Specialist Picks • 18 Mar 2020
Why You Need a Nomos Orion
Nomos is well known for their minimal Bauhaus designs that emphasise the principle of form follows function. In plain English, it basically means the designs are built around how we intend to use the object. Now to some, this might mean bland and boring. Yes, this could be true, but only if you do it wrong. And Nomos do not do it wrong. To be granted permission to declare that your watches are from Glashutte is extremely strict, especially when you consider who their “big brothers” are. Nomos has a reputation to uphold and they easily prove why they are one of the best in the business. Consider all of this and remember, that I’m not talking about a company whose most affordable watch starts at $10 000. You can pick up a Nomos for $1900 no sweat!
If you’ve been following the articles by The Hour Glass religiously, you may have come across a few of my editorials exploring the watches of teachers and my opinions on the best dress watch examples. In case you missed it, there’s a common denominator amongst these pieces and that is the Nomos Orion. So why am I infatuated with this model? Simple. It’s straight forward while being highly sophisticated. If one were to add a dress watch into their collection without breaking the bank, this is it. And yes, in my opinion it beats its more famous relative, the Tangente.
I honestly do believe that even in this day and age, we still follow traditions which I believe is awesome. It pays respect to our past and shows society that we care about structure and attention to detail. That is why everyone still needs that one dress watch to strap onto their wrist at formal events. Now if you do not want to break the bank but want to make sure you are buying the best your money can afford, I have a solution. The Nomos Orion, and here’s why.
Affordability
I thought I would start off with a discussion on affordability as this is what seals the deal for most people. The Orion family are highly attractive because of their affordability and range of dial colour options. The most affordable is the new Orion 33 duo at $2180 AUD. Some would say that this reference is suited for women’s wrists at 33 mm, but my question to you is, are you really going to let people tell you what to do? If this is too small for you then you have the choices of spending from $2610 AUD to $6090 AUD.
The most expensive references in this case are the new Neomatik 41 dates which come in midnight blue and olive gold. Personally, my choice is the olive gold. Now what about those in the middle you say? Calm yourself, I’m not here to tell you to buy the most expensive watch. My friends all know that my favourite Nomos watch of all time actually lies in the middle tier. I’m talking of course about the Orion 331 with its beautiful snow like white dial and traditional size at 35 mm. In my opinion, this should be the standard for modern dress watches. All of this plus an in-house movement for only $2770 AUD? Shut up and take my money!
Case sizes for everyone
As mentioned earlier, Nomos tend to produce watches with a range of case sizes for all of their customers, which I think is both thoughtful and a smart move by them. Within each family of watches, customers can choose from 33 mm cases to 41 mm. Whatever you do, try it on first and make sure it matches your wrist aesthetic. In terms of case sizing, it really depends on you. These days, large watches are trending and I’m not too sure when this will be out of fashion. Probably never? Personally, big watches are not my thing but if it makes you happy, you do you. If you’re someone of a traditional nature, you too will also be pleased. So you might be curious, why an Orion 33 mm? When buying particular things, it’s always a rule of advice to suggest that the consumer go and see the product in person.
Just like how you would go and strum a few chords when buying a guitar to make sure it sounds right for you, purchasing a watch is no different. In this example, it is ignorant not to go and try these things on in person and here’s why. At first, like most people, I assumed that the 33 mm Orion watches were way too small for my wrist. For their other models, this might be the case (for me anyway), but when I tried on the rose Orion 33, it actually fit beautifully on my wrist and damn I did not want to take it off. This is most likely due to the longer lugs which gives the illusion to the wearer that the watch fits larger. This is no accident and proves why the designers at Nomos are masters of their craft. What are you waiting for? Go and try one on now!
Attention to detail
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I love this brand because they do not cut corners. For other manufacturers, they have specific tiers of watches where the quality put into the affordable lines are not equal to those in the luxury range. Nomos does not follow this principle. As outlined earlier, anything that is stamped Glashutte must follow strict quality standards, in addition to housing calibers developed in the region. So basically, what that means is that you should expect the same quality in your $2770 AUD Orion 331 as you would in a $26 530 AUD Lambda in white gold.
Looking into the finer details, I chose the Orion because it has everything I personally want in a dress watch. Apart from the slim profile and small seconds, the dial also features beautifully polished applied indices. As much as I love the Tangente, the Orion does it for me because of this aspect. Under a loupe, you can see that these are cut so beautifully and the craftmanship is seriously outstanding for a watch under $3000. Not to mention, if someone the likes of Philippe Dufour recommends Nomos, how can you refuse?