Deutschland · Gegründet 1990
NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS was registered in January 1990, two months after the Berlin Wall fell.
Redaktioneller Text auf Englisch.
NOMOS Glashütte is an independent German maker of mechanical watches in Glashütte, Saxony, known for Bauhaus-influenced designs such as the Tangente and for in-house calibres with its own swing system escapement. Most models cost between about 1,500 and 4,500 euros, which makes NOMOS one of the least expensive routes to a manufacture movement.
Geschichte
Roland Schwertner, a Düsseldorf photographer and IT specialist, registered the NOMOS Glashütte/SA trademark in January 1990, two months after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The name came from an unrelated company, Nomos-Uhr-Gesellschaft, which had sold Swiss watches under the Glashütte name from 1906 until A. Lange & Söhne took it to court and it closed in 1910. The first NOMOS collection, designed by Susanne Günther under the influence of Bauhaus modernism, appeared in 1992 with four models: Tangente, Orion, Ludwig and Tetra.
The early watches used hand-wound movements based on the Swiss ETA/Peseux 7001, finished and modified in Glashütte. From April 2005 NOMOS used only in-house calibres, and the Tangomat, its first automatic, arrived the same summer. New lines followed, including Club in 2007, Zürich in 2009, Ahoi, Lambda and Lux in 2013 and Metro in 2014. The company's administration moved into the former Glashütte railway station, with watchmaking on Am Erbenhang and, from 2017, a further facility in Schlottwitz.
In 2014 NOMOS presented the NOMOS swing system, its own escapement assembly with balance, hairspring and escape wheel, which reduced its dependence on Swiss suppliers. Calibres fitted with it carry the DUW prefix, for Deutsche Uhrenwerke. The thin neomatik automatic calibre DUW 3001 followed in 2015, and in 2018 the Tangente neomatik 41 Update won the Challenge category at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. NOMOS produces about 20,000 watches a year and remains privately owned.
Gründer
- Roland Schwertner
- Founder
- Düsseldorf photographer and IT specialist who registered the NOMOS Glashütte trademark in January 1990 and built the company in Glashütte.
Meilensteine
1990
NOMOS Glashütte founded
Roland Schwertner registers the NOMOS Glashütte/SA trademark in January 1990, two months after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
1992
First collection
NOMOS presents Tangente, Orion, Ludwig and Tetra, designed by Susanne Günther in a Bauhaus-influenced style.
2005
Only in-house calibres
From April 2005 NOMOS uses only its own movements; the Tangomat, its first automatic, follows that summer.
2014
NOMOS swing system
NOMOS introduces its own escapement assembly, the swing system, making it independent of Swiss suppliers for this part.
2015
neomatik DUW 3001
NOMOS launches its thin automatic calibre DUW 3001, its tenth in-house calibre, in the neomatik line.
2018
GPHG Challenge prize
The Tangente neomatik 41 Update wins the Challenge category at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
Drei Dinge, die Sammler wissen
A name borrowed from a lawsuit
An earlier Nomos-Uhr-Gesellschaft sold Swiss watches marked 'Glashütte/Sachsen' from 1906 until A. Lange & Söhne sued and it closed in 1910. The modern company shares only the name.
Offices in a railway station
NOMOS runs its administration from the former Glashütte railway station building, while its watchmakers work a short distance away on Am Erbenhang.
The 50 percent rule
A watch may carry 'Glashütte' on the dial only if at least half of its calibre is made in the town. For NOMOS calibres the share is up to 95 percent.
Wichtige Modelle
- Tangente1992
Slim Bauhaus-influenced dress watch with hand-wound calibre Alpha; the brand's best-known design.
- Orion1992
Round dress watch from the 1992 debut collection, now offered in hand-wound and neomatik automatic versions.
- Club2007
Sportier, more water-resistant line; the Club Campus variants are the entry point to the brand.
- Metro2014
Designed by Mark Braun, with date and power reserve displays and the in-house swing system.
Fragen
- Does NOMOS make its own movements?
- Yes. Since April 2005 NOMOS has fitted only in-house calibres, and since 2014 it has made its own escapement, the NOMOS swing system. Calibres with it carry the DUW prefix.
- Is NOMOS related to A. Lange & Söhne?
- No. Both are based in Glashütte, but NOMOS is privately owned and independent, while A. Lange & Söhne belongs to Richemont. An earlier, unrelated Nomos firm was taken to court by Lange in 1910.
- Where are NOMOS watches made?
- In Glashütte, Saxony, Germany. NOMOS has sites in the former railway station, on Am Erbenhang and, since 2017, in the Schlottwitz district.
- How do you pronounce NOMOS?
- NO-moss. The name comes from the Greek word nomos, meaning law or rule.