay)

Case: stainless, bipartite; diameter 36.5 mm; steel back, height 7.5 mm; fixed with six screws

Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310)

Dial: galvanized, silver-gray; hour indexes with superluminova*

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, reinforced, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 501

Tangente Sport Datum Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 36.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 7.9 mm; fixed with six screws Dial: galvanized, silver-gray; hour indexes with superluminova*

* Superluminova: To be precise, this material is called Super-LumiNova C3. It is phosphorescent, glowing in the dark if it has been permitted to tank up light beforehand. This luminous material is nothing to be afraid of: the materials formerly used on watches that were radioactive and dangerous have been banned. But superluminova doesn’t fall into that category.

Hands: steel, tempered blue (skeleton hands with superluminova inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, reinforced, lug width 18 mm Reference number 531

Tangomat Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic movement Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 38.3 mm; steel back: height 8.2 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.3 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference numbers 641, 601 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tangomat Datum Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic movement and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 38.3 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.3 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 602

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Determining the compass direction with the aid of a NOMOS wristwatch: If you want to know which direction is south—and consequently which directions are north, east, and west—point the hour hand of your NOMOS watch directly toward the sun (but don’t use daylight savings time, even in the summer). Midway between the hour hand and the twelve o’clock position is south. And across from that is north, between them east and west.

Tangomat Ruthenium Movement: ε (Epsilon) – manufactory caliber with automatic winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 38.3 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.3 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 603

Dial: galvanized, ruthenium-plated

Tangomat Ruthenium Datum Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; diameter 38.3 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.3 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Hands: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 604

Dial: galvanized, ruthenium-plated

Watches and allergies: NOMOS cases are made of stainless steel 316 L, so-called surgical steel. Like most stainless steels, it contains nickel and can trigger allergic reactions. But that’s mostly theoretical: Germany’s nickel regulation stipulates that objects that come into direct and prolonged contact with skin may not release more than 0.5 µg nickel/cm2/week. So it doesn’t matter, in principle, how much nickel is in an alloy, only how much nickel is released onto the skin. In this regard, NOMOS’ cases and

clasps are not entirely nickel-free, but they are almost free of nickel emissions: at less than 0.2 µg nickel/cm2/week, they are far lower than the limit demanded by medical practitioners. Other stainless steel alloys may have less nickel in them, but release more nickel to the skin. For example, euro coins are suspected of emitting 200 to 300 times as much nickel as permitted. NOMOS watches are thus harmless products.

Tangomat GMT Movement: ξ (Xi)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and world time indicator Case: stainless steel, five parts; diameter 40 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass; sapphire crystal glass back, height 10.85 mm

time zone at nine o’clock and 24-hour indicator Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 635

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated, with second

Tangomat GMT Plus Movement: ξ (Xi)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and world time indicator Case: stainless steel, five parts; diameter 40 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass; sapphire crystal glass back, height 10.85 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated, time

conversion disc at nine o’clock (showing the amount of hours that separate us from our home time) and 24-hour indicator Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 637

Orion 33 Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 32.8 mm; steel back: height 7.57 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.54 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference numbers 321, 322 (with domed sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silverplated; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, gold

Orion 33 weiß Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 32.8 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.54 mm

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference number 324

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, white

Orion 33 rosé Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 32.8 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.54 mm

Hands: gold-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference number 325

Dial: galvanized, silverplated, rosé; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, gold

Sometimes wristwatches grow, sometimes they shrink. Why is that? Once upon a time, clocks hung on towers. Then they could be mounted on walls or placed on the floor in cases as tall as a man. Not until the Dutchman Christiaan Huygens invented both the spring drive and the mainspring in the 17th century did clock movements suddenly fit in pretty little boxes. Everything indicated that timepieces would become ever smaller. But at the beginning of the 20th century, when ingenious watchmakers had reduced

the movements so much that one could wear a timepiece on one’s wrist, suddenly the men resisted: they refused to accept these new small watches, saying they were something for nurses. The situation didn’t improve until pilots began experimenting with wristwatches. Within a few years, pocket watches disappeared from the market entirely. Decorative little watches were often placed around women’s wrists or throats or on their fingers: watchmakers tinkered with small and flat movements to set ever new records.

Orion Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 35 mm; steel back: height 7.25 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.45 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 301, 309 (with domed sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silverplated; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, gold

Orion weiß Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 35 mm; steel back: height 7.25 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.45 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; stamped silver

indexes, diamond-polished, white Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 331, 306 (with domed sapphire crystal glass back)

Orion rosé Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 35 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.45 mm

Hands: steel, gold-plated Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference number 352

Dial: galvanized, silverplated, rosé; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, gold

And at some point, decades later with quartz movements, the possibilities had become limitless, offering whatever anyone wanted: suddenly a watch fit even on the nail of a baby finger. But interest in this trend also died down and the manufacturers began artificially pumping up their timepieces. No one knows exactly who began this trend or where it came from. From the large pilots’ watches? From the special watches for seamen or divers? Every story was good enough to explain disproportional dimensions.

NOMOS Glashütte has never built extremely tiny watches or extremely large ones: at NOMOS Glashütte, watches have grown larger only when the technology required it—that is, when the movement grew, too, for example because of a self-winding or date mechanism. But since NOMOS cases sometimes sit loosely around the movements, a little shrinkage was possible, too. And so we can fulfill a wish that is reaching the manufactory in Glashütte more and more frequently: smaller watches for smaller people.

Orion anthrazit Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 35 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.45 mm

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference number 307

Dial: galvanized, anthracite; stamped silver indexes, diamond-polished, white

Orion Datum Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 38 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.86 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 19 mm Reference number 380

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; gold-plated applique

Orion Datum weiß Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 38 mm; steel back: height 7.89 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.86 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; rhodiumplated applique

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 19 mm Reference numbers 382, 381 (with domed sapphire crystal glass back)

Ludwig 33 Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 32.8 mm; steel back: height 6.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.6 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference numbers 243, 244 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Ludwig 33 anthrazit Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 32,8 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.6 mm

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 17 mm Reference number 246

Dial: galvanized, anthracite

Ludwig Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 35 mm; steel back: height 6.25 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.75 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 201, 205 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

More delicate leather watchbands: The smaller watches in the NOMOS collection are serially outfitted with a delicate, light watchstrap of velour, because it seems more delicate and fits the watch better. This strap made of leather from southern German alpine calves is of the finest provenience. But we gladly admit: although resilient, it is not as robust

as the watchbands made of horse leather that NOMOS otherwise uses. To the best of our knowledge, no other leather is as durable as the latter, which is called Horween Shell Cordovan. On request we can exchange the strap on your watch.

Ludwig Datum Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 37.5 mm; steel back: height 6.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 6.8 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 19 mm Reference number 233, 231 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Ludwig Automatik Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 40 mm; steel back: height 8,3 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.4 mm

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference numbers 253, 251 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Ludwig Automatik Datum Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 40 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.4 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 271

Ludwig Automatik anthrazit Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm

Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 40 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.4 mm

Reference number 252

Dial: galvanized, anthracite Hands: polished and rhodium-plated

Ludwig Automatik Datum anthrazit Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 272

Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 40 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.4 mm Dial: galvanized, anthracite Hands: polished and rhodium-plated

Rubies in NOMOS watches: Watchmakers used to put naturally occurring rubies into mechanical watches as jewel bearings. But, due to small flaws, their quality wasn’t high enough. That’s why today rubies are artificially produced for watch movements and cut with diamonds on special machines. NOMOS rubies come from France, and they not only serve the watch as jewel bearings, but also help lubricate

the movement: a special depression in these stones—visible under a magnifying glass—stores the oil. Sometimes it remains there for years, only gradually releasing tiny amounts; capillary action distributes tiniest droplets of the lubricant to the shafts. You can see some of these jewel bearings well through the sapphire back of a NOMOS, and they are not only useful, but also beautiful.

Tetra 27 Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 27.5 by 27.5 mm; steel back, height 6.05 mm

Reference number 401

Dial: galvanized, white and gray silver-plated Hands: steel, tempered blue

Tetra 27 Karat Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 27.5 by 27.5 mm; steel back, height 6.05 mm

Reference number 472

Dial: galvanized, gold-plated with brushed finish Hands: steel, gold-plated

A clear conscience: Watches are unlike cars, chemical products, weapons, clothing sometimes, or chickens from a battery farm: watches are inherently innocuous products. At least when they are mechanical: self-winding or handwound watches. Fine instruments “Made in Glashütte, Germany” are unobjectionable. The materials that go into a NOMOS watch have been tested and proven for centuries: brass, steel, leather, glass. In NOMOS watches there are no batteries, semiconductors or other things that harm our environment and in some cases people themselves. And anyway, at NOMOS in Glashütte, we make almost everything ourselves. In the past years, NOMOS Glashütte has continually expanded the proportion of in-house production. Up to 95 percent of a movement comes from our own production. Where car manufacturers want to produce ever less themselves, NOMOS Glashütte wants exactly the opposite.

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This is not necessarily the least expensive way. But the high proportion of in-house production makes it easier to produce responsibly. Raw commodities like steel and brass come from Germany, and how these materials are processed in the manufactory is no secret; NOMOS Glashütte is transparent. NOMOS Glashütte has everyone who supplies it with anything sign a codex. This cannot provide a 100 percent guarantee, but at least a great deal of additional security: the declaration of obligation is oriented toward the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Anyone who signs this contract declares himself in agreement with these conditions. And NOMOS makes it clear what it expects: that all those who supply our raw materials or the few parts we can’t make in-house work in accordance with the standards set by NOMOS in Glashütte.

Tetra Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; steel back: height 6.15 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: 6.3 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference numbers 408, 406 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tetra Gangreserve Movement: γ (Gamma)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and power reserve indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.3 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: steel, tempered blue Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 18 mm Reference number 435

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

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Tetra weltweiß Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; steel back, height 6.15 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 18 mm Reference number 485

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Tetra himmelblau Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.3 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 18 mm Reference number 486

Dial: galvanized, heavenly blue

Square watches in other colors: there have always been Tetra models in different colors—sometimes in the shades favored by Le Corbusier, sometimes in the colors of mushrooms and berries. Now NOMOS Glashütte has added four new Tetra color variants to its permanent collection: starting in June there will be—classic, but a little different—Tetra weltweiß (world white) and himmelblau (heavenly blue), Tetra biskuit (scone) and zartbitter (bittersweet). All four have rhodium-plated hands, and the Alpha manufactory caliber working inside them can be viewed through the sapphire crystal back. Only in the case of the Tetra weltweiß did the watchmakers prefer a steel back.

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Tetra biskuit Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.3 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 18 mm Reference number 484

Dial: galvanized, scone

Tetra zartbitter Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; size 29.5 by 29.5 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 6.3 mm; fixed with four screws

Hands: polished and rhodium-plated Strap: velour beige, lug width 18 mm Reference number 487

Dial: galvanized, bittersweet

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Club Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 36 mm; screwed steel back, height 8.17 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Hands: black (hour and minute hand with red inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan brown, red stitches, lug width 18 mm Reference number 701

Club dunkel Movement: α (Alpha)— manufactory caliber with manual winding

Hands: rhodium-plated (skeleton hands with superluminova inlay)

Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 36 mm; screwed sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.37 mm

Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310)

Dial: galvanized, rutheniumplated, hour-symbols with superluminova*

Reference number 704

Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, brown stitches, lug width 18 mm

Club Datum Movement: β (Beta)— manufactory caliber with manual winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 38.5 mm; screwed steel back: height 8.25 mm; screwed sapphire crystal glass back: height 8.45 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

* Superluminova: These non-radioactive luminescent pigments enable you to easily read the time even in the dark. The Tangente Sport has hands with superluminova inlay— you’ll find it on page 90 of this album.

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Hands: black (hour and minute hand with red inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan brown, red stitches, lug width 20 m Reference numbers 731, 733 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Club Automat Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 40 mm; screwed steel back: height 9.63 mm; screwed sapphire crystal glass back: height 9.73 mm Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Hands: black (hour and minute hand with red inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan brown, red stitches, lug width 20 mm Reference numbers 751, 753 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Club Automat Datum Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 41.5 mm; screwed steel back: height 9.68 mm; screwed sapphire crystal glass back: height 9.78 mm

Hands: black (hour and minute hand with red inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan brown, red stitches, lug width 20 mm Reference numbers 771, 773 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated

Club Automat Datum dunkel Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, bipartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 41.5 mm; screwed sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.78 mm

Hands: rhodium-plated (skeleton hands with superluminova inlay) Water resistant to 10 atm (DIN 8310) Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, brown stitches, lug width 20 mm Reference number 774

Dial: galvanized, rutheniumplated, hour-symbols with superluminova*

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Zürich Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; rhodiumplated applique

Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 39.7 mm; steel back: height 9.55 mm; sapphire crystal glass back: height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference numbers 806, 801 (with sapphire crystal glass back)

Zürich Datum Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding and date indicator Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glas; diameter 39.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 802

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated; rhodiumplated applique

It’s almost become routine: along with the iF Design Award and the American Good Design Award, the Zürich model also won this year’s Red Dot Design Award. Zürich is the Watch of the Year in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands and was also crowned with the Chrono Award, the Goldene Unruh (Golden Balance Wheel), and the Public’s Choice Award at the Munichtime—and thereby boasts 13 prizes to date. After all, Zürich is also a watch for a second and third look: the idea that one could get one’s fill of viewing all the logical twists, clever turns, geometrical forms, and elegantly polished surfaces is hardly imaginable. The Zürich becomes even more elegant (if that’s possible) in the two new versions: the Zürich braungold and its sister model, the Zürich blaugold. The NOMOS self-winding caliber Epsilon ensures the highest accuracy in both; both display a special dial adorned with the traditional Glashütte sunray finish and then gold-plated in brown or blue, respectively. More prizes and awards won by NOMOS watches can be found on page 112 of this album.

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Zürich blaugold Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 39.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 822

Dial: galvanized, blue gold; rhodium-plated applique

Zürich braungold Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic winding Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 39.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 823

Dial: galvanized, brown gold; rhodium-plated applique

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Zürich anthrazit Movement: ε (Epsilon)— manufactory caliber with automatic movement Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 39.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 803

Dial: galvanized, anthracite; rhodium-plated applique

Zürich Datum anthrazit Movement: ζ (Zeta)— manufactory caliber with automatic movement and date indicator Case: stainless steel, octopartite; domed sapphire crystal glass; diameter 39.7 mm; sapphire crystal glass back, height 9.65 mm; fixed with six screws Dial: galvanized, anthracite; rhodium-plated applique

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Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 804

Zürich Weltzeit Movement: ξ (Xi)— manufactory caliber with automatic movement and world time indicator Case: stainless steel, ten parts; diameter 39.9 mm; domed sapphire crystal glass, coated; sapphire crystal glass back, height 10.85 mm

Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black, lug width 20 mm Reference number 805

Dial: galvanized, white silverplated, with world time and 24-hour indicator

World time or GMT—what is actually the difference? A world time watch (i.e., Zürich Weltzeit, the watch on the right) offers a view of (almost) the whole world. A GMT watch like the Tangomat GMT concentrates on the time in two places: for example, the time at home and where one is headed. Or where one’s colleagues or headquarters are located or one’s sweetheart is out doing research. Whereby you can also have three instead of two. Especially clever people use the NOMOS Tangomat GMT Plus model as a three-time-zone watch. The hands show what time

it is where you are. The time conversion disc with plus and minus at the 9 o’clock position shows the time difference from home: for example, plus two hours or minus six hours. And the little time dial at the 9 o’clock position shows the time in a third place—for example, the city in Australia where your daughter is studying or where the Olympics are taking place. But whether with two, three, or many times: all NOMOS models with the Xi movement think further than just from here to there; they are all global, timely, and simply very, very beautiful in a modern way.

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For days when a second doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter, for time with leisure. The NOMOS sundial shows us the time in four very simple steps: 1. Let the sun shine. On the NOMOS sundial. 2. Set the right date on the drill hole in the middle ring. 3. Let the sundial ring dangle freely on its thread with the drill hole facing the sun. 4. On the inside of the ring, a ray of sunshine shows the time. Attention: this watch is adjusted for the path of the sun over GlashĂźtte. If you live far away (Tokyo, Basel, or Zurich), you can purchase one of the rare special models of this watch.

Prizes and awards for NOMOS Glashütte (Only those from 2002 or later; there were others before that. As of March 2013.)

2013 iF Product Design Award Tangomat GMT Plus

2012 Good Design Award Tangente Datum category: “Personal”

Red Dot Design Award Orion Datum weiß category: “Product Design” Goldene Unruh Tangomat category A: up to 2,500 euros Goldene Unruh Zürich Datum category B: up to 5,000 euros

2010 Watch of the Year, Germany Tangomat GMT Goldende Unruh Tangente Datum category A: up to 2,500 euros Goldene Unruh Zürich Weltzeit category B: up to 5,000 euros iF Product Design Award Zürich

Watch of the Year, Austria Tangomat Norma category: “Sportive Dynamics” Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Tangente Datum category: “Classic Elegance”

Madame Luxe Awards Tetra² category: “Visionary Watches” Goldene Unruh Tangente category A: up to 1,000 euros Goldene Unruh Tangomat Datum category B: up to 5,000 euros

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangente Datum

Munichtime Tetra Gold mocca category: “Feminine Luxury”

Chrono Award, Austria Tangente 33 grau category: “Ladies’ Special”

2007

2011

Watch of the Year, The Netherlands Zürich category: up to 3,000 euros

Goldene Unruh Tangente category A: up to 1,000 euros

Good Design Award Zürich category: “Personal”

Red Dot Design Award Zürich Datum category: “Product Design”

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangomat Datum

Watch of the Year, Austria Zürich Weltzeit category: “Small Complication” Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Tetra+ Erzgebirgsperle category: “Discreet Charm” Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Ludwig Automatik category: “Classic Elegance” Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Zürich Weltzeit category: “Small Complication”

Goldene Unruh Tangomat Datum category A: up to 2,500 euros

2009

2004

Goldene Unruh Club category A: up to 1,000 euros

Chrono Award, Austria Ludwig category: “Trendsetter”

Watch of the Year, Austria Tetra+ Erzgebirgsperle, category: “Discreet Charm”

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangente Datum Gangreserve

Goldene Unruh Tangente category D: up to 1,000 euros

Chrono Award, Austria Tangente, category: “Trendsetter” up to 1,000 euros

Viennatime (Public’s Choice) Tangomat GMT category: “Small Complication”

Goldene Unruh Tangente Datum Gangreserve category C: to 2,500 euros

Goldene Unruh Tangomat Datum category B: up to 5,000 euros

Chrono Award, Austria Zürich Datum anthrazit category: “Business Class”

Viennatime (Public’s Choice) Orion 33 rosé category: “Discreet Charm”

Goldene Unruh Tangente category D: to 1,000 euros

2008

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangomat Datum

Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Tangomat GMT category: “Small Complication”

2005

Goldene Unruh Tangente Datum category C: up to 2,500 euros

Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Tangomat Norma category: “Sportive Dynamics”

Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Orion 33 rosé category: “Discreet Charm”

Watch of the Year, The Netherlands Tangomat category: up to 3,000 euros Red Dot Design Award Tangomat category: “Product Design”

Chronos Innovation Award Tangente Datum Gangreserve category: “Technology” Watch of the Year, Austria Ludwig category: “Ladies’ Watch” 2003 Goldene Unruh Tangente Datum category C: up to 2,500 euros Goldene Unruh Tangente category D: to 1,000 euros Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente Datum category: “Trend and Design” Watch of the Year, Austria Tetra category: “Ladies’ Watch” Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente Datum Gangreserve category: “Complicated Watch”

2002 Watch of the Year, Austria Zürich category: “Classic Elegance” Watch of the Year, Austria Orion Gold rosé category: “Feminine Luxury”

Chrono Award, Austria Club category: “Trendsetter” up to 1,000 euros Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente Gangreserve anthrazit category: ”Classic Elegance”

Goldene Unruh Tangente category B: up to 1,000 euros Watch of the Year, Germany Tangente Sport Datum

Munichtime (Public’s Choice) Orion Gold rosé category: “Feminine Luxury”

2006

Red Dot Design Award Orion anthrazit category: “Product Design”

Munichtime (Jury’s Choice) Orion Gold rosé category: “Feminine Luxury”

Goldene Unruh Tangente category A: up to 1,000 euros

Chronos Innovation Award Tangente Sport Datum category: “Technology”

Chrono Award, Austria Zürich category: “Business Class”

Goldene Unruh Tangomat Datum category B: up to 5,000 euros

Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente category: “Trend and Design”

Watch of the Year, Germany Zürich

Chrono Award, Austria Tangente category: “Trendsetter”

Watch of the Year, Austria Tetra Gold category: “Feminine Luxury”

Watch of the Year, Austria Orion anthrazit category: “Ladies’ Watch”

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangente 33 category: “Ladies’ Watches”

Watch of the Year, The Netherlands Orion rosé category: “Ladies’ Watches”

Chrono Award, Austria Orion category: “Trendsetter”

Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente Sport Datum category: “Men’s Watch”

Chrono Award, Austria Tetra+ Burgundertrüffel category: “Ladies’ Special” Chrono Award, Austria Zürich Weltzeit category: “Business Class”

112

Watch of the Year, Austria Tangente Datum category: “Classic Elegance”

Watch of the Year, Germany Tangomat Datum Ladies’ Watch of the Year, Germany Orion rosé

© NOMOS Glashütte /SA Roland Schwertner KG Ferdinand - Adolph- L ange - Platz 2 01768 Glashütte Deutschland Telefon +49 35053 4040 Fax +49 35053 40480 nomos @ glashuette.com www.nomos-glashuette.com Text und Gestaltung: Berlinerblau GmbH V. i. S. d. P.: Judith Borowski Fotografie: Florian Braun (Seiten 3, 4, 7, 34, 37, 69, 71, 72, 75), Hans Hansen (Seiten 9, 17, 23, 30, 38/39, 41, 46, 49, 52, 55, 63), Marcus Krüger (Seite 21), Holger Wens (Seiten 10, 12/13, 18, 24/25, 26, 29, 33, 42, 45, 50, 56, 59, 60, 64, 67, 79–84, 88–111) Lithografie und Druck: Europrint Medien, Berlin Medialis, Berlin Beratung: die Uhrmacher und Ingenieure von NOMOS Glashütte Technische Änderungen behalten wir uns vor.

NOMOS Glashütte Das Album.

Ausgabe 2013

NOMOS Glashütte: Das Album. V öllig neue und bereits jetzt berühmte Seiten der Glashütter Uhren-Manufaktur.