NOMOS Glashütte Lambda Roségold Watch Review
Tuesday - 01 December 2015
by Angus Davies, www.escapementmagazine.com
The eponymously named NOMOS Glashütte is based in Saxony, the German heartland of watchmaking. Indeed, the German town of Glashütte is home to a host of watch brands, a tradition started ever since Ferdinand A. Lange established his watch manufactory in 1845.
Over time, the region has become synonymous for specific movement details including the three-quarter plate, gold chatons, Glashütte ribbing, etc.
Compared with its über-luxurious neighbour A. Lange & Söhne, NOMOS Glashütte is comparatively young, having been founded in 1990 by Roland Schwertner, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall.
Since the inception of this company it has enjoyed exponential growth owing to a winning formula of manufacture movements, Bauhaus design and affordable pricing. Indeed, the fall of the Berlin Wall is a wonderful metaphor for German companies democratising the ownership of fine watches.
The release of the Lambda and Lux models from NOMOS Glashütte represents a significant departure from its previous product strategy. Both collections are the brand’s first gold cased watches and, as a result, are priced substantially higher prices than the company’s steel models.
Nevertheless, the timepieces continue to offer incredible value for money when one considers the elevated specification provided. In particular, the movement execution is exceptional. The DUW1001 calibre features a radiating motif on the three-quarter plate, several gold chatons and a balance cock, beautifully hand engraved with the words ‘Mit Liebe in Glashütte Gefertigt’ (‘Lovingly produced in Glashütte).
The Lambda Roségold also demonstrates another wonderful trait of NOMOS Glashütte watches, that of peerlessly lucid dials. The power reserve indicator resembles no other, dominating the dial but not at the detriment of other indications. There is no ambiguity when it comes to imparting hours, minutes and seconds. However, despite the obvious functionality of the dial it remains notably stylish, reinforcing the wisdom of the Bauhaus design doctrine of ‘form following function’.
Ultimately, I am left wanting to own this watch as my addictive personality rears its head once more.
