A quartet of Nomos Tetra neomatik celebrates 175 years of Glashütte watchmaking
Borna BošnjakEasily the most underappreciated of the four classic Nomos designs, the Tetra is a rarity among modern watches. While there are plenty of rectangles and stylised, rounded-off squares, the Bauhaus approach that Nomos is so known for has influenced the Tetra in a big way, albeit with a few subtle design touches – more on those later on. The Nomos Tetra’s limited-edition quartet is billed as being for “people who have their own mind” and who clearly enjoy their wristwear with a distinct look.
Colours for the non-conformists, connoisseurs and masterminds
Boom. Right out of the gate, you’re slapped across the face with bold. The dials are not-quite-enamel, yet with the same properties we’ve come to know and love. The translucent upper surface reflects the light, rather than absorbing it, giving the dials impressive depth regardless of colour and despite the impressively thin side profile. Nomos opted for interchanging numerals and indices that ensured no numbers were cut off by the sunken-in small seconds subdial (thank you, Nomos). Their thin, barely-serifed typeface is stunning, leaving plenty of space for the main star of the show – the colour.
As usual with Nomos, the choice of colour for printing and highlights is slightly unusual, but owing to their ingenious design know-how, it works so well. Restricting the accents to the printing and the small seconds hand, a consistent feature is the gold “neomatik“ script above the pinion. We saw the same colour in the Tangente Platnium Grey earlier this year. The contrasting colours across the lineup are the following – bright red dial with off-white and silver, opaline black with cream and red, off-white with blue and red (a personal favourite) and last but not least, royal blue with silver.
Distant relative to the Tetra, yet almost the complete opposite
This may be the simplest case overview I’ve written to date. The adjective “slab-sided” comes to mind immediately, as if it was coined specifically for the Tetra. Measuring in at 33mm by 33mm, its squareness is confirmed while the lugs protrude to 45.3mm. It is with the lugs where you’ll notice the only actual bit of case design, with a stepped Art Deco-like construction that befits an oddly-shaped watch. I’m also happy to see drilled lugs, as I see the Tetra being a hoot on straps a touch funkier than the (admittedly very soft and comfortable) brown Horween Shell Cordovan. At only 7.3mm thick, the Tetra is sure to wear beautifully on most wrists.
The only thing that I can’t quite get my head around is this. Given its perfectly square measurements of 33mm by 33mm and a diagonal measurement of 46.67 (thank you Pythagoras), where does the ’39’ in Nomos Tetra neomatik 39 come from? Must be sneaky Nomos nomenclature.
With only a press-on caseback giving it 3 atm of splash-resistance, the Tetra isn’t meant for water sports, nor is that its raison d’être.
Party in front, business in the back
There is no confusion or sneakiness when it comes to the movement, however. On full display behind a sapphire crystal caseback is the in-house DUW 3001 calibre, a 3.2mm thin movement with 43 hours of power reserve. It is finished extensively with Glashütte ribbed three-quarter plate, blued screws and skeletonised rotor, all gilded with text. Apart from the extensive decoration, all DUW 3001 movements powering the 175 years Tetras will be adjusted to chronometer standards. It’s worth noting that each of the watches is engraved with its number in the limited series.
Nomos Tetra neomatik 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte pricing and availability:
The Nomos Tetra neomatik – 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte is available now from Nomos, with the numbers limited to 175 pieces per colour. Price: $5,470 AUD
| Brand | Nomos |
| Model | Tetra neomatik – 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte |
| Reference Number | Reference 421.S1 (off-white) Reference 421.S2 (red) Reference 421.S3 (blue) Reference 421.S4 (black) |
| Case Dimensions | 33mm x 33mm x 7.3mm, 45.3mm lug to lug, 20mm lug width |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 3 atm |
| Dial | Off-white Red Blue Black |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire with AR coating |
| Strap | Horween Shell Cordovan, brown |
| Movement | In-house DUW 3001, automatic, 46-hour power reserve |
| Price | $5,470 AUD |