The NOMOS Story
NOMOS Glashütte—producer of fine mechanical watches
What began with three employees and a few freelancers in a three-bedroom apartment in Glashütte has long since become a successful midsized business. Founded by Roland Schwertner in 1990, NOMOS Glashütte brought the first four hand-wound watches ontothe market in 1992: Tangente, Orion, Ludwig, and Tetra—which are now classics.
NOMOS Glashütte became a caliber producer in 2005—one of less than 20 in the world. As the name suggests, to qualify a company must produce at least 50 percent of its calibers’ value on-site. At NOMOS Glashütte, depending on the exact model, this figure is up to 95 percent—NOMOS watches have an unbelievably high level of in-house production.
The story of NOMOS in Glashütte: How it all began
January 1990: Two months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Roland Schwertner traveled to Glashütte. For Schwertner, who had previously worked in West Germany as a business consultant, had a dream: to produce mechanical watches in the birthplace of German fine watchmaking. While many former GDR citizens left East Germany, Roland Schwertner moved to this region in Saxony.
Glashütte in the eastern Ore Mountains, a half hour drive from Dresden, two hours from Prague and Berlin, is a town in which everything revolves around watches. Back in 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange began to school basket weavers and miners in the art of watchmaking and opened the first workshops. Over the decades, increasing numbers took up fine watchmaking—turning Glashütte into a world-renowned birthplace for high-quality timepieces. But then came the wars, and East Germany after that.
However, the knowledge of the watchmaking families could be preserved during this time. And just at the right moment—as the old-school watchmakers were still around—the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. After the reunification, the small town managed something that other places in former East Germany were unable to: successful businesses emerged from the ruins of the state-run East German watchmaking company. Walter Lange, the great grandchild of the legendary Ferdinand Adolph Lange, returned here after German reunification. But pioneers saw an opportunity as well: a chance to help rebuild former East Germany without losing watchmaking traditions. One of those was Roland Schwertner, who managed something that was considered rather improbable at first, without a background in watchmaking and almost without starting capital. So the year of German reunification is also the one in which NOMOS Glashütte was born. “I’ve never had a plan B,” explains Schwertner and laughs.
Orion 1989 33mm
What makes NOMOS Glashütte special
The best craftsmanship, the best design, the best prices: This is what NOMOS Glashütte strives for. The owner-operated company, which is a member of the Deutscher Werkbund (a precursor of the Bauhaus movement), aims to offer high-quality products that are affordable for many.
A great deal of effort always goes into NOMOS watches—both in terms of design and production. Renowned European designers create the characteristic design aesthetic of the watches; and the production is intensive as well: hand-engraved balance cocks, gold chatons polished in elder pith. NOMOS watches are beautiful, even in the hidden corners of the movement. The finest materials, such as Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan, sapphire crystal glass, stainless steel as well as 18kt white and rose gold, are used to craft them.
NOMOS Glashütte values resource-efficient production and the use of materials that are not harmful to health—and of course, good working conditions for all. The brand was also certified as an “ÖKOPROFIT company” for its sustainable production and exemplary environmental protection program. With watches in support of the Nobel Peace Prize winning organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, NOMOS Glashütte also helps create better times for people in crisis regions.
NOMOS Glashütte: the collection
Orion 1989 38mm
At present, NOMOS Glashütte constructs nine in-house calibers for eleven watch families— and around 70 watch models. The collection includes mechanical watches in the price range of 1600 to 6000 US dollars, and golden watches, at between 18,500 and 21,500 US dollars. Uncluttered faces, elegant (and usually very slender) hands, narrow bezels and a clear-cut form are further features all NOMOS watches share. Most NOMOS watches are now seen internationally as classics: timeless but still contemporary, functional,unobtrusive and yet highly individual.
NOMOS’ prize-winning watches
Watches from NOMOS Glashütte have won many prizes; over the last 10 years, NOMOS watches have received over 120 awards for quality, value-for-money, and design. These include the prestigious Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum—founded by Charles and Ray Eames—three times in a row, in 2011, 2012, and 2013, as well as the Goldene Unruh, a significant European award, and the renowned Red Dot Award.
Success and growth at NOMOS Glashütte
Since 2010, the company has more than doubled its workforce and now employs nearly 200 people. Around 30 of them work in NOMOS’ two subsidiaries: NOMOS Schweiz AG in Zurich and Berlinerblau in Kreuzberg, Berlin, which take care of design and marketing.
NOMOS Glashütte has also managed to double its turnover in the past three years. The aim is to maintain this tempo in the future—the watchmaking company is also planning to increase business by 100 percent in the next three years. That said, there is
currently no other brand in Germany making and selling more mechanical watches “Made in Germany.” In this, NOMOS is already market leader. And since recently, the company is in the position to equip watches—independent from external know-how—with
its own escapement, the NOMOS swing system. Until now, one company had a de facto monopoly on this watchmaking part. Developing it in-house allows NOMOS to determine the quality of the entire caliber and ensure independence and growth.
currently no other brand in Germany making and selling more mechanical watches “Made in Germany.” In this, NOMOS is already market leader. And since recently, the company is in the position to equip watches—independent from external know-how—with
its own escapement, the NOMOS swing system. Until now, one company had a de facto monopoly on this watchmaking part. Developing it in-house allows NOMOS to determine the quality of the entire caliber and ensure independence and growth.
For the fourth year running, a credit analysis by the Bundesbank—Germany’s central bank—has judged NOMOS to be eligible for central bank lending. “Eligible status” represents a particularly strict standard of corporate assessment, and NOMOS’ top class
rating corresponds to AA+ from the major rating agencies (S&P, Fitch and Moody’s). This is rare among German businesses.
rating corresponds to AA+ from the major rating agencies (S&P, Fitch and Moody’s). This is rare among German businesses.
Orion 1989
Case: stainless steel, tripartite; diameter 33 or 38 mm; curved sapphire crystal glass; curved sapphire crystal glass back, height 8.54 (size 33) or 8.86 mm (size 38)
Dial: galvanized, November gray;stamped indexes, diamond-polished
Hands: steel, gold-plated
Water-resistant: to 3 atm
Strap: velour leather anthracite
Reference numbers: 326 (size 33) 385 (size 38)
The movement : α (Alpha)—NOMOS caliber with manual winding
Diameter: 23.3 mm
Movement height: 2.6 mm
Power reserve: approx. 43 hours
Characteristics: Glashütte threequarter plate, 17 jewels, Glashütte stopwork, Incabloc shock protection, balance spring from Nivarox 1A, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated movement surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage, ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst decoration
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