Nomos (Questions before purchase)

[timosy]

Hi all,

After much consideration, I think I've pretty much settled on the Nomos Tangente Gangreserve (no-date) on brown shell cordovan (dark-red stitching) strap as my first "luxury" watch (I've had an itch for a new watch for a while, and currently posses the funds to responsibly splurge more than a couple hundred). In the end it somehow wound up beating a slew of worthy (and often pricier) competitors, including: Vintage 1950s Omegas (Seamaster, Constellation), the Omega Speedmaster Professional (Moonwatch), Rolex GMT Master II (Pepsi, ref. 16710), Zenith 36,000 vph 38mm (vintage-inspired tri-colored subdials), a brief flirtation with a vintage Breitling Unitime World-Timer, and at one point even several models from Glashutte Original (stretching my budget a bit).

The Nomos, to me, represents much of what is good in the watch industry today. New company in a historic location (same town as A Lang & Sohne and Glasshute Original), doesn't make any pretense toward the past (doesn't try to argue often-faux historical significance like so many other brands), creates their movements in-house, and has an immediately recognizable brand/styling/direction. I'm drawn specifically to the Tangente Gangreserve because it's a clean, Bauhaus-inspired, hand-wound dress watch with just enough whimsy (arabic numerals, off-center logo, red power reserve, brown-strap, blued hands) to (in my head) be worn with jeans and a t-shirt when I'm off work/getting a casual drink. Also, the price point is more reasonable with respect to my age/easier to justify. I'm 24, I don't need a Rolex yet . Put the money I would have spent into laser-eye surgery or something instead.

All that being said, I have two pressing concerns before pulling the trigger:

1) I have pretty darn small wrists (6.25"), and all the working out in the world doesn't seem to change that fact. I'm pretty concerned about the fit of the Tangente despite its small diameter (35mm) -- I've heard the lugs go out pretty far and lay the whole watch pretty flat on the wrist. Thoughts? Any similarly-girly-wristed Tangente owners out there?

2) I've been unable to actually find any pictures of the Tangente on the brown shell cordovan strap. All I ever see is the black. Anyone?

Thanks for reading everyone, and sorry for the long (first!) post!

TL;DR: read the last two numbered paragraphs.

[stuffler,mike]

Welcome to Watchuseek and welcome to its German Watches Forum as well.

Can only answer one question: The dark brown Cordovan looks almost black.

[jonobailey]

The Tangente is relatively small even with the lugs, and you would have to have very very small wrists to be too large. My tangente(s) fit me fine and I have relatively small wrists, they are no where near being too big.

As for the strap. I have a standard tangente on a black strap and it looks good, but im not sure if the black numerals etc would suit a brown strap.

My other Nomos tangente, is a goldene mitte, which has a gold face, hands and numerals, so suits a brown strap far better.

[rationaltime]

1) I have pretty darn small wrists (6.25"), and all the working out in the world doesn't seem to change that fact. I'm pretty concerned about the fit of the Tangente despite its small diameter (35mm) -- I've heard the lugs go out pretty far and lay the whole watch pretty flat on the wrist. Thoughts? Any similarly-girly-wristed Tangente owners out there?

I don't have the watch to measure, but I think the length is 45mm.
That should be comfortable and look good on your wrist. The lugs
are angled down on the ends. However, for some reason NOMOS
did not put the lug holes near the end of the lugs to make use of
that angle. So, I guess the watch may tend to rotate on your
wrist until the band conforms to your wrist shape.

Thanks,
rationaltime

[stanislav]

I have fairly small wrists - about 6.1-6.2", and here is the Orion 33

[watchnoob313]

This is one of the main reason why I believe all watches should have smaller lugs, it makes them more accessible to more people. (size wise)

But anyhow, the lug end to lug end length is 44-45mm from what I have read. If you wrist is at least 45mm on the flat top (which I am 99% sure it is) then you will likely be fine.

[timosy]

Thanks for all the replies!

Wow, that lug-to-lug length is almost the same as some of my 39-40mm watches . Wish it were just a hint shorter.

Was all set to order on a small strap, but then I realized my 6.25" wrists are just under the maximum 160mm circumference (Nomos website says radius but that has to be wrong) for the "XS" size...

[thechocobn]

If you can, I would recommend you to check out the watch "for real" before you buy it, by paying a visit to the closest Nomos AD. Having the watch on your wrist will help you figuring-out if this is the watch you really want. I previously thought that the Omega AT was made for me, before I saw it for real and realised it wasn't what I wanted at all.

Good luck with your purchase!

[stanislav]

XS is too short

[_XII_]

Size "S" should be good for you. It suits to my 170mm wrist very well. I don't like too much extra length hanging out.

(According to Nomos Size S suits up to 180mm wrist radius. I guess one has to wear it tight then.)

Thanks for all the replies!

Wow, that lug-to-lug length is almost the same as some of my 39-40mm watches . Wish it were just a hint shorter.

Was all set to order on a small strap, but then I realized my 6.25" wrists are just under the maximum 160mm circumference (Nomos website says radius but that has to be wrong) for the "XS" size...