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The new Tangente 38 Date from NOMOS Glashütte is all about style, personality, and fun.
Have you ever seen that “men discussing” meme? There’s one related to watches that I think is really good.
And, you know what? It’s funny because it’s true.
Now, listen, I’m passionate about watches. But I really hate the snobbery, elitism, pretentiousness, arrogance, condescension, self-importance, sense of superiority, smugness, and contempt for those less knowledgeable or not in “the club” that devotees of the watch world can sometimes engender.
That gets a big fat eye roll emoji from me.
Watches should be fun! They should reflect your personality. They should be something you love. That’s why you should buy a watch — not because you want to fit in with all the cool rich kids.
What is this, middle school?
In today’s post, we are taking a look at a new release from NOMOS Glashütte — the Tangente 38 Date: 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte — that really leans hard into that sense of joy, personality, and individuality that watch collecting should be all about. We’ll get in depth with the watches themselves and I’ll show you five ways I styled a few of the 31 different versions.
Let’s jump right in.
The New NOMOS Tangente 38 Date
Just debuted at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, there is a lot to love about the new NOMOS Glashütte Tangente 38 date – 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte. It’s an iconic Nomos design. 38 mm is a pretty much a perfect case size, in my opinion. You’ve got the in-house manual winding DUW 4101 movement. And the price — $2,310 — is very accessible, in keeping with the NOMOS ethos of making phenomenal watches that are an incredible value.
What makes this version of the Tangente 38 special and unique and fun, is that it is available in 31 different color combinations meant to appeal to all different kinds of personalities. Some are incredibly bold — wild even! — while others are just a bit more straight down the fairway, but still with lots of character.
Let’s talk specs.
Like I said, it has a 38 mm stainless steel case — actually, it is 37.5 mm, if we’re being precise . . . this is a German brand, after all. It’s 6.8mm thick. With a lug to lug measurement of 47.7 mm. All that is to say is that this watch looks and feels great on the wrist.
On the dial, we’ve got that classic slender Tangente typography. The hands are rhodium-plated. There is a sub-seconds dial right above six o’clock and a large date window right at six o’clock.
Now, one thing I found slightly annoying is that there is no crown position to advance the date. However, there is a bit of a hack to help you change the date a little quicker. Once you advance the date by moving the hour hand past the 12 o’clock marker, all you have to do is reverse the hour hand to the nine o’clock position — you’ll hear a click — and then go three hours ahead to 12 again. Not ideal, in my opinion, but much quicker than going all the way around the dial again and again.
The case back is Sapphire Crystal Glass, revealing that beautiful in-house movement. At the bottom, you can see the name of the watch and that it is a limited edition of 175 — each of the 31 versions this watch is limited to 175 pieces. The number is an homage to the rich watchmaking history in Glashütte, which was founded over 175 years ago.
We’ve got a light gray woven strap — keeping it sporty. And if you want to know, the lug width is 19 mm. One note on the strap. I have a pretty small wrist — 6.5 inches — and prefer my watches to sit pretty close to my wrist. Not tight, but definitely not loose. I could have used one extra hole in the strap to get a perfect fit. Thankfully, that is something that’s easily fixed!
The Specs: NOMOS Tangente 38 Date
Here’s a quick and dirty look at all of the specifications for the NOMOS Tangente 38 Date.
The Basics
Brand: NOMOS Glashütte
Model: Tangente 38 Date: 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte
Reference Number: 179.S24
Diameter: 37.5 mm
Thickness: 6.8 mm
Lug-to-lug: 47.7 mm
Case Material: Stainless steel, bipartite sapphire crystal glass back
Dial Color: 31 color combinations
Hands: Rhodium-plated
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 3 atm (splash-proof)
Strap/Bracelet: Textile strap dark gray, woven, waterproof
The Movement
Caliber: NOMOS DUW 4101 (adjusted according to chronometer values)
Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds, date
Diameter: 32.1 mm
Height: 2.8 mm
Power Reserve: Up to 42 hours
Winding: Manual
Jewels: 23
Pricing & Availability
Price: $2,310 USD
Limited Edition & Engraving: Each of the 31 versions is limited to 175 pieces; Limited Edition Tangente – 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte Schneesturm 1/175
Availability: As of this post, all of the watches are currently sold out on the NOMOS Glashütte website. Those interested are encouraged to use the NOMOS Retailer Locator to find a boutique or authorized dealer near you.
How I Styled The NOMOS Tangente 38 Date
As mentioned, the NOMOS Tangente 38 Date comes in 31 versions or color combinations — something for every kind of style and personality. For me, because I consider my style to be classic with a modern sensibility, I’ve chosen these three versions to style in this post:
Haifischgrau
Sleek, minimal, and understated. While the majority of the 31 watches in this collection are quite colorful, I was pleased to find one that didn’t call too much attention to itself. I generally prefer stuff you can file under IYKYK. It’s also a testament to NOMOS’s claim that there’s a watch in this collection for every type of personality and stye.
Schneesturm
Another quite “tame” version sporting a cream dial, black outer ring, and ice blue sub-seconds dial. The Schneesturm is very much in my style wheelhouse and is perhaps one of the most versatile in the entire collection.
Poporange
Despite being quite conservative in my tastes in general, I’m not above something a little statement-making from time to time. I selected this watch with summer in mind. And as I’ve been wearing a lot of black and white in the warmer months — see the third outfit below — the dark orange dial and bright orange sub-seconds dial provides the perfect little pop of color and interest.
Outfit 1
For the first outfit, I’m starting off with a mostly monochromatic business casual look. I’ve got on a dark denim button down shirt, navy blue cotton trousers — don’t freak out, not wearing a belt was a conscious decision — suede Koio Capris and the NOMOS Date 38 Haifischgrau for just a bit of contrast.
Without the jacket, this is a good standalone business casual look, but it you did want to dress it up a bit (as I did) I would reach for a light gray hopsack sport coat. It’s got a really nice texture as well as a more casual feel. The patch pockets make it more relaxed as well. And the color of the jacket ties into both the sneakers and the watch quite nicely.
Outfit 2
Up next we’ve got something similar, but a little more relaxed. Up top is a gray cotton pique button up shirt, which I’ve paired with the same navy blue cotton trousers from look number one. Same suede sneakers as well. And for this look, I’m going with NOMOS Tangente 38 Date Schneesturm.
Having spent some time with these watches now, I really think that it is a great watch for someone who has a sportier business casual style or a style that leans a bit more towards the casual side. And be sure to stay tuned until outfit five to see what super casual looks like on me . . .
Outfit 3
Okay, so this is pretty much what I would call my summer uniform — simple, chic, and elevated. Up top the shirt is by Todd Snyder, part of the new spring summer collection. It’s light and breathable and I really the looser fit.
I’ve paired that with a pair of black linen trousers — really my favorite pair of warm weather trousers over the past couple of years. Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses, ostrich Belgians, and the NOMOS Tangente 38 Date Poporange to complete the look.
I’ve been loving the simplicity of black and white clothing for a while now. It’s a simple foundation that you can do a lot with and it makes it really easy to throw in a fun and unique burst of color, like we’ve got with the watch.
Outfit 4
Well, here’s a spring and summer suit if I’ve ever seen one. This is our terracotta hopsack — check out that fabric, look how cool that is, the texture, the white flecks — I’m going to call this the suit of the summer.
Lots of ways to style it, obviously. Here, keeping it casual with a cream t-shirt, suede sneakers, sunglasses, and Tangente 38 Date Haifischgrau.
You know, at first I didn’t think I would be able to style these watches with a suit without changing the strap, but I wanted to challenge myself and I think the more casually cool outfit styling here, the color of the suit, paired with this particular watch works. You can let me know if you disagree.
Outfit 5
Maybe a little bit of a shock for you, but this is what I wear on the weekends! I bought this North Face fleece for a ski trip back in March, but I love it so much I find myself wearing it on most chillier mornings when I head out to the gym before the sun comes up.
(And I wear sweatpants too…)
But for this look I’ve got it paired with a cream t-shirt. It’s by Buck Mason — nicest t-shirt I’ve ever worn. Light blue jeans are classic Levi’s 501s — I did mention I’ve been enjoying a little bit of a looser fit. Navy baseball cap. Cream socks. Suede sneakers really getting a workout in this post. And the Tangente Date 38 Schneesturm.
Simple. Casual. Weekend. Great watch. Don’t really have to do much more than that.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the NOMOS Tangente 38 Date embodies the true spirit of what it means to be into watches and watch collecting. In case you can’t remember what those things are, they’re joy, personality, and individuality.
With its 31 different versions and color combinations, the new Tangente 38 Date is meant to cater to a variety of approaches to style and personalities.
Remember, watches are more than just practical things you wear on your wrist — they’re extensions of your personality. So, choose one that resonates with you, not just because it’s the unattainable it-watch.
Thanks, as always, for reading.