Glossary

This particular display is only to be found in Zürich world time and Tangomat GMT or Tangomat GMT Plus. And is important if you want to know whether it’s ten in the morning or night for your loved ones in Honolulu.

This value states how much pressure the watch can withstand without water leaking into the case. NOMOS watches are water-resistant according to German norms to 3, 5, 10, or 20 atm. A watch water-resistant to 3 atm is protected against splashes of water, and so can experience a short rain shower without any problems, and is also not at risk when you wash your hands. Watches with 5 atm are suitable for showering. Timepieces with a water-resistance of 10 and 20 atm are also suitable for swimming, the latter even for diving. But every watch should have its water resistance checked once a year.

Through a particular hardening process, the hands gain a black coating that makes them highly resistant to corrosion. In the past, almost all models from NOMOS Glashütte were equipped with black oxidized hands, but nowadays only some special watches have them, such as the limited editions for Doctors Without Borders.

A case horn (also known as lug) is the part of the case that attaches the strap to the watch. The width varies according to the particular model, which is why each watch has corresponding straps in the appropriate size.

At NOMOS Glashütte, the indexes on the Orion anthracite and Orion 38 gray models, for example, are diamond-cut. A diamond-tipped tool creates the polish that gives the indexes—and so the whole dial—a particular shine.

Polished diamonds and other precious stones shimmer and shine with many different kinds of faceting. But the hands of NOMOS Zürich also have this particularly beautiful angular polishing and so appear even finer and more elegant.

Galvanization is the coating of a surface in a special electrified water bath, and is also known as electrolysis. At NOMOS Glashütte, the watch dials gain their particularly beautiful color thanks to this process.

GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the time at the meridian in Greenwich in London, England. For the current time in Germany, for example, which is in a different time zone to Greenwich, you add an hour to Greenwich Mean Time, and subtract six hours for New York.

Shell Cordovan is leather derived from the hind of Texan workhorses, long-lasting and more robust than any other. Only a small part of the shell can be used to produce the fine leather of NOMOS Glashütte straps. The more often you wear it, the better it becomes.

The escapement, comprised of the balance, balance spring, and pallet, sets the pace of a mechanical watch and has a huge influence on the accuracy, robustness, and longevity of a watch. The in-house escapement known as the NOMOS swing system was researched, developed, and built in-house by NOMOS Glashütte. Producing such a perfect watch heart is considered to be a work of considerable skill in the world of fine watchmaking—until now, only one Swiss company could do it—and it is also a declaration of independence for the brand.

The power reserve of a watch is the amount of time it will run until it needs to be rewound. Watches from NOMOS Glashütte have a power reserve of 42, 43, or 84 hours.

NOMOS Glashütte has developed a power reserve indicator for those who tend to forget to wind their watches. This patented mechanism shows when a watch is running out of power and needs to be rewound. The caliber with a power reserve indicator on the dial ticks within Tetra and Tangente (with and without a date), Metro and Tetra Kleene. The gold model Lambda also reveals when it needs rewinding with a generous power reserve indicator sweeping across the dial.

When something is rhodium-plated, such as the hands of many NOMOS watches, a surface is coated with rhodium (a metal) in a galvanizing bath. Materials that are rhodium-plated gain a metallic shine, are protected against corrosion, and have a robust surface that will not tarnish.

The dials of our dark Club models are coated with ruthenium, a precious metal from the platinum group, and so have a wonderfully warm gray color tone.

A sign of particular quality in our watches: Sapphire crystal glass is renowned for its extreme hardness, which only a diamond can scratch. At NOMOS Glashütte, all watches come with sapphire crystal glass—which is rather unusual.

A screw-down crown allows a watch to withstand greater pressures, making it water-resistant to 20 atm or more. The screw-down system holds the crown so firm that no water can leak into the watch, even during swimming and surfing. For the water sports fans among NOMOS aficionados, we have the watches of the Aqua series; these models take every wave with ease.

Tangomat GMT and Zürich world time have a second time zone. So if you travel to Bangkok, for example, you can also keep track of time back home where your loved ones are.

NOMOS Glashütte uses stainless steel 316 L for its watches, also known as surgical steel. This does not deposit nickel on the skin; allergic reactions almost never occur.

Hands and indexes inlayed with superluminova, such as Club dark, Ahoi, Ahoi Atlantic, and Tangente Sport, glow in the dark and so make telling the time easy for night owls as well. NOMOS Glashütte uses Superluminova C3, which is, in contrast to illuminants of the past, non-toxic and not dangerous to health.

Cornflower blue—that is the color of the tiny screws inside the watch and the hands of some of our models. These small parts are kept in an oven at a certain temperature until this particularly beautiful blue is achieved.

Tonneau, French for “barrel,” describes a shape of watch case. At NOMOS Glashütte, Lux is the name of the model with this wonderful case from white gold. Available in two versions, this watch stands for exquisite watchmaking craft from Glashütte.

A mainspring barrel ensures that a watch can store reserve power, and so run for longer. This specialty is only found in our golden watches, Lux and Lambda. These watches, in contrast to all other models from NOMOS Glashütte, do not have to be wound up again after two days, but run for three-and-a-half days—84 hours—until they need more power.

Velour leather has a napped but soft surface. For more delicate wrists and smaller watches, NOMOS Glashütte has a velour leather strap from the finest calf leather.

White and rose gold are particular gold alloys, where gold is mixed with another metal (such as silver, copper, or palladium). Watches with white and rose gold cases are completely new at NOMOS Glashütte: the Lambda and Lux models.

'Think global!' is the motto of the NOMOS Zürich world time model. 24 cities represent their respective time zones and so tell the time in Sydney, Tokyo, and New York. And at home too.