I chose to review my Nomos Tangente 35 watch.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at my Nomos Tangente 35mm watch, what you need to know, who it’s for and whether you should buy one.
tl;dr? Go ahead and buy one.
Overview
The Nomos Tangente may not be the first watch you think of if you’re considering a luxury watch.
Here’s why.
If you’re looking for a dress watch and want to push the boat out, perhaps you’d look at:
- Something from A.Lange and Söhne like a Lange 1, Saxonia or Datograph
- Something from Patek Philippe like a Calatrava, Perpetual Calendar, or Split Seconds Chronograph
- Something from Jaeger-Le-Coultre like a Reverso, Master or Duometre
If you’re looking for a tool watch perhaps you’d look at:
- Something from Omega like a Speedmaster, Seamaster or Planet Ocean
- Something from Doxa like a Sub 200, Sub 200 T Graph or Sub 300 Carbon Aqua
- Something from Rolex like a Submariner, GMT Master 2 or Explorer
If you’re looking for an every day watch perhaps you’d look at:
- Something from Tudor like a Black Bay, GMT or Pelagos
- Something from Bremont like a Solo, Supermarine 300 or U2
- Something from Oris like a Divers Sixty Five, Aquis or Big Crown
So, you can see why there’s a lot to choose from, and where the confusion lies.
If you’re in a position to buy the watch you want, know which watch you want, or know when and where you’ll wear your watch then the decision is easier.
However, for the rest of us, buying a luxury watch is a considered purchase and takes a lot of time and research.
So, that brings us on to Nomos.
Nomos is a German watch company, not Swiss, and hails from the famous watchmaking town of Glashütte, about 20 miles south of Dresden, in what was previously East Germany.
Nomos puts the fun back into watches, watchmaking and watch ownership, and also puts a fantastic watch on your wrist for comparatively little money, no matter which model you choose.
So what is it about the Tangente?
Starting at £1,500 the Tangente is:
- More than many people would spend on a watch
- More than many other great-value watch brands (like Seiko)
- More than a similarly-styled quartz watch from the likes of Daniel Wellington
But it’s also:
- Less than many even entry-level quartz luxury watches
- Less than many so-called dress watches
- Less than many mechanical watches from mid-level brands
However, for those in the know, Nomos represent excellent value for money and is an informed choice.
At this sort of price the Tangente is attainable (even if it takes a good bit of saving for), a big step up from a cheaper / lesser watch, and a solid choice.
Remember the slogan, “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM”? Nomos is like that. It’s not the cheapest or most expensive, but a reliable and sensible choice.
Watch snobs will be mad at the amount they spent on their watch that provides the same features and manufacturing quality, whilst watch lovers will admire your taste and the value for money.
Design
The Nomos Tangente is a slim hand-wound watch, with a minimal and relatively formal look, feel, and appeal. It’s closer to a dress watch, and less of an everyday watch (for many people) than a stainless steel sports watch.
This type of design is tried and tested and goes back to the Bauhaus era, but could equally be an heirloom from the 1950s as much as brand new today. It’s also not surprising to learn that the Nomos Tangente has won many design awards over the last 25 years,
There is barely any bezel, and the dial is a creamy colour and looks old without looking ‘forced’ or ‘false’. If you’ve watched ‘Mad Men’, or seen old Omega Seamasters and other vintage watches, then you’ll have some idea of the appearance.
The Tangente has just five numerals on the dial so reading the time is very easy. The sub-seconds at the 6 o’clock position cleans up the dial nicely, whilst still adding some ‘texture’. The (optional) display back shows off the impressive movement.
The hands are blued, which is achieved by heating them to 290º as per a long watchmaking tradition and they look black much of the time, but in the right light, they are clearly cornflower blue.
Elegant is a word that comes to mind when looking at the Tangente. Whilst it may harken back to yesteryear, this watch is very much at home in the modern world.
Size
My Tangente is just 35mm in diameter, which is very small compared to the current watch size trend.
Although 35mm does seem small, the watch is all dial, unlike a dive watch with a big chunky dial.
I often wear my 42mm Seiko SKX007 dive watch, and I would suggest that the dial (minus the bezel) is approximately the same size on both watches.
So, because the watch is all dial, it wears much bigger than 35mm would imply. I would implore anybody looking at the Tangente to try the 35mm before immediately dismissing it and ordering the 38mm.
It’s important to remember that this could be considered a dress watch (or at least a non-tool or non-sports watch), and so doesn’t need the bulk of a 200m diver, a chunky GMT or a racing chronograph.
Movement
The Tangente is powered by the in-house (did I mention how desirable an in-house movement is for watch aficionados?) hand-wound Alpha movement.
This movement is simple and effective, with just 17 jewels (the fewer the better, according to renowned watchmaker Cameron Weiss of Weiss Watches), a power reserve of up to 43 hours, and a movement height of just 23.3mm. The watch itself is just over 6mm thick, or about half the height of my SKX007.
Winding the watch is simple, and there is a reassuring amount of resistance from the crown. Because there is no day or date complication, the watch can be wound whilst the crown is pushed in, making the pleasurable job of winding it up even easier.
Strap
Nomos is renowned for using high-quality Horween shell cordovan leather straps. If you want more information about Horween, why not listen to Dean Delray’s excellent episode of Let There Be Talk with Nick Horween? (Soundcloud link).
I bought my watch pre-owned and it came with both black and brown Hoween shell cordovan straps, and the watch looks excellent with either.
The black strap is elegant and understated and the brown strap is more causal, both are very comfortable.
I prefer a black strap for formal occasions when I’m getting dressed up in a suit and tie, and a brown strap for everyday use.
The drilled lugs make changing the straps much easier than on my SKX007.
I’ve never been a fan of ‘coloured’, ‘fun’ or ‘quirky’ straps on formal watches, and trying a couple of NATO straps on my Tangente didn’t change my mind.
Instead of making it look more relaxed, a NATO strap made the watch look like a Daniel Wellington, or ‘forced fun’ or a ‘mullet’, which is obviously not my intention.
Suitability
Many watches are versatile, and many watch owners wear their favourite (or only) watch for lots of different tasks in their daily lives. However, not all watches are equal.
I find that although the Tangente is versatile enough to wear every day, rather than just for special occasions, it is, by design, a little more delicate. I am understandably but unfairly comparing it to the tool watches I wear (Seiko SKX007, Seiko Orange Monster and a G-Shock).
Perhaps it’s like comparing:
- The capability of an SUV to the limits of a 2-seater sports car
- The versatility of your Red Wings or Blundstone boots to your weddings-only dress shoes
- The availability of a sandwich to the exclusivity of a Michelin-starred restaurant
Whilst the SUV, boots and sandwich covers a lot of bases and often on the same day, they’re not appropriate all the time.
If you’re:
- Driving twisty roads for fun, then an SUV won’t be ideal
- Going to a wedding, your everyday boots won’t go with your summer suit
- Celebrating your anniversary, you’ll want something more special than a sandwich
My biggest concern is remembering this watch is not waterproof, and nor is it intended to be.
Neither my Seiko dive watches nor my G-Shock needs to be removed before I bathe my daughter, but my Tangente does. It’s not usually a problem, although I’ve almost forgotten on a couple of occasions.
This watch doesn’t need to be waterproof, and if it was waterproof that would change thickness, the crown and the whole appearance of the watch, and probably not for the better either (however, there are several water-friendly Nomos watches).
Who is it for?
We know the Nomos Tangente is a more formal watch heading towards a dress watch, has no water-resistance and doesn’t like casual straps.
So who is it for?
It’s ideal if you want a watch that is:
- Well-respected for wearing every day or for special occasions
- More formal than your sports or dive watch
- Simple, elegant and just tells the time
- Relaxed, and likely to fly under the radar
- Well made and will last for generations
It might not be right if you:
- Want to wear it every day as part of your ‘active lifestyle’
- Like big(ger) chunky watches with a significant presence
- Are looking for a ‘status symbol’ watch
- Change your watch straps often
- Love complications like day, date, chronograph, GMT, or moonphase on your watch
Time for a true story.
I had an interview last year, and the interviewer was clearly expensively dressed but didn’t look good. The private plate on his white body-kitted Range Rover Sport should have rung alarm bells, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
His watch was big, brash and garish (for my taste anyway), and, certainly several times the cost of my Nomos. I can’t even remember what it was. Something with diamonds. A Breitling maybe?
I just smile when I think that despite ‘buying the right things’ and spending all that time, money on effort on ‘looking good’, he didn’t. Needless to say, I didn’t want the job, and couldn’t face the prospect of working with someone like that.
Don’t think I’m judging a book by its cover – I spent 20 minutes with him and knew straight away I couldn’t work there.
Anyway, I digress…
Due to its size and how easy to wear it is, the 35mm Tangente is popular with many women too. Which makes it even more versatile and broadens the target market considerably.
Pricing
Currently, the Tangente is available in 22 models, starting from just under £1,500 for the 35mm 3-hand model, to £4,000 for the Tangente Sport featuring date, lume and 300m of water resistance.
Speaking from experience, I would recommend the optional display back so that you can see the Alpha movement in all its glory. Just being able to see the watch working, and how this tiny machine tells the time is really worth the upcharge in my opinion.
Some display back watches don’t show much at all, but the hand-wound Tangente demonstrates just how a watch works.
Availability
The Nomos Tangente is readily available, and there are some limited editions or more ‘complicated’ watches, compared to mine.
Not every watch shop sells them, and so you may need to look around to find an authorised Nomos dealer. But finding a new Tangente is far easier than getting your hands on a new Rolex stainless steel sports watch!
Conclusion
I bought my Tangente for my wedding in August 2019, and whilst admittedly I haven’t worn it as much as I would have liked to, I absolutely love it.
As well as bringing back fond memories of my wedding day, I feel like a ‘grown-up’ wearing it. Perhaps like when you chose to wear shoes and not trainers, put a shirt on instead of a T-shirt, or admit you need a ‘family car’.
I’m a ‘jeans and T-shirt’ kind of guy, and I miss the security of wearing a dive watch. When I’m wearing my Tangente I’m consciously keeping my left hand protected to avoid door frames and other potential obstacles.
Also, my children have been at home for much of this year (2020), so I often had my hand in a box of Lego or was headfirst in the toybox looking for that elusive tiny doll accessory. This made my G-Shock or SKX007 a far more sensible watch.
Having said that, when I do have a long-sleeved shirt on (now it’s colder I tend to dress a tad smarter as well as warmer) I love wearing my Tangente, and it slips under a cuff with no problems, unlike my SKX.
If the adage of ‘dress smarter, think smarter’ is true, then the Nomos Tangente is perfect whether you’re working at home or in the office, want something for formal occasions, or just want to be more ‘grown-up’.
More information
Discover more about the Tangente and other Nomos watches and see which one is right for you.
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