ne of Germany’s leading watch manufacturers, Nomos was set up in 1990 in the wake of the country’s reunification and epitomises the renaissance of the German watch industry.

Located in Glashütte, at the heart of watchmaking country, Nomos confirms its German heritage with designs that channel the clarity, simplicity and beauty of Bauhaus.

Carrying on its series on German watchmaking, Europa Star sat down with Nomos Glashütte CEO, Uwe Ahrendt.

Europa Star: Many German watch companies came “back to life” after reunification, whereas Nomos was launched as a completely new brand in 1990. How did it originate?

Uwe Ahrendt: Roland Schwertner founded Nomos in 1990 in Glashütte, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall. The town has a long legacy of watchmaking and we were the first watch company to open there, in the wake of this decisive moment in German history. In doing so, we helped revive an expertise and set the town on its future path.

Nomos’s Club Campus comes in 18 vibrant colourways. The cherry on the cake, Nomos will engrave the 38mm Tangente case for free. Shown here in nonstop red

Another distinctive trait, Nomos chose early on to make its watches in-house and built its own manufacturing facility. How was the investment financed?

Thanks to the success of the first Nomos collection. It’s entirely the fruit of our labours. Nomos Glashütte is a fully independent company, managed by its owners, which is something of a rarity in fine watchmaking. One of our biggest achievements – and one of our biggest investments – has been our in-house escapement, the Nomos Swing System that we introduced in 2014. We invested 11 million euros in the project, which took seven years to research and develop. Our capacity to manufacture this vital component in-house makes us independent of Swiss suppliers. It was a major stage in our growth.

The in-house balance spring and DUW 3001 calibre are examples of the German brand’s independence.

As an independent brand, you produce a number of in-house calibres. How many?

Nomos Glashütte manufactures 11 calibres at its facility in Glashütte. The finest mechanical watches have been made in Glashütte since 1845. Glashütte is a protected designation of origin which can only be used when at least 50% of the movement’s value is created there. At Nomos Glashütte, we go beyond this and make 95% of each calibre on-site, hence we personally guarantee the quality of our movements. Nomos Glashütte also holds several patents, for date mechanisms for example, including the date display for the DUW 6101, as well as for our power-reserve indicator. This is where we really show our independence.

The in-house DUW 6101 with its patented date display: further confirmation of the brand’s determination to remain independent.

The brand occupies various locations around Glashütte: the former railway station, the former church and a building known as the Chronometrie. What is each one used for?

What was once the train station is now our head office. This is where we have our administrative, logistics and sales departments. Final assembly of our movements and watches takes place in the Chronometrie building. Components are manufactured in a separate, purpose-built facility in Schlottwitz, which is a district of Glashütte. The former church is now the Forum Nomos, where we host our annual Forum Nomos Glashütte. This year will be the fifth edition. Our only directly-operated retail outlet, the Nomos Kaufhaus, is also in Glashütte. And our after-sales service is in what used to be a hotel, across the road from our head office.

When did the brand really take off?

We don’t want the brand to “take off”. Nomos Glashütte has grown step by step, year after year. Currently we employ around 250 people, 200 of whom work at the head office and at our production sites in Glashütte. We focus on making the best possible watches, which appeal to a growing number of enthusiasts, and on continuous improvement.

Uwe Ahrendt, Nomos Glashütte CEO

Where are your main markets and how are Nomos watches distributed?

Our biggest market is our home market, Germany, where we are the established leader in our price segment of mechanical watches up to €5,000. Italy is a fast-growing market for us in Europe while North America is our fastest-growing market worldwide. China remains a key destination and we have agents in Shanghai and Hong Kong. We have a total of around 500 points of sale globally. Nomos watches can be purchased from selected representatives who carry a range of luxury watches. We have one monobrand store, in Glashütte, and we also operate an online store for customers around the globe.

Simply good design: An article published in Europa Star in 2002

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Nomos watches are known for their clean design. Who are your audience?

Nomos watches are for men and women, because we believe good design is for everyone. Compared with other brands, our watches are often described as more minimalist or younger. Our customers don’t choose a Nomos watch as a status symbol; they care about the quality of the mechanism inside.

The Nomos Club Campus in endless blue

Nomos is growing year after year and gaining international recognition, not least thanks to its numerous awards, such as the many Red Dot design awards or the GPHG Challenge prize in 2018. What are your next objectives?

We want to perpetuate Glashütte’s legacy and reputation by making even better watches – and continue our international development.