Nomos Calibre DUW 3001
Let me quote Nomos Glashütte: “The new motor is incredibly flat – flatter than almost everything else in the watchmaking world that self-winds and is produced in series – and extremely accurate as well. The few other self-winding calibers on the market are either not particularly precise or extremely expensive. Or thicker by a half.”
Only a brainy team can design such a flat movement. Nomos states: “A prerequisite was the in-house gear train, which design engineer Theodor Prenzel and his colleagues from the Nomos R&D department optimized by changing the order, angle, and number of teeth— raising the efficiency of the gear train to 94.2 percent.”
Nomos Glashütte CEO Uwe Ahrendt was really happy and said when he saw the latest laboratory results: “To only have 5.8 percent friction loss in a watch movement is simply enormous – twenty would be normal.”
Keep in mind guys: Less space means, of course, less room for tolerances as well. These had to be halved, since in DUW 3001 almost all the watchmaking parts are inserted between the base plate and the three-quarter plate, where the construction space is only a millimeter in height. The ratchet wheel, for example, is now placed entirely under the three-quarter plate – and so needed to be flatter than before. To avoid friction between the wafer-thin parts, a special new material was used; it has excellent, low friction properties, is extremely even, and is easy to form and harden.
Let me quote Uwe Ahrendt again: “The result is that DUW 3001 is a chronometer-capable, high-quality, and very elegant in-house caliber – unique in the watch industry. And, thanks to new machines and technologies, also ready for large-scale series production. The best example? Our new nematic series, the ten new watches from Nomos Glashütte, in which this calibre of the next generation will start ticking.”
DUW 3001: DUW stands for: Nomos Glashütte Deutsche Uhrenwerke. In-house built calibre with automatic winding; Nomos swing system with tempered blue balance spring, 21.600 A/h (= 3Hz)
Diameter: 12 3⁄4 lines (28.8 mm) Movement height: 3.2 mm Power reserve: approx. 42 hours
Characteristics: decentralized seconds, stop-seconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, Nomos balance bridge, 27 jewels, bidirectional winding rotor, Incabloc shock protection, DUW regulatory system, adjusted in six positions, tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and Nomos perlage
I own four automatic Nomos and I am very happy with them (As a Swiss I should not say that!). Best design (with or without date!) with Bauhaus-feeling, top quality, high precision, refreshing marketing with ä great touch of humour (What you really don’t expect from the Germans!). And best prices too. Next buy will be a Nomos with the DUW 3001 for my wive, so she will stop picking me “my” Nomos watches all the time.
Apart from creating fabulous watches at affordable prices, Nomos is one of the very few watch companies that produces its own hair-springs.
Am I right Alexander?
Yes, It’s mentioned in the article
I’ve been a fan of Nomos since first seeing their offerings many years ago. Their designs are truly outstanding. I would love to add one to my collection but there aren’t any outlets near me. 🙁
I have this thing about seeing a watch in person before taking the plunge and making another 4 figure purchase or I might already have one.
If/when I finally do get see one, watch lust will probably get the best of me. 😀
Great watches and excellent value for the craftsmanship and service you receive. I started about 15 years ago and have various versions of the older 35mm manual wind models. Always got compliments. My boss who wore a patek couldn’t believe how nice my Orion was for a fraction of the cost. Designs are excellent, keep time very accurately and not everyone has one. In 20 years, I have never seen another person with one in the states. Now they are carried at a nation wide chain. I retired and moved to the beach so they don’t get worn as much since the sea and sand would ruin them but the Orion is one of my all time favorite watches!
Which nation wide chain?
I didn’t see it listed on the Nomos site.
Steve, If you have a Tourneau store in your city, they have the Nomos in their stock. Great watch. I have an Ahoi with the blue dial. 200 meter watch that looks like a dress watch.
By far…my NOMOS watches are the best ” bang for the buck “, hands down ! The fit , finish, accuracy and clean minimal dial designs create a very legible read. To top it off, this manufacture provides excellent customer support should you need assistance for any need. Love this brand. Glad to see they are expanding their presence in North America.. Stay the course NOMOS….you are doing everything right !
Andy
I too like Nomos. It’s interesting that Nomos is quite popular in the USA. Is it just marketing or trendsetting or some cultural phenomenon that makes one type of watch popular in one particular country as opposed to another? Just wondering. By the way I like my Metro also.