Backstory
This year for my birthday, I decided to treat myself to something nice, a new watch. Now, horology has been a long time interest of mine but I’m by no means an expert or very deep into the culture. I consider myself as somewhat of a window shopper or someone on the outside looking in, interested but not fully committed. Over the years, I’ve owned a few different watches but these purchases were more about function than form. I purchased watches that I could use and beat up while I’m outdoors or at the gym. For this new watch, I wanted something a little more classy.
My search for a new watch led me to all corners of the market. Because I was going to be spending a decent chunk of money, I wanted to make sure that I got something that I’d be happy with for a long time. At first, my only two requirements were for the watch to be automatic winding and to have a moonphase complication. I wanted an automatic just for the sake of not winding the watch everyday and the moonphase, well it’s just my favorite complication because I think it looks cool. I’m not going to bore you with all the watches that I considered, but a big problem with what I was looking at was that they were all very busy. After much thought, I decided to be a little more sensible and tone everything back. This led me to NOMOS.
At first, I was sort of put off by just how minimal the NOMOS timepieces were. I questioned why someone would want to pay so much and get so little, as far as design. After days of looking at watch after watch, most of them kind of just faded away in my mind as nothing really stood out. Although these other watches featured a lot of bells and whistles, they didn’t feature anything meaningful, at least to me. Throughout my search, NOMOS kept popping up in my mind and I then realized why I was attracted to the brand. The simplicity is what makes NOMOS special. Although NOMOS timepieces didn’t scream “LOOK AT ME!” on the surface, it managed to really plant itself in my mind and keep me coming back to the manufacturer’s website and that sealed the deal. I was going to buy a NOMOS watch.
Okay, now that I’ve decided on the manufacturer, what watch do I go with. NOMOS has a few different watch collections but I was mainly attracted to the Ludwig, Orion and Tangente. All three featured circular dials and the main difference that I considered were the hour indicators. The Ludwig featured alternating roman numerals and indexes. The Orion featured just index bars. The Tangente featured alternating Arabic numerals and indexes. All three are very similar yet offers a completely different feel. Ultimately, I decided on the Tangente because it offers a simplistic design, yet is still playful. Maybe this is just how I secretly consider myself and am looking for a watch to match my personality.
Then, of course, within each collection are a multitude of timepieces to choose from. Luckily, the official NOMOS website features a watch finder module which allows for the filtering of watches by selected criteria. I knew that I wanted a neomatik (automatic) watch that showed the date. This narrowed the search down to four options. A white dial and leather straps were preferred so that left me with only one option. It was clear, the neomatik 41 Update was the one.
At this point it was just a matter of actually buying the watch. So one thing about me is that I’m very sentimental about things and that includes notable dates in life. Remember how I wanted to treat myself to a new watch for my birthday? Well, wouldn’t it be more special if I actually received the watch on my birthday? I had to make this happen and planned the shipping times out perfectly so that the watch arrived on April 1st (my birthday). This was especially tricky since I was supposed to be in New York on March 31st. I actually pushed the flight back until the night of April 1st to make sure that I had time to receive the package. A lot of work, but completely worth it in my mind.
Review
Upon first impressions, the NOMOS neomatik 41 Update may seem like a very simple watch. A round 40.5mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal for the front and back display. But pictures really do not do this watch justice. Holding it in hand, it is evident why NOMOS considers the Tangente as “the round watch with many right angles”. Along the case are abrupt angle changes to denote the different surfaces with the only curve being the case sidewall itself. Everything else consist of sharp angles which really adds to the depth of what is seemingly an ordinary round watch.
The dial itself is another example of complexity disguised in simplicity. At a glance, we see black indicators on a white silver plated dial with alternating Arabic numbers and indexes to denote the hours and a small sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position to denote the seconds. All very simple. But encompassing all of this is the date indicator which is pushed out and runs along the entire edge of the dial. The date ring features two red dots which signifies the date in between. Although seemingly simple, this is a big delineation from what is normally offered, really with any manufacturer, and provides a different perspective to the idea of a date display.
The date ring is in part possible due to the proprietary in house DUW 6101 automatic movement, which is NOMOS’ first neomatik movement with a date. Considering that this is an automatic movement with date complication, the movement itself remains relatively thin at only 3.6mm and helps to keep the overall case height to 7.9mm.
The DUW 6101 was redesigned from start to finish with the date complication in mind, intending for it to run along the edge of the dial. This movement is implemented in other NOMOS timepieces but the date ring of this particular Tangente is really the stand out. It offers something different and unique. I can’t speak for you, but this is the first time that I’ve ever seen the date displayed in such a manner on a wristwatch.
Because the date complication is such a prominent feature of the DUW 6101, NOMOS took the time to make sure that it was designed in a way that would not only allow for quick date changes, but the ability to do so in both directions. Although this is seemingly trivial, being able to move the date forwards and backwards, this is actually something that many other watches cannot do. Adjusting the date backwards on a watch not designed to do so can cause some serious damage to the movement so what NOMOS has implemented here is quite appreciated.
With the DUW 6101 is also the NOMOS swing system. This is NOMOS’ proprietary escapement that is denoted by its tempered blue balance spring. This movement also features various other characteristics that are typical for Glashütte timepieces such as the three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing and tempered screws. All adding to the craftsmanship and engineering which NOMOS has come to be known for.
Attached to the case is a genuine shell cordovan black leather strap with a lug width of 20mm. The strap itself is beautifully made and seems to be of very high quality. What I found interesting is that NOMOS used Horween leather. Horween is of course an American leather company and I have absolutely no problem with Horween as they do incredible work, but it is just strange to me that a company like NOMOS who is very proud of its German roots would use products not manufactured in Germany. It should be noted that embossed on the strap itself are the words “Handmade In Germany”. Perhaps the raw materials were sourced from Horween and made in Germany. Even so, I’m surprised that NOMOS doesn’t source directly from a German manufacturer.
Another thing to note about the strap is that based on the stock images that I’ve seen of this watch, it would seem that the strap is black on the outside and a shade of grey on the inside. This does not seem to be the case. The lining leather of the strap actually has a greenish tint. This is nitpicking but I would’ve personally preferred the grey as pictured. It’s a good thing that this part of the strap sits directly against the wrist so no one will see it. I have read somewhere on the official NOMOS website that some of their straps may leave a little color on the skin (that will come off with washing). I haven’t had this issue yet but this does seem to make sense with the green dyes of the strap.
Lastly, everything is packaged in an elegant and functional black leather wallet case, which allows for storage and protection of the timepiece while on the go. This addition is greatly appreciated as it is multi-purposed. Whereas with other watches you may get a box that is only really useful in a single environment, the NOMOS leather wallet can easily be stowed in a bag and used when need be, anywhere.
My experience with this timepiece has been positive. If I had one complaint, it would not be with the watch, but with the manufacturer. Prior to my purchase, I had questions about this watch and tried to get information about from NOMOS. I first sent emails through the official website’s contact portal and did not get a response. Then, I tried through the official site’s live chat function and was able to connect with someone. An agent joined my chat, I asked my questions, the agent kept me waiting for sometime, then left the chat. I then had to repeat this procedure and was gradually able to get some help with a noticeable wait times between each interaction. This does not speak well to me. If a company cannot give satisfactory service prior to purchase, how will it be after purchase? This does raise some concerns as I will be needed to deal with the manufacturer again for planned servicing. Perhaps a better option would be to visit an authorize dealer and have them deal with everything. I guess I won’t know until it’s time to service my watch.
At the end of the day, this is an amazing timepiece. It is definitely not for everyone but for those looking for a seemingly simple watch that actually offers a lot, this Tangente is the outlier. However, at $4100 I think this watch sits at a weird place. That’s a good chunk of money and there are a lot of other options that you can get for a similar price. That being said, NOMOS offers something that really no other manufacturer does. Those who want a NOMOS timepiece are looking for something very particular and again, it is something that in my opinion, cannot be received anywhere else and that’s where the value of this company comes in. My opinion is of course bias, but I think anyone looking for a new timepiece should seriously consider the offerings from NOMOS.
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NOMOS Glashutte Tangente neomatik 41 Update: https://amzn.to/2WYlZJy
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