Why I Finally Bought A Nomos: The Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray

Many people probably start their watch collection with a Nomos. It’s the typical watch you’d gift to a recent graduate or a relatively affordable, great-looking option to get yourself into this hobby. I’ve also had Nomos on my radar ever since I began getting into watches more seriously. But for one reason or another, I never bought one. Prices slowly started rising, and the days when you could get a Nomos for roughly €1,000 were over. Then I saw a somewhat mistreated Nomos Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray on a watch forum and decided to go for it.

I always felt a little left out, especially when I visited the Nomos Forum in Glashütte over the past couple of years. However, I guess the right watch simply hadn’t come up yet. So let me tell you then why I pulled the trigger on this Nomos Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray.

Nomos Chronometrie in Glashütte

Hunting for a Nomos

In my view, my first serious mechanical watch was the Oris Art Blakey back in 2020. I bought it after wearing a Seiko SKX for a couple of years because I wanted something a little more elegant. During my exploration, I stumbled upon Nomos watches and considered buying one. I love the clean, colorful Bauhaus designs and how much of the brand’s production happens in Glashütte. The fact that Nomos is still independent makes it even more attractive to me.

So yes, at that point and later on in my watch journey, I certainly considered adding a Nomos watch to my collection. I’ve always felt attracted to the classic Tangente, but the Tetra is also a favorite for its characteristic square case and subtle, stepped lugs. When the Tetra Ode to Joy came out with a matte, dark green dial and gold accents, I almost couldn’t resist. I’ve found myself appreciating automatic watches more and more, though, so I think the manual-winding movement made me decide not to buy one in the end.

Image: Fate_Amenable_To_Change

But you know how it goes. You check the watch forums for interesting offers, and I always included Nomos in my hunt. At one point, I saw a Tetra Goldelse ref. 491 with a vertically brushed salmon dial. It was an original option, but I’m not a huge fan of salmon dials, and, of course, it had a hand-wound movement. I also saw an Ahoi Neomatik Atlantik ref. 561 with a navy-blue dial and rose-tone hands. I made a late, lowball offer on that one, but it was too little, too late. The watch was gone by the time I sent the seller a message.

Picture from the original forum ad

The Nomos Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray ref. 189

I was actually happy I didn’t get that Ahoi. I liked the colorway and the automatic movement, but it certainly wasn’t my favorite model. Then, the same week, an ad for a Nomos Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray popped up. It was a 2022 watch with box and papers, but it also had slightly discolored hands and a fairly large dent in the bezel. I asked the seller about the discoloration, and he told me he hadn’t noticed it. He also wasn’t the first owner, so he didn’t know what caused the dent.

Picture from the original forum ad

I found all of that a bit hard to believe, but to be fair, the watch was offered for €1,350, which is almost €2k below its current €3,320 retail price. After I exchanged a few more messages with the seller, I decided to go for it. This was the classic Tangente with the automatic movement I had been waiting for. While the Platinum Gray dial wouldn’t have been my first choice, I was very happy I gave in. More on that later.

Ready for a service

The watch arrived during Watches and Wonders in April, so when I returned home from Geneva, I had a little surprise waiting for me. Well, it wasn’t a nice surprise, to be honest. The discoloration on the handset was even worse than I’d expected, and the rotor was obnoxiously loud. I sent the seller another message with my observations, but he wasn’t very helpful. In the end, that wasn’t a problem because I’d already considered sending the watch in for a service anyway. Even with the service cost, I thought it was still a good deal.

I almost immediately contacted Nomos and sent the Tangente in for some TLC. In addition to examining the hands, the dent, and the movement, I asked the folks there whether they could replace the steel hands with yellow gold ones. I thought those would look nice with the gold Neomatik text on the metallic gray dial. Unfortunately, they told me that, as this is still a current reference, they couldn’t alter the configuration.

In June, Nomos returned the watch to me after the service. As you can see in Max’s pictures, the hands still show some discoloration, and the dent remains visible. However, both are barely visible when I glance down at my wrist, so they are perfectly acceptable for daily wear. I can also still hear the rotor, but it’s simply the steel ball bearings inside the extremely thin case. I put the Tangente on the timegrapher in the office, and it runs at +3 seconds a day with the crown down, so it’s ready to wear.

A monochrome strap monster

I’m so glad I decided to buy this Nomos Tangente Neomatik Platinum Gray. The metallic gray dial isn’t the most colorful, and I’d normally go for a dial with more contrast. Depending on the light, though, the color shifts from silver to a warm brownish-gray tone, and the concentric-grained, slightly recessed sub-dial offers some contrast. But the best thing about this monochrome colorway is that it makes this Tangente an absolute strap monster.

Luckily, my Breguet Classique ref. 5907 also has an 18mm lug spacing. I already have several straps for that watch, and they all fit the Tangente perfectly. My favorite is the Corra textured calfskin leather strap made by Veblenist. Its coral-inspired, pink-orangey color pops off my wrist and adds a nice, vibrant touch to the gray Tangente. But I’m also very happy with the Nomos woven textile straps I ordered. They’re supple and strong, and they come in different lengths, so they fit perfectly.

My sporty, everyday counterpart to the Breguet

Speaking of the perfect fit, the Tangente’s fully polished 35mm stainless steel case fits my 17cm wrist very well. I still can’t believe it’s only 7mm thick with the automatic DUW 3001 movement inside. I also love how the in-house DUW 3001 caliber fills up the entire case, as you can see through the sapphire display. The finishing, including the blued screws and Glashütte striping, is a joy to see when handling the watch.

The Tangente has very similar dimensions to my Breguet. In a way, it’s like the sportier little brother of the white gold hand-wound reference 5907. Of course, the Breguet is a step up in craftsmanship, but that’s why these two watches are so compatible. I reserve the Classique for more special occasions, while I can wear the Nomos on any given day, especially thanks to its convenient 50m water resistance.

Glad I finally did it

In the end, I’m happy I finally added a Nomos to my collection. Sure, it needed a little love when it arrived, but I now have a fully functional, great little Nomos Tangente to enjoy. Though I might still try swapping the hands for gold ones, I already enjoy this watch very much. It’s nice and light, has a great minimalist Bauhaus design, and makes me smile every time I look at it.

Let me know in the comments below about a watch you recently bought and enjoy. And, of course, I’m also happy to hear what you think of my “new” Nomos.