Cause for celebration: Since 1845, fine timepieces have been crafted by hand in Saxony’s Glashütte. As a proud local company, NOMOS Glashütte is paying tribute to 175 years of the watchmaker’s art here with three limited edition watches. What model could be better suited to make this homage than Ludwig, the most classical of all NOMOS watches?
As a brand whose roots are firmly grounded in the modern design of the Bauhaus movement, Nomos’ Ludwig has always stood out a bit from the rest of their catalogue. With its thin roman numerals and railroad index, the design takes inspiration from both 19th century observatory chronometers and 20th century Bauhaus design. In celebration of 175 years of German watchmaking, Nomos has released a limited edition trio of new Ludwig models and, considering the occasion, the classical design of these Ludwig models seems particularly appropriate.
All three models come sporting polished enamel-white dials, harkening back to the observatory chronometers and pocket watches of Glashütte’s past. Additionally, these models feature leaf-shaped blued hands, a more classic and visually interesting choice than the thin stick hands on the standard Ludwig. Nomos has regulated all three models to within chronometer spec, although they do not list a specific chronometer certification.
NOMOS Ludwig 205.S2
The first of the models, the Ludwig, comes in 35mm with an in-house manual Alpha caliber. The conservative dimensions, manual movement, and symmetrical dial layout facilitated by the lack of a date make this watch the most traditional of the three, likely making it the favorite for purists and vintage lovers.
Nomos
NOMOS Ludwig Neomatik 39 2250.S1
The second model, the Ludwig Neomatik 39, comes in 38.5mm with the in-house automatic DUW 3001. The dial retains the simplicity and symmetry of the smaller model, but with a more crowd-pleasing size and a self-winding movement that may be more convenient for everyday wear.
Nomos
NOMOS Ludwig Neomatik 41 Date 261.S1
The last model in the trio is the Ludwig Neomatik 41. At 40.5mm, it is rather large for a Nomos, but it does fall in line with Nomos’ recent trend of adding larger case size options to existing models. The Ludwig Neomatik comes with the in-house automatic DUW 6101 caliber, notably featuring a unique Roman numeral date window (again a first for Nomos). The Roman numeral date allows for a pleasing level of design continuity between the date wheel and the dial.
Nomos
While Nomos’ own roots only go back to 1990, as an independent manufacturer who produces watches with exclusively in-house movements, the brand not only embodies everything that has made German watchmaking great, but also pays tribute to its storied history over the past 175 years.
The Ludwig 175 Year, Ludwig Neomatik 39 175 Year, and Ludwig Neomatik 41 Year are all available at Little Treasury and are limited to 175 pieces each. They are priced at $2260, $3800, and $4200, respectively.