Review: Nomos Tangente Reference 139

Very rarely in history has something small and German been the answer to anything, but when it comes to answering the question, “Which watch gives you the absolute peak of bang for the buck,” it very well may be. Welcome to the Nomos Tangente Reference 139.

The Brand

If Geneva is the home of Swiss watchmaking, then the tiny chocolate box town of Glashütte, nestled in the crevice of the Ore mountains just outside of Dresden, is the home of German. Formally a mining town, hence the typically German, unimaginative naming convention of those mountains, and surrounded by castles, Glashütte is as picturesque and serene as is it gets—and is the watchmaker’s ideal hunting ground.

But it wasn’t always that way. After the 90 Years War, the Northern War, the Seven Years War, a catastrophic fire and another seven more years of war—that by this point, they couldn’t be bothered to name—the people of Glashütte were a bit fed up. And so, spearheaded by one Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the government announced an incentive scheme to encourage watchmakers from all around to descend on the town. The deed was done in 1845, and the town became prosperous once again.

Without Lange taking the plunge, Glashütte would not currently be home to at least ten watch brands today, and we would not have the famous German style that makes a Glashütte watch so distinctive. It’s here we find Nomos. Inspired by the story of the great A. Lange & Söhne, Nomos set out in 1990 to bring a flavour of the region’s reputation for style and quality at a more affordable price. And it all started with this—the Tangente.

The Design

In 1937, a watch was designed that you might recognise. Tall, skinny numerals; a broad, white dial; pencil-thin hands; and a great, big second sub-dial, all surrounded by a case thinner than a razor’s edge. This watch very much sounds like the Tangente right here, but of course there’s still a half-century to go before the Tangente was born.

The original watch was made the good people at Stowa, a German watchmaker founded in the early 20th century, inspired by the now-shut down Bauhaus school of art and design. A. Lange & Söhne also made a similar watch, also in 1937, but it was the Stowa that bears the closest resemblance to this Tangente.

This is, of course, not by accident. Nomos, in developing a watch it felt was the ideal homage to not only German watchmaking, but German design as well, considered the Stowa to be the perfect alignment of these two things—and they were right. There hasn’t been a better Germanic partnership since the marriage of bratwurst and sauerkraut.

There are few other watches out there that can be so recognisable by doing so little. It is the utmost expression of design efficiency, losing nothing to fluff or fancy, maintaining unsullied practicality without being bland—as was the Bauhaus way. This approach has since become emblematic for Nomos, and most certainly ticks one half of the two-step approach to being a master German watchmaker. We’ve got design, but what about Germany’s other crowning jewel—quality?

The Quality

As with a good soup, the quickest way to ascertain the attitude taken to making this watch is to list the ingredients used in making it. There’s stainless steel, sapphire front and back, heat-blued steel hands and a silver-plated dial. The strap is Shell Cordovan, typically used in high-end shoemaking—another trade Germany is famous for.

But good ingredients can still be spoilt when treated poorly. Thankfully, not so with the Nomos Tangente. With so few ingredients, getting it wrong would be plain to see. There’s nothing to hide behind. Unlike something big and busy like a Richard Mille, every element here is carrying a lot of responsibility for upholding the perceived quality of the whole.

And, let me tell you, it’s a lot trickier to bring a few components to a very high level then have a lot that are merely average. Talking soup again—a bad miso is very bad indeed. Throw bulging handfuls of mediocre ingredients into a slow cooker and you’ll probably be alright.

Nomos takes no chances: the hands aren’t dyed blue, they’re heated to exactly 290°C, the mirror finish gleaming deep. The print doesn’t smudge or smear, a flaw that would, on a dial as crisp as this, stand out from across the room. The silvered dial itself is like a fine layer of undisturbed snow and the case neater than an accountant’s sock drawer. That’s not even the best bit …

The Movement

The heart of a good German watch is a good German movement. Once Ferdinand Lange had established his watchmaking empire in Glashütte, the reputation was so impressive that even Swiss watchmakers advertised their product as being made to the Glashütte method. Nomos continues to uphold that reputation by making its watches and indeed its own movements right in the heart of Glashütte.

That means at least 50% has to be made locally—Nomos boasts up to 95%. The Alpha calibre inside the Tangente is simple, hand wound with a 43-hour power reserve, no silicon parts or fancy complications, but like the rest of the watch, what it does do it does exceptionally well.

Like the hands, the screws are heat-treated blue. The plates are finely striped and rhodium coated. The ratchet and crown wheel gleam with a sunburst finish. The ratchet spring flexes with a graceful swan neck. And, at only 2.6mm in height, it makes the entire watch less than 7mm tall. Crisp, clean and hiding no secrets, it’s the ideal movement for the Bauhaus Tangente.

The Price

This watch has all the makings of its older cousins down the road, and that tends to result in a price that can make even a grown man’s eyes water. Surprisingly, that’s not the case here, thanks to an incredible retail of just £1,660, more like £1,000 when you purchase lightly used. It is astonishing that this mens watch can cost that little, given everything that’s been said about it. There are few, if any watches that pack in so much quality and finesse for such a paltry sum, relatively speaking.

Of course, that does come at the cost of a few downsides. It is only 35mm across. That might seem a bit small for some, especially those used to the ever-increasing sizes watches come in these days—but actually, it’s fine. It’s a size that can be adapted to in no time. In fact, before you know it, you wonder how you ever managed with a watch that couldn’t be worn as discreetly as this one can.

And … that’s it. There’s not another bad word to say about the Nomos Tangente. It does everything you could want out of a smart, simple daily wearer. It avoids anything else that could be considered superfluous. But then, that’s exactly what this watch is all about.

I’ve seen a lot of watches. A lot of luxury watches. And I can’t remember one that accomplishes the balancing act between provenance, quality and value in quite the same way as this one. Some Longines have come close. Some Grand Seikos even closer. But none quite as good as this.

In fact, I open the challenge to you: can you find a watch as impressive as this for less? I don’t think you can. I don’t think it’s possible.

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