A collaboration of NOMOS proportions.

When you hail from the illustrious watchmaking town of Glashütte, it works both for and against you. Certainly, you have the benefit of provenance; Glashütte is, after all, the birthplace of German watchmaking. But then, you also have big names to contend with, being in the shadows of stalwarts like A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original.

Fortunately, NOMOS has found its niche in the Saxonian town by distinguishing itself as a relatively young, bright watchmaker with enough chops to not just produce its own movements but its own escapement as well—something not many luxury watch marques can claim to do.

Created in 2014, the NOMOS swing system (above) is the brand’s in-house escapement, which took seven years of research to produce, and was developed in collaboration with the University of Dresden. NOMOS’ general manager Uwe Ahrendt even likens the creation of the swing system to “a little like landing on the moon” for the brand.

 

This year, the German brand partners The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland to launch a Singapore exclusive—a limited edition NOMOS Glashütte Zürich Weltzeit christened the NOMOS Red Dot. Introduced in 2010, the Zürich Weltzeit is NOMOS’ worldtimer that debuted with the Calibre Xi. In 2014, the watch was given a new in-house automatic movement, Calibre DUW 5201. It also came with a beautiful muted blue dial they call ‘nachtblau’ or ‘night blue’.

 

Rather than blue, the NOMOS Red Dot comes with a new salmon-coloured dial (above) and the addition of the Singapore time zone with the country name in red. In reference to Singapore’s nickname as the ‘little red dot’, the second time zone on the right is denoted with, well, a red dot. Out of the 50 limited edition timepieces, 15 will boast this salmon hue while the remaining 35 come with the brand’s classic white silver-plated dial.

On the reverse, you’ll see the Calibre DUW 5201 through the sapphire crystal caseback. As NOMOS’ first in-house automatic calibre with the swing system, the DUW 5201 is quite the legend. Equipped with decentralised seconds, world time, stop seconds and 24-hour indicator, the movement is also beautifully finished with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage. In addition, the ratchet and duplex wheel feature Glashütte sunburst decoration.

While the salmon-hued version is unusual and definitely a conversation starter, it’s probably not as versatile as the white option with black strap (above), which oozes classic Bauhaus minimalism. At S$8,560, the watch is not cheap by any means and is likely not going to be your entry into the world of mechanical watches. But as a special edition, it’s highly collectible and if you’re looking for a timepiece to add to your collection, this would be a good pick.

The NOMOS Red Dot is available exclusively in Singapore at The Hour Glass and Watches of Switzerland. Reserve yours here from 29 Sept, 10am (SGT).

Case	39.9mm, stainless steel
Dial	Salmon or white silver-plated
Movement	In-house automatic Calibre DUW 5201 with NOMOS swing system
Strap	Brown or black Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan
Functions	Hours, minutes, sub-seconds with stop-seconds mechanism, world time
Power  Reserve	42 hours
Price	S$8,560