Nomos Tangente: A Review of Nomos’ Award-Winning Classic

The Nomos Tangente is what you would show someone when describing the Nomos Glashütte brand. People often refer to it as the “epitome of a Nomos watch” and with good reason. They even say it is a symbol of Glashütte watchmaking.

Whether or not you’re a fan of German watchmaking, this work of art deserves your respect and attention. Read on to know our thoughts about it.

FIRST IMPRESSION

At first glance, the Nomos Tangente is exactly what it is described ― simple, straight-forward, and Bauhaus. It provides a clean and easy-to-read dial which is very typical of a German watch.

It looks trendy enough to be worn casually every day. Additionally, its dial looks simple and uncluttered enough to be worn with a suit as a dress watch.

THE NOMOS TANGENTE SPECS

First things first. To give you an idea about the watch, here is its spec sheet.

• Reference no.: 101
• Dimensions: 35mm case size
• Case Material: stainless steel, tripartite stainless steel back
• Movement: Mechanical
• Calibre: Alpha Manual
• Jewels: 17
• Power reserve: up to 43 hours
• Water resistance: 30m (splash-proof)

Case

At only 35mm, the watch might look small on many people’s wrists, especially if the wrist in question is a muscular one. Depending on your taste in watches, this may or may not be good news to you. But one thing is for sure, though, this makes it very comfortable and light on the wrist.

Additionally, to others, the size of the Nomos Tangente is a perfect balance of minimalism and readability.

Sideways, the Nomos Tangente 35 has a slim profile. It is estimated to be less than 7mm in height. That means this dimension will allow it to fit inside a dress cuff without any trouble. With this, the brand is proud to say that they managed to fill it with substance sans the unnecessary size.

Dial

The dial of the Nomos Tangente is undeniably Bauhaus ― from its hour markers to the sub-seconds dial. It uses only five Arabic numerals in showing the time while the rest are line markers. This is a successful attempt in keeping the dial uncluttered.

Now, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the hands are of a different colour. The brand says that the secret behind it is an old watchmaking tradition. They had to heat the hands up to 290 degrees Celsius to turn them into a metallic, cornflower blue. This addition of colour turns out to be an interesting detail, especially when observing it up close.

Movement

It is important to note that the Nomos Tangente is not an automatic watch. This means you have to manually wind it to make it run. But do not underestimate its movement. The calibre inside this watch is Nomos’ pride and joy.

One amazing thing about the Nomos brand is that they produce their calibres in-house. This is very special in the world of watchmaking as only a handful of brands do this.

The Nomos Tangente is equipped with a movement which they call the Alpha. This calibre was Nomos’ first in-house movement. They describe the calibre as accurate and reliable. Despite being hidden inside the case, the Alpha is a treat to see because its ratchet and crown wheel is of Glashütte sunburst colour. Meanwhile, its screws are tempered blue to match its hands.

The Alpha has a power reserve of up to 43 hours. What this means is that you can leave it for almost two days without winding it and it would still tick.

Strap

As expected, the Nomos went with a simple yet elegant strap. It is made out of Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan which is both smooth and durable at the same time. 

From 18mm at the lugs, it gradually slims down to 16mm at the buckle. Generally, a tapered strap will make the dial of the watch appear larger. A smart move by Nomos since the Tangente is considered small by today’s standards.

I have to say that the strap choice was excellent for the watch. The neutrality of black allows it to blend well with most of your wardrobe.

AWARDS

This watch is clean and minimalistic but if there’s one thing that’s crowded about the Nomos Tangente, it is its trophy case. Here is a list of its awards so far:

Chrono Award

The Chrono Award is one of the watch industry’s most influential award events. Apart from that, it is Austria’s one and only watches competition. They judge the models according to both their design category and price range.

Uhr des Jahres

The Uhr des Jahres or the “Watch of the Year” award in Germany is given annually by Welt am Sonntag and the watch magazine Armbanduhren. For years, the Tangente has earned the title of Watch of the Year in the Men’s Watch category. 

Goldene Unruh

The Goldene Unruh or the “Golden Balance” award is one of the highest accolades a watch company could hope for. The Nomos Tangente 35 has won not once, not twice, but more than five times already.   

Viennatime

Viennatime is Austria’s largest watch expo. It is unique as it focuses more on the different watch brands’ innovations and achievements. People judge the timepieces based on four categories. And in 2002, the Tangente won first place in the Trend and Design category.

If these accolades do not impress you, I don’t know what will.

PRICE

The Nomos Tangente ref. 101 has a suggested retail price of $1,900. This is reasonable considering the brand falls into the entry-level luxury category.

However, if you would add craftsmanship to the conversation, it can be considered cheap. The Alpha calibre that it uses is one precise and accurate beast. It is a testament to the excellence of German engineering and it is undoubtedly valued way more than what the Tangente’s price tag shows.

WHO SHOULD BUY THE NOMOS TANGENTE?

Because of its strong personality, the Nomos Tangente has an aesthetic that will appeal to a specific crowd. But if you are part of that audience, the Tangente is hard to beat. The crowd that we’re talking about are modern art lovers or minimalists. I can imagine that a person who shops at Muji for home essentials and watches Tidying Up by Marie Kondo also wears the Nomos Tangente on their wrist.

OTHER VERSIONS OF THE NOMOS TANGENTE

Nomos has decided that the Tangente is so good that they had to release it in different versions. Here are four other editions of the Nomos Tangente. With these, it’s so easy to find a Tangente that fits your taste and lifestyle.

Nomos Tangente Power Reserve

The Nomos Tangente Power Reserve comes with a patented power reserve indicator. Although it is underappreciated, it is one of the most useful complications a mechanical watch can have.

If you would observe, the circle with a red accent is not just a decoration. It tells you how much power the watch still has. In other words, it’s a reminder that you have to wind your timepiece. But other than that, it shares the same Bauhaus look of the original Tangente.

Aesthetics aside, this watch is powered by the DUW 4301 calibre. Like the Alpha, this movement is built in-house. It is also extremely precise and accurate in telling the time.

Nomos Tangente Neomatik 41 Update

The Tangente Neomatik 41 Update is the upgraded version of an already excellent watch. This version features a very unique way of telling the date. Instead of putting a small window on the dial, the watchmakers decided to put it all around the edge of the dial. Yes, there are printed numbers from 1 up to 31 just outside the hour markers. But the surprising thing is, despite all the numbers, the dial still remains uncluttered.

Nomos Tangente Sport Neomatik

The Tangente Sport Neomatik is exactly what it is named after ― sporty. While the other versions of the Tangente have a water-resistance of 30m, the Sport has 10 times its water-resistance ― 1000ft or 300m to be exact. This is the perfect version of the Tangente to have when you are the adventurous type.

Nomos Tangente 33

Nomos believes that every wrist is different, that is why they released their classic model in various sizes. The original Tangente is considered small by today’s standards. But if you want something smaller, the Tangente 33 is for you.

Just like the original Nomos Tangente, it is equipped with the Alpha calibre and features the same Bauhaus design we love. Its only difference apart from the size? The leather strap. Instead of black, it comes in a soft velour light-coloured one.

FINAL NOTES

The Nomos Tangente is the perfect watch for the minimalist and Bauhaus junkie. Additionally, this is ideal for the one-watch types of people because they consider it playful enough to be worn as a casual daily driver and smart enough for formal events.

For its price, you get way more than what you pay for, especially if you managed to snag good deals from websites like The Watch Company. This makes the Nomos Tangente an excellent entry point for people who want to get into luxury watches.

Nomos’ selling point is to create relatively affordable watches with movements on par with brands like Rolex. Undeniably, the Tangente is a great representation of that. This watch truly deserves the respect it gets from the watch community.

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