Remember the gorgeous NOMOS Glashuette Tangente series of hand-wound watches? Well, the independent German watchmaker that shares the neighborhood with such giants as Glashuette Original and A. Lange & Sohne, has just introduced its new ‘back to school’ limited edition NOMOS Glashuette Tangente Alma Mater designed for (wealthy) students.
Limited just to 100 pieces, the new watch features the same shape that we have come to love since the German graphics designer Susanne Gunther first introduced the Bauhaus-inspired timepiece in 1990.
As you can see in the pictures, the timekeeper is presented in a usual round stainless steel case.
Only 35 millimeters in diameter and just 6.20 millimeters thick, the case is equipped with an oversized winding crown. While almost disproportionately huge, it perfectly serves its function making the daily job of winding the watch a lot more comfortable.
As always, the timekeeper comes equipped with a nice and clean sand-blasted and silvered dial that serves as a perfect background for the three heat-blued baton-shaped hands.
As usual, the five Arabic numerals and the six baton-shaped hour markers are pleasant to look at: while bold and highly legible, they still leave enough breathing space on the small dial.
The subsidiary seconds hand at 6 o’clock is still placed inside a recessed sub-dial decorated with a finely executed circular pattern.
The only visible difference of the new Tangente Alma Mater from the rest of the pack is the red “academic quarter-hour” scale between 12 and 3 o’clock.
Not sure about the rest of the world, but in Europe, both students and teachers have a historic 15-minute “grace” period when they can get late to class without serious punishment. After that, they are on their own. If a teacher, for example, fails to show up within the first 15 minutes, students are free to leave his/her class and get away with it.
Limited to just 100 pieces, the watch is offered at a more or less affordable price of €980. The €100 price differential with a normal model is caused by the choice of the material for its case back. While the base model is offered with a sapphire crystal providing a good view at its Nomos Alpha hand-wound movement (it is based on the well-known ETA Peseux 7001 ebauche,) the Alma Mater edition is equipped with a not so spectacular solid case back, which is made of steel.
According to Nomos, the timepiece will be sold exclusively through their long-standing partner Wempe international watch and jewelry retail chain.
See also: a.b.art OC151 Chronograph review
Photos: NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS Glashuette Tangente Alma Mater Special Edition Wempe 100 specification
Price: €980 (MSRP)
Movement: Hand-wound, Nomos Alpha caliber, based on ETA Peseux 7001, 17 jewels, 21,600 vph, adjusted to four positions, Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Oscillating weight with NOMOS Glashuette logo
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Power reserve: 45 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 35.00 mm
Case height: 6.20 mm
Dial: Silver-plated, galvanized
Numerals: Arabic
Hour markers: Baton-shaped
Hands: Heat-blued, baton-shaped
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Horween Shell Cordovan black leather strap with steel pin buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid steel