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Nomos Glashütte Orion Neomatik 41 Date Midnight Blue
Ref. 363
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Stepping up in Nomos Glashütte's range
The Orion has been a manual-winding watch for most of its life, and for good reason: the domed, saucer-shaped case leaves very little room for a rotor. The DUW 6101 solves that by routing the date ring around the perimeter of the movement rather than across its face, keeping the whole calibre to 3.6mm and the finished case to 9.4mm — slim enough to disappear under a cuff in a way that automatic dress watches rarely manage. It is built entirely in Glashütte, finished with the ribbing and blued screws that have been the town's signature for generations, and visible in full through the exhibition caseback. The midnight blue dial works differently across the day: flat and near-navy under office light, more luminous when the angle changes. Slim rhodium-plated hands and applied stick markers keep the face uncluttered, and the recessed seconds sub-dial at six sits flush with the overall calm of the layout. The Shell Cordovan strap — rembordé-edged and supple from new — will bed in quickly and suits the register of the watch well.
- Reference
- 363
- Brand
- Nomos Glashütte
- Collection
- Orion
- Case size
- 40.5mm
- Case thickness
- 9.4mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- DUW 6101
- Functions
- Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
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 Back in Stock (4,868), Stainless Steel Watches (3,133), Automatic Watches (1,750), Leather Strap Watches (1,037) and Blue Dial Watches (861).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Nomos Glashütte Orion Neomatik 41 Date alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 363 | 2020.001S | 35123TA12.BMT12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,620 | £3,700 | £3,490 |
| Case size | 40.5mm | 41mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Fabric strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 38 hours | 56 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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