WHEN OLD MEETS NEW

Three new Nomos Glashütte Orion Neomatik models celebrating the175th anniversary of the de facto capital of German watchmaking.
WORDS ROB NUDDST

he year 1845 is a date of extreme significanceto anyone plying their trade in the German
watchmaking industry. After years of petitioning
the Saxon government for a generous loan thatwould enable him to breathe new life into the flagging
industry of Glashütte, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s long-heldwish was granted.
It was his dream to revitalize a community with thegift of watchmaking. For centuries, Glashütte and thesurrounding Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) had been famed
for rich silver deposits, bringing not only great wealth tothe area but also a host of associated artisanal abilities.
As a renowned center of fine handwork, Lange, who
served his apprenticeship in Dresden at the knee of masterwatchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, believed
the people of Glashütte would be able to pick up thenecessary manual skills to make the sleepy Saxon settlement
a force to rival those of the English and Swiss at the time.
He found a town in need of a new direction and 178 years
later, that direction has never been clearer.
Perhaps it is no wonder, then, that Nomos Glashütte
continues to celebrate the milestone reached in 2020. Afterall, this is a story much bigger than a single date; this is astory in which Nomos Glashütte has played a starring role
for the past 33 years; this is a story that deserves to be told
over and over and over again because it really is that good.
The history of Glashütte and its watchmaking
companies is anything but simple, but it is endlesslycompelling. From the seismic impact of the industry’s
genesis to the assimilation of all its companies under one
umbrella (the G.U.B) during the GDR years to the rebirthof independence following the fall of the Berlin Wall, thistiny town has seen more than its fair share of history. These
three new Nomos watches, in 36, 39 (actually 38.5mm), and41 (actually 40.5mm) stainless steel cases aim to honor that.
Each model is powered by one of Nomos Glashütte’s
in-house neomatik calibers. The neomatik series debutedin 2015 with the release of the 3.2mm thick DUW 3001
movement, which was conceived as a foundational caliber,
upon which the brand’s future would be built. Three years
later, the first complication followed.
In 2018, we saw the debut of the DUW 6101, a larger
mechanism that retained the 3Hz (21,600vph) operating
frequency and the 42-hour power reserve of its forerunner
but added a “peripheral” date function to the mix. Simply,
the architecture of the date indication is built around theSPLIT SECONDS

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NOMOSGLASHÜTTE ORION NEOMATIK — 175 YEARSWATCHMAKING GLASHÜTTEREFERENCE 395.S1 (36mm), 345.S1 (39mm), and365.S1 (41mm)
MOVEMENT DUW 3001 Automatic
FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes, and seconds — (thelargest model also has a date)
CASE 36mm x 8.5mm x 45mm, 38.5mm x 8.7mmx 47.5m, 40.5mm x 9.4mm x 50.5mm. All are madefrom stainless steel and water resistant to 50m
DIAL Silver-plated with blued hands and raised
indices in gold
STRAP Black Shell Cordovan Leather
PRICE USD 3,580 (36mm), USD 3,920 (39mm),and USD 4,200 (41mm)
AVAILABILITY Limited edition of 175 piecesof each reference

Monochromatic tones and discreet features define theNomos Glashütte Orion Neomatik

old 3001, which means the date window can (as you will see
from the 41mm model here) sit right on the edge of the dial
and be as big as possible to improve legibility.
The headline-grabbing design decision, however, issurely the use of silver-plated dials in these three watches.
This metallic white plating may not be as warm as theregular egg-shell shade of dial which we’re used to seeing
from Nomos, but it is certainly an eye-catching aesthetic.
Pleasingly, the date wheel background on the largest model
has been appropriately color coded to match, rather thansticking out like a sore thumb as so many date windows
do. The most interesting thing about these three novelties,
however, must be the seconds sub-dial. Eagle-eyed Nomos
lovers will have noticed immediately: unlike normal Nomos
sub-dials, these are not recessed.
While that almost sounds like “anti-news”, the effect is,
firstly, very obvious and, secondly, an intentional call-backto dial styles of old. The subtle dome of the dial gives thisNomos an incredibly classic feel, dating it more aroundthe ‘50s or the ‘60s, many decades before the brand existed.
Is there such a thing as too many Nomos Glashütte
Orion pieces? While the Tangente is often regarded as82

the brand’s flagship model, it is the Orion that, in myopinion, really expresses what the brand is all about. Yes,
the Tangente is a Bauhaus icon, with its angular case andiconic typeface calling back to models made by otherbrands in Glashütte around the turn of the 20th century,
but the Orion is artful, graceful, and far more elegant thanits celebrated, if not quite so adored brother.
Since 1992 — the year Nomos released its first watches— we’ve not known a single day without the Nomos
Glashütte Orion. Along with the Tangente, the Ludwig,
and the Tetra, it has been an ever-present model. It is as
much a part of the brand as the brand’s Germanity, andthese three novelties continue its story. They bring a fusionof the old (domed dials) and the new (neomatik calibers)
together seamlessly. My personal favorite is the 36mm, as I
believe the smaller diameters benefit from the most naturalplacement of the sub-seconds, but the larger 40.5mm modelis also quite charming thanks to the DUW 6101 movement
and that beautiful, oversized date. However, be warned:even small Nomos Glashütte watches wear like dinnerplates, so unless your wrist is at least 17.5/18cm thick, bewary of plumping for the biggest of this desirable bunch.

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