Nomos Glashütte has resisted the urge to drift far from its core Bauhaus-inspired designs, and it is this adherence to timeless styling that sets the brand apart, according to its CEO Uwe Ahrendt.
Speaking to WatchPro after Nomos won yet another design award for its Ahoi neomatik Atlantic, Mr Ahrendt says the company has never been a company to follow trends in the watchmaking industry. “Quite the opposite, in fact. We take inspiration from other areas, such as furniture design and art, and the automobile industry when it comes to technological advances,” he says.
The town of Glashütte is almost 150 miles from Berlin, and the capital city provides inspiration for Nomos designers. “A certain minimalist aesthetic does characterise our timepieces. We are inspired by the principles of the Deutscher Werkbund and Bauhaus movement, but also by contemporary Berlin,” Mr Ahrendt describes.
“Our focus is clearly centered on timeless design, rather than fashion. We create watches to be worn for the decades to come, and will continue to do so,” he adds.
Mr Ahrendt describes Glashütte as a small and quiet town, but when it comes to watchmaking, it is a world leader in high-quality mechanical timepieces. “The town has a rich watchmaking heritage that goes back more than 170 years; in fact, some of the watchmakers are already the fifth generation in their family to practice this craft,” he explains.
“This means that the typical customer purchasing a Glashütte timepiece is a connoisseur — they are looking for mechanical beauty, not a status symbol, which opens up a range of opportunities for the watchmaking companies here.”
The award-winning Ahoi neomatik Atlantic, first released in 2013, is part of the Aqua series, which combine robust construction with contemporary, elegant, and slender design.
The watch was re-released this year in a smaller case housing the ultra-thin DUW 3001 caliber. “With it, Nomos Glashütte can now offer these models in a size suitable for more delicate wrists,” Mr Ahrendt says.
