Nomos Glashutte's former train station HQ.
Demonstrating the
thinness of the DUW 6101
The DUW 6101 movement
it’s something that we wanted to achieve because we don’t want to
increase prices.”
Ahrendt adds that Nomos worked with equipment companies
to specify machines that meet their needs. “We don’t just buy a
machine but we adapt them to our needs. It has worked really
well. For now we’re happy that we are completely independent in a
technological sense.” He also notes that having in-house production
has meant fewer items being returned for servicing. This yet another
way Nomos controls its costs.
IN-HOUSE CALIBERS
Currently, Nomos produces six manual calibers and seven automatic
ones for its thirteen watch lines. Ten of the movements are built
entirely in house, most with the company’s own swing system
escapement. Those watches have the DUW acronym in its name,
which stands for “Deutsche Uhrenwerke” (German Clockworks),
underscoring its competencies as an independent caliber producer.
The movements and watches are assembled in a multi-story
building. Inside this maze of rooms and stairs, I watched as a
watchmaker placed a swing system escapement inside a movement.
Nomos’ movement manufacturing
facility in Glashütte.
Another watchmaker installed the crown, case and sapphire glass.
With nearly everything made in house, Nomos can experiment
with metal alloys and adhere to precise calculations even down to
the number and angles of teeth for individual wheels. This allows
the company to create movements that are thin, accurate and
affordable, a rare combination in watchmaking. The company also
prides itself in providing useful complications for its movements,
such as power reserves, dates and time zone functions.
For example, Nomos’ latest movement is the automatic DUW 6101,
Neomatik date. The caliber has a wide 35.2mm diameter but is only
3.6mm high. This thinness is the result of the date mechanism being
integrated into the caliber. Nomos Creative Director Thomas Höhnel
explained that despite its large size, the date window remains
positioned on the edge of the watch, “as it should be.”
DESIGN IN BERLIN
There are many design options built into the movement, Höhnel
said while inside the Berlin office of Nomos’ in-house design agency,
Berlinerblau. For example, for the Orion Neomatik 41 date, the date
window is positioned at 3 o’clock but for the Ludwig Neomatik 41
WINTER 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 91