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Nomos Glashütte Tangente 33 Duo
Ref. 120
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Tangente line is the watch that established Nomos as something worth paying attention to when the brand reopened in Glashütte after reunification — strict Bauhaus geometry, no ornament that does not carry a function. The Duo variant takes that discipline a step further by removing the small seconds subdial entirely, which required modifying the Alpha calibre specifically for this model to eliminate the sub-seconds wheel. The result is a dial with nothing on it but two gold hands against silver-white, and the effect is quieter than almost anything else at 32.8mm. At 6.5mm thick, the watch disappears under a cuff. The lug-to-lug of 42.2mm is long relative to the case width, which gives it the angular, stretched proportion that distinguishes the Tangente from rounder Bauhaus interpretations. The Alpha.2 inside carries the classic Glashütte finishing — three-quarter plate, ribbing, perlage — visible in the exhibition version under reference 127, though this reference closes with a solid caseback. Winding it daily is not a burden on a movement with 43 hours in reserve; missing a morning is not a crisis.
- Reference
- 120
- Brand
- Nomos Glashütte
- Collection
- Tangente
- Case size
- 32.8mm
- Case thickness
- 6.5mm
- Lug width
- 17mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- Alpha.2
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Beige
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 42.2mm
- Power reserve
- 43 hours
- Origin
- Made in Germany
Learn more about Nomos Glashütte
Roland Schwertner, a photographer and computer technician from Düsseldorf with no watchmaking background, registered Nomos in Glashütte in January 1990 — two months after the Berlin Wall fell and before German reunification was complete. The town's watchmaking infrastructure had been state-owned for four decades and was suddenly available.
The design language was settled from the start and has barely moved: Bauhaus in the strict sense, drawing on the Dessau school's functionalism. Sans-serif numerals, no applied ornament, no unnecessary line, and dial layouts where every element earns its place. The Tangente, one of the first models, remains the flagship and looks the same today.
The technical ambition came later and was considerable for a company of its size. Nomos moved from modified Swiss ébauches to its own Alpha calibre, then to the DUW family, and in 2014 introduced the swing system — a proprietary escapement with an in-house hairspring, the component almost no independent manufacturer makes. Fewer than a dozen companies worldwide produce their own hairsprings.
The house is still independent, still based in a converted railway station in Glashütte, with design offices in Berlin. It occupies unusual territory: in-house movements and German finishing at prices closer to Swiss mid-range brands using bought-in calibres, which has made it the most common entry point into serious German watchmaking.
- 1990
- Roland Schwertner founds Nomos in Glashütte.
- 1992
- The Tangente launches and defines the house style.
- 2005
- Production shifts to in-house movements.
- 2014
- The swing system escapement with in-house hairspring is introduced.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in the Nomos Glashütte Tangente range (7), Stainless Steel Watches (3,355), Watches Under 37mm (1,771), Leather Strap Watches (1,083) and Dress Watches (548).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 32.8mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Nomos Glashütte's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 43 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
17mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 42.2mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £1,480. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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