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image of the month: neomatik exploded view

One watch movement, one unmissable spectacle: A caliber that’s thrilled to bits and rightly so. Seen here, in all their glory, are the very special individual components of a mechanical watch movement from NOMOS GlashĂŒtte—representing both 175 years of traditional craftsmanship and cutting edge, high-tech engineering. neomatik, new automatic, is a fitting name for the series of watch movements with which the NOMOS watchmakers have been causing a sensation for several years.


But what exactly is so special about neomatik? Thanks to state-of-the-art R&D and production methods, tolerances have been halved, efficiency and precision increased, and the movement has been built to be ultra-slender. Measuring a mere 3.2 millimeters in height (the version with date: 3.6 millimeters), neomatik is around half the height of self-winding calibers usually found in comparable watches. For decades, virtually all automatic calibers produced in series were based on mechanical developments from the early 1970s. Back then, it wasn’t possible to work in the precise detail we are able to now, and material science was not yet so advanced. With neomatik, the watch caliber technology of today has entered a new chapter—making slender self-winding timepieces not just a reality, but also exceptionally precise.

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editorial: NOMOS DUW 6101 movement explained

At BaselWorld 2018 NOMOS launched a new movement: caliber DUW6101. It boasts an array of clever solutions to age old problems, and we felt it deserved a thorough explanation that goes beyond a few bylines in an article on the watches that are powered by it. Luckily Rob Nudds, our representative at NOMOS, happens to be both a gifted watchmaker as well as a talented writer. Below is his take on this exceptional movement.

Rob Nudds:

The NOMOS DUW6101 is a revolution for the independent German watchmaker. Based on the principles of the slim-line DUW3001 released in 2015, the new movement features a quick-change date complication with a unique safety mechanism designed to protect the movement from damage.

Normally, it is not advisable to change the date of a quick-change calibre when the hands are positioned between 10pm and 2am. There is a little variation in these parameters from movement to movement, but the principle remains the same – during this ‘danger zone’ the date change wheel is in contact with the date wheel teeth, ready to flick the date over to the next day when the hands hit 12 o’clock. Attempting to change the date while these components are engaged can strip the teeth from the date wheel, resulting in a necessary service.

As a small, owner-operated company, NOMOS GlashĂŒtte was keen to develop a mechanism to prevent this – another example of their endeavour to improve the quality and durability of their output across the range. Resilient mechanisms make sense for the brand, their dedicated retailer network, and the end-consumer: A safe and secure mechanism results in less after sales concerns, more time for the retailers to focus on selling, and greater peace of mind for the customer. To this end, NOMOS spent four years developing this new function. The final product is a perfect of example of the NOMOS philosophy: To find a simple solution to a complex problem, and to focus on its execution rather than embellishment, through excellent design and top-quality manufacturing.

Instead of the traditional set-up, the DUW6101 uses completely new components. A double-level wheel, mounted with a specially formed date-change hammer and cam is responsible for moving the date from one day to the next during normal operation. On the other side of the movement another double-level wheel engages with the date wheel teeth when the watch is in date set mode. This wheel features a five-fingered star wheel on top to move the date wheel quickly, and a lower level wheel that engages with the setting mechanism itself. The tension between these two levels is crucial. Together, they act as a ‘slipping clutch’ when the hammer is resting on the date wheel teeth between 11pm and 1pm. During this period you cannot set the date, but you cannot damage the movement by attempting to do so.

So how does this actually work? When using the quick-change function at this time, the five-fingered star wheel will engage with the teeth of the date wheel in an attempt to move it along. The date change hammer prevents this from happening because it is also engaged with the teeth of the date wheel on the other side of the movement. Rather than allowing the pressure between these components to build, the lower level wheel beneath the star wheel is able to turn independently, allowing the force generated by rotating the crown to escape the mechanism. This is achieved by striking a perfect balance: The finely calibrated tension between the star wheel and the lower level wheel protects these components from coming under too much stress and disintergrating.

And if all this technology gets you so excited to skip past the intended date while using the quick-change function, don’t worry! The new NOMOS GlashĂŒtte DUW 6101 can be set forwards and backwards – a feature rarely seen in the world of watchmaking, and at this price point something very special indeed.

Thank you Rob!

NOMOS watches are available at Ace Jewelers.

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press release: neomatik with a date

Slender automatic calibers and the watches powered by them have never been more in the spotlight at NOMOS GlashĂŒtte. All because the second neomatik movement is now here—reimagined and rebuilt, complete with a date function

GlashĂŒtte/Berlin, March 2018

The goal was a quick-set date—and should that bring further technological advances, then all the better. The result? The new neomatik caliber DUW 6101 from NOMOS GlashĂŒtte, offering several advantages thanks to its intelligent construction. With a diameter of 35.2 millimeters it is not only very large, but at a mere 3.6 millimeters in height it is extraordinarily flat too, since this movement was completely reconstructed to integrate the date. As such, it is perfectly suited for classic watches that fit wonderfully between the wrist and the shirt cuff. An overview of the caliber:

— The date on watches with this caliber is located exactly where it belongs—both traditionally and aesthetically: at the edge of the dial. This is unique for timepieces with a diameter beyond 40 millimeters.

— The new caliber facilitates a particularly large, legible date. The date ring was set around the DUW 6101 movement, which afforded the maximum possible freedom in terms of the design of these new watches; for a highly individual and harmonious timepiece aesthetic. Each watch has its own date ring design.

— The new NOMOS date mechanism is quick and easy to set—in both directions: A few turns of the crown is all that is required to change the date. Despite the limited movement height, this was made possible by a specially shaped gear wheel, which connects with the date disk.

— High precision is also ensured by the NOMOS swing system, the proprietary escapement recognizable by the tempered blue balance spring.

— Unique to DUW 6101: The gold-plated lettering on the rotor is embossed; and the words “reguliert in 6 Lagen” (regulated in 6 positions) are engraved in two colors on the bottom plate. This NOMOS caliber is lavishly polished and decorated—a piece of classic GlashĂŒtte watchmaking, in other words, and a rarity today.

“Perhaps at first glance one sees simply a new caliber with a date function. But take a second look and you realize that this innovation surpasses anything else available on the market,” says Uwe Ahrendt, engineer and NOMOS CEO. “This has never existed before.”

The process of patenting this caliber is underway. For now, four NOMOS models are equipped with this neomatik date technology: Tangente neomatik 41 Update, Orion neomatik 41 date, Ludwig neomatik 41 date, and Autobahn. All are available from spring 2018.