My Favourite Watch Brand

Go make yourself a coffee, sit down, and join me as I talk to you about my favorite watch brand of all time.

The introduction to this article is going to go a little bit like the popular game, “Guess Who?”. Does my favorite watch brand have Swiss origins? Nope. Does it rely on third-party movements? Nope. Is it a bit of an underdog in the industry? Yes!

My favorite brand is not one of the oldest in history. It doesn’t even produce classic steel sports watches that I so often commend brands for (should they do it well).

This watchmaker transitioned from a small plucky business to a major player. But it still goes under the radar when up against the big names. I don’t know why that is, because I love these watches and their Bauhaus-inspired designs. 

What manufacturer am I talking about? Nomos Glashutte, of course!  

Love At First Sight  

From the first time I set eyes on Nomos’ catalog, there was chemistry. At the time, I was working for Jura Watches, an independent luxury watch stockist in the heart of Derbyshire, England. 

Huge brand names surrounded me daily and I had new releases to try on all the time. I even had the pleasure of selling these exclusive timepieces to elite customers. But there was something special about Nomos watches that captured my attention.  

Below: Nomos Lambda

Of all the watches I could choose to wear at work, I kept coming back to them. There was a discreet confidence about these timepieces. They stood out from the masses. Assured yet understated, they were youthful enough for my wrist, yet classic enough for every eventuality.  

The more my love for Nomos grew, the more I realized this wasn’t just about the designs. 

Moreover, it was about the brand’s heritage. It was about its evolution and how it grew to become a fan favorite. How it laughed in the face of watch trends. 

But not everyone was singing the Nomos song. Part of the pull for me was that Nomos was an underdog. The music, films, and fashion I liked were far from mainstream. Why should my taste in timepieces be any different? 

Nomos Is Not a Boring Brand 

Taste is definitely subjective. I’ve come to realize this over the years. A bad design to one person is another’s dream timepiece. I’ve come to foster a respect for this over time. 

Nomos Glashutte watches aren’t for everyone (and if they were, I probably wouldn’t like them!). 

In the past, people accused the manufacturer of being “boring”. I see things differently. Quite simply, the watches we see before us today could not have existed without those important ancestors.

Below: Nomos Minimatik

At the turn of the century, Nomos began to spread its wings. The brand’s colorful, exuberant dials piqued collectors’ interest. Finally, people were seeing the breadth and scope of Nomos’ talents. Little did they know, there was more where that came from.  

Strategies To Success

From the get-go, I was happy for Nomos to remain the quietly confident brand amidst a sea of louder competitors. One thing it didn’t do was sit in the shadow of another more successful brand. 

Nomos owned its identity (another reason why this German manufacturer is my favorite watch brand of all time!). Before long, it became apparent that Nomos was going places. The dial colors were just one indicator that the brand was on the right track.  

Below: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Petrol Ref 745

After a decade of heavy investments, Nomos began implementing its designs with in-house movements. This growth had a ripple effect on its customer base (and subsequently its retail price).

These in-house movements, made in Glashutte, had completely original mechanisms. They changed the direction of the brand for the better, but they were now more expensive.

As soon as Nomos developed its own movements, it needed to focus on shifting them into higher price brackets. It required a bold push from somewhere to get these watches accepted by collectors. 

Advancements in technology, cleverly paired with “out there” dial colors, distracted from the price inflation. It should have been case sizes and price changes that got the headlines. Instead, all fans were talking about was Nomos’ bold use of color.

This clever strategy reaped dividends. In an industry that dictates we should change only one thing at a time, Nomos rebelled. Several overhauls in one fell swoop diversified some of the brand’s core models.  

My Favorite Watch Brand – The Collections

Speaking of core models, it’s time to look at some of my favorite Nomos collections.

The Nomos Tetra

I may as well start this list off with my favorite timepiece. The Nomos Tetra. We’re led to believe that 90% of watches are round. But that doesn’t mean that the square case occupies the remaining 10%. 

Square watches have many other abstract shapes to compete with. Rhomboids, tonneaus, shields, barrels, ovals, and rectangular cases are just a few examples. It makes the square-shaped Tetra all the more special. 

Below: Nomos Tetra Ref 477

The Tetra arrived in 1992. During the time of its release, it sat alongside three other designs; the Orion, Ludwig, and Tangente. 

The controversial watch was and still is a little like Marmite — you either love it or you hate it. Like thousands of other watch enthusiasts, I love the Tetra, and Nomos knows it.

Each time Nomos adds a new bonkers color to the Tetra line, it brutally culls another model. It keeps us fans wanting more. The Tetra adopts the “treat them mean, keep them keen” approach and I can’t resist the bait.  

Try as I may, I can’t find one thing I don’t love about the Terra. The case shape is unusual and the sumptuous color palettes are a complete tease.

The Nomos Tangente

The Nomos Tangente brings so much joy to the wrist. Although one of the brand’s first designs, it soon became a bestseller. Bill Clinton and Roger Moore have been partial to a watch from this category before now.

Thin tempered hands and a simplified small seconds display at 6 o’clock define this design.  

The Tangente collection offers sizes that span from 33mm for the Slender wrist to the larger 41mm type. If I were male and had the wrist to carry it off, the Tangente Neomatik 41 would be my choice.  

Below: Nomos Tangente Neomatik 41 Ref 180

Being a Neomatik, a colored block occupies a space on the periphery of the dial that indicates the date. As often seen, the seconds feature at the 6 o’clock location. In doing so, Nomos can resume its Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic across a minimalist display.   

The Nomos Ludwig  

I adore the Ludwig. It doesn’t, in any way, conform to the “norm”. The design is one of the least talked about and has been in the core line-up since the very beginning. 

It’s a traditional design with an extremely flat case. Top models from the line have the Neomatik caliber at their heart and the brand’s proprietary Swing System.

Below: Nomos Ludwig Ref 242

Most notable of all are the Roman numeral hour markers. This element is what gives the Ludwig its classic look. Six sizes to choose from is also pretty generous.

I always picture the Ludwig to be the perfect office companion. Thanks to its slim watch profile ( 3.6mm!), it slips under a cuff like a dream.

The Nomos Orion  

The 35mm Orion watches hang out with the unisex crowd, which appeals to me greatly. It has a generally impressive impact on the wrist, despite being one of the slenderest in the catalog. 

And here’s the interesting thing. Orion watches on men’s wrists evoke a vintage and elegant vibe. On a woman’s wrist, they look contemporary and minimalist.

Below: Nomos Orion Rose Ref 325

There’s a champagne dial in the collection that looks almost blush pink. Then there’s an actual blush pink one. It gives me all the feels. It’s feminine but not brash. Elegant but not average. 

You don’t need to be in touch with your feminine side to wear the Orion, either. These watches, whether small or larger size, look at home on the wrist of anyone with good taste.

The Nomos Club

When I hear the name “Nomos Club” I think of the German brand’s closest thing to a sports watch. The Club is one of the brand’s most robust designs. The attractive profile of the Club holds within it an in-house movement that is sometimes automatic, sometimes manual.

Cleverly, Nomos keeps the Club collection feeling youthful with its unusual color choices. I mean, come on! There’s a petrol green, a polar blue, a tobacco-inspired shade, a coral, and a deep pink. 

Tell me about another luxury watch collection that offers such a diverse palette!

Below: Nomos Club Campus Deep Pink Ref 711

aesthetics outperform one another. They remain in a constant balance together. Again – those colors!

The Nomos Metro

The Metro is, just like its name suggests, metropolitan! The Nomos Metro watch is great for city life and is amongst some of the most modern in the catalog. If you like watches that do things a little differently, the Metro is for you.

The Neomatik version shows the passing of the days via those colored windows I mentioned earlier.

Below: Nomos Metro Ref 1122.SB

Meanwhile, the dial’s hands call to mind the Empire State Building. They’re the only place you’ll find them throughout the manufacturer’s collections.

There are several small details in the Metro that amount to something very impactful. Take the crown, for example, knurled in an exquisitely detailed way.

Designer Mark Braun created the first model with mint and red details. The color combination sounds like chalk and cheese. Yet, with the Nomos Metro, it somehow just worked!

The Nomos Lux

There are many other Nomos watch collections I won’t get to cover in this article. But I had to mention the Lux design because it’s another “shape” watch.

The barrel-come-tonneau shape of the Lux is simply beautiful. Taking inspiration from the German kitchen clock, it is both modern and retro at the same time.

The models from this collection feature gold cases, yet the Lux is far more than just an unusual shape. Inside each timepiece is a movement. But not just any movement, either. Nomos had to manufacture a shaped movement that would fit adequately into the watch’s tonneau housing.

Below: Nomos Lux Zikade Ref 941

Although hidden from view when worn (what a shame!), the movement comprises twin mainspring barrels for an excellent power reserve. It also features gold chatons, a swan neck fine adjustment, and a hand-engraved balance cock. 

The watch also boasts Nomos’ signature Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan straps. Premium leather, long-lasting, and classic, these straps probably deserve an article of their very own. But that’s for another time.

Nomos: It’s the Perfect Brand for Me

The heart wants what it wants. My heart wants the Nomos close by, within arm’s reach, always. I find the designs unusual, intriguing, clean, and versatile. The Tetra is the perfect watch for a female wrist.

On the other hand, the Club Campus is relatively contemporary but remains true to the brand’s Bauhaus DNA.  

Nomos, hands down, is my favorite watch brand of all time. Despite my love for other non-Swiss brands like British-based Bremont and German manufacturer Meistersinger — Nomos has my heart.  

For me, I could pick out a different Nomos watch for every day of the week and never get bored. While I can respect that some collectors feel the watches play things a little safe, my advice would be to try one.  

Speaking from experience, unlocking the gateway to the Nomos stratosphere is far from dull. German manufacturers, in so many aspects, equal the authenticity and expertise of their Swiss rivals. A Nomos watch is just one of the many ways to experience that through some very masterfully executed examples.  

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