I love Nomos Glashütte. It’s the brand that got me into watches. A younger me wore a Nomos Tangente on my wedding day. I remember scouring the internet for something nice to wear, eventually stumbling on Nomos. Immediately, it felt different than the other minimalist watch brands that popped up in the 2010s that were really more marketers than manufacturers.
Something about Nomos drew me in. Sure, they’ve perfected that minimalist, Bahaus aesthetic, but they’ve done it in a way that feels authentic. As a German brand, based in the old watchmaking town of Glashutte, it always had a claim to the Bauhaus lineage. But Nomos manages to do Bauhaus in a modern way, reinterpreting the principles of the old design school into modern watchmaking.
Everyone wishes for silver and gold
The Orion is one of the four original models Nomos introduced when it first launched back in 1992, along with the Tangente, Ludwig, and Tetra. To me, these models still represent the best of Nomos, thirty years later.
My favorite releases from Nomos are often reinterpretations of these classic models that stay true to what Nomos is — understated, accessible independent watchmaking. For example, the two-hander Duo collection from a couple years ago is a favorite of mine.
This brings us to the pair of releases from Nomos earlier this year, the Orion Silver and Gold. The Orion Gold is 33mm, while the Silver is 38mm; both are understated, elegant takes on the classic Orion.
Let’s get this out of the way first: the smaller gold version was my favorite of the pair. The gold-plated dial is radiant, and the size fit my smaller wrist better than the Silver 38mm.
If you’re new to Nomos, this is the time to tell you about their long lugs. The Orion 38 has a 48mm lug-to-lug (for comparison, the 39mm Tudor Black Bay 58 has a 47mm lug-to-lug). So whatever diameter you’re typically comfortable with, knock off a millimeter or two when thinking about a Nomos.
Both the Gold and Silver Orion feature the Nomos in-house Alpha caliber, a manual-wind movement with a 43-hour power reserve. At this price point — a couple grand, that is — it’s a treat to look at, dominated by its nicely finished three-quarter plate. Remember at the top when I said Nomos is what got me into watches? This simple movement is what did it for me. Flipping over my first Tangente and seeing this beautiful movement made me realize that there were still craftspeople in this world who dedicate their lives to creating beautiful, functional objects.
The gold-plated dial on the new Orion 33 was the highlight for me, so let’s take a closer look. The dial is galvanized with gold plating, and the markers are a rhodium-plated dark brown, adding to the glow and warmth of the watch.
The crystal is slightly domed and gives a nice view of the dial. The elongated, curved lugs seem to curve at the same arc as the crystal’s dome, gently contouring to wrists of all sizes. Myself and Rescapement’s more slender-wristed model both found ourselves enjoying how it wore. Sure, the watch looks delicate on a slightly larger wrist, but it’s far from dainty.
Overall, the Orion Gold 33 is a more elevated take on the classic Orion. The dial makes it feel like the special occasion version of the model — the Jordan 1 “Rookie of the Year” colorway to the classic Orion.
Meanwhile, the Orion Silver 38 stays a bit closer to the classic Orion formula. The silver-plated dial feels a bit more white than Nomos’ traditional models, perhaps thanks to the gold-plated hands and indices. Those touches elevate this watch in a way that’s more subtle than the Gold 33.
Here’s a secret about Nomos that seems more well-kept than it should be: it makes great straps that you can also buy a la carte on Nomos’ website. I enjoyed the antharactie “velour leather” (suede, more or less) that comes standard on the Silver 38 so much that I ordered one for myself. For $70, it felt like a steal. They also offer Horween shell cordovan straps for a dressier look.
Back to Bauhaus
Years ago, when asked for a “budget" watch pick under $10,000, Philippe Dufour said, “I found that [Nomos] makes a very serious product. I like these watches, and for somebody who wants to start, I think this will be a good choice: not too expensive and good value for money.” (Note: the other watchmakers in this interview all answered Rolex, which makes Dufour’s answer even better. Perhaps not surprising though, given his well-known love for Glashutte neighbor Lange & Sohne.)
Historically, I’ve been a Tangente fan — the difference between the two models basically comes down to the Arabic numerals (or lack thereof) on the dial, and different case shapes. But after spending some time with the Orion, I found myself enjoying how it wears more. The case and lugs flow together more naturally (unlike the sharp, square lugs of the Tangente), and make the longer lugs more wearable.
The Orion Silver and Gold are my favorite things about Nomos — not overthinking it, just producing simple, elegant watches that stay true to its roots as an independent watchmaker and leader in modern Bauhaus design.
The Orion 33 gold starts at $1,920; the 38 silver starts at $2,260 (Nomos).