This limited-edition Nomos Tangente 38 Date celebrates 175 years of watchmaking heritage in Glashütte. Since 1845, the small Saxon town of Glashütte has been synonymous with the German watchmaking industry. Rooted in the iconic Bauhaus design that has defined the Nomos Tangente since its 1992 debut, this 2024 release brings a colourful and contemporary twist to a beloved classic.
Originally marking the anniversary back in 2020, Nomos Glashütte has been rolling out a staggered series of commemorative models. The Tangente 38 Date arrives fashionably late but brings 31 vibrant dial options and a more playful, expressive take on German precision.
This model blends minimalist elegance with personality, making it a modern collectible that appeals equally to seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers discovering the unique charm of German watchmaking.
Design - 60 / 100
From first glance, this Nomos Tangente 38 Date proudly wears its heritage while embracing individuality with flair. It stays true to the original Nomos Tangente blueprint with its slim case, angular lugs, thin needle hands and a polished steel bezel. But it’s on the dial where the celebration truly comes to life.
This anniversary edition offers a remarkable 31 dial variations — each corresponding to a day of the month and delivering a distinct colourway. Some are muted and elegant, while others are bold and playful, yet all maintain the Nomos Tangente symmetry. It features central hour and minute hands, small seconds and a date window at 6 o’clock, with alternating Arabic numerals and baton indices. The clever positioning of the date window towards the outer edge gives the layout a clean, open look and significantly improves legibility.
The polished stainless steel case remains consistent across all versions and although there’s no variation in hand or case colour, the creative use of dial tones paired with refined grey textile straps ensures each piece feels genuinely unique.
Flipping it over, a sapphire display caseback reveals the beautifully decorated DUW 4101 movement — a reminder that this is more than just a design experiment. Each caseback is engraved with an individual serial number out of 175, reinforcing the limited-edition nature of this release. Despite the vivid spectrum of colours, this is still a carefully considered and meticulously designed timepiece, faithful to the Nomos Tangente legacy but willing to play within the rules. It’s a confident evolution, not a reinvention.
Utility - 36 / 100
The Nomos Tangente 38 Date is minimalist not just in style, but also in terms of utility. That’s where some trade-offs begin to show.
On the upside, Nomos delivers excellent fundamentals: a reliable, accurate in-house German movement, a sapphire crystal front and back, a robust stainless steel case with great proportions that suit a wide range of wrists and a clear dial layout. With 37.5mm diameter, 6.8mm thickness, and 47.7mm lug-to-lug, the result is a watch that wears flat and elegant on the wrist while still offering plenty of presence. The manual-wind DUW 4101 movement offers a 42-hour power reserve but has hacking seconds and a quick-set date. While lacking in complications, the movement is easy to operate and set.
The date window is cleanly integrated and large enough to be highly legible. There are no lumed hands or indices, which limits low-light visibility. There’s also no power reserve indicator — not a deal-breaker, but a nice-to-have on a manually wound watch. The 30-meter water resistance rating is fine for everyday use, but not much else. And while the textile strap is well-made and suits the aesthetic, it closes with a simple pin and buckle and has no quick-change mechanism.
As a limited edition of 175 watches per configuration, there’s also the consideration of replacement. If damaged or lost, it may be difficult (or impossible) to source an exact match, particularly for this model. Ultimately, while it doesn’t aim to be a rugged tool or adventure watch, the Nomos Tangente 38 Date delivers solid everyday functionality for urban and casual wear.
Craft - 52 / 100
The Nomos Tangente 175 brings together classic craftsmanship, dependable engineering, and a playful aesthetic with real attention to detail. The materials throughout the watch are solid and trustworthy: a polished stainless steel case, rhodium-plated hands, and sapphire glass front and back. The overall construction reflects modern quality standards, underpinned by Nomos continuing its commitment to in-house production and design integrity from Glashütte.
At its core is the DUW 4101 manual movement beating at 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) with 23 jewels and developed in-house by Nomos. It’s based on the brand’s proven DUW architecture, and while not revolutionary, it reflects Nomos’ approach to evolution over reinvention, designed to be shared across multiple models. The movement is serviceable, reliable, and relatively simple. Thanks to the lack of a self-winding rotor, the full Glashütte finishing — striping, perlage, and heat-blued screws — is clearly visible through the sapphire display back. Though the finishing is restrained, it aligns with the clean, utilitarian ethos of the brand. Importantly, it’s also regulated to chronometer standards.
What truly elevates this Tangente 38 Date is its approach to colour. Each configuration features carefully balanced tones across the dial, date wheel, small seconds subdial and indices. They are thoughtfully composed palettes that give each piece a distinct identity. A matching textile strap in one of two grey tones (light or dark, depending on the dial) complements the whole package without distracting from the artwork on the dial.
Have a look on the Nomos website and pick out your favourite! The following is a comprehensive list of all 31 variants of the Nomos Tangente 175:
- Ref 779.S1 – Zirkus; cream dial, blue minute ring, brick red seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S2 – Love; cream dial, brick red minute ring, cream seconds, silver-white date, blue and orange indices
- Ref 779.S3 – Stop; cream dial and minute ring, brick red seconds, silver-white date, moss green indices
- Ref 779.S4 – Go; cream dial and minute ring, moss green seconds, silver-white date, red indices
- Ref 779.S5 – Peace; cream dial, pool blue minute ring, cream seconds, silver-white date, blue and orange indices
- Ref 779.S6 – Kanari; light yellow dial, cream minute ring, light yellow seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S7 – Bubblegum; dusky pink dial and minute ring, golden yellow seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S8 – Katzengold; sun yellow dial, cream minute ring, pink seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S9 – Mauvegrün; violet dial, green-grey minute ring, purple seconds, violet date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S10 – Lemonbiscuit; cream dial, light yellow minute ring, cream seconds, silver-white date, blue indices
- Ref 779.S11 – Schulhausweiß; cream dial and minute ring, sand seconds, silver-white date, blue indices
- Ref 779.S12 – Flamingopink; light pink dial, cream minute ring, orange seconds, silver-white date, blue indices
- Ref 779.S13 – Poporange; dark orange dial and minute ring, orange seconds, dark orange date, black indices
- Ref 779.S14 – Rambazamba; red dial, red and cream minute ring, red seconds, red date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S15 – Pompadour; dusky pink dial, dark gold minute ring, cream seconds, beige date, blue indices
- Ref 779.S16 – Super Sardine; smoky blue dial, cream minute ring, blue seconds, smoky blue date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S17 – Boje; orange dial, cream minute ring, dark orange seconds, silver-white date, dark blue indices
- Ref 779.S18 – Lakritze; anthracite dial, smoky blue minute ring, anthracite seconds, red date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S19 – Tiefseegrau; black dial, pink and black minute ring, black seconds, black date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S20 – Haifischgrau; gray dial, gray and sand minute ring, sand seconds, gray date, sand indices
- Ref 779.S21 – Pastell; coral dial, pink and coral minute ring, light beige seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S22 – Delfin; sky blue dial, sand minute ring, gray seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S23 – Frostblau; ice blue dial, cream and ice blue minute ring, ice blue seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S24 – Schneesturm; cream dial, black and cream minute ring, ice blue seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S25 – Ariel; sand dial, ice blue and sand minute ring, cream and sand seconds, silver-white date, black indices
- Ref 779.S26 – Schlossgrün; green dial, cream minute ring, green-gray seconds, green date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S27 – Ziegelblau; brick red dial, brick red and cream minute ring, sky blue seconds, beige date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S28 – Sportbunt; light red dial, turqoise and gold minute ring, dark red seconds, light red date, cream indices
- Ref 779.S29 – Dunkelbunt; black dial and minute ring, black seconds, black date, orange and blue indices
- Ref 779.S30 – Chilli; crimson red dial, pink minute ring, magenta seconds, crimson red date, pink indices
- Ref 779.S31 – Nachtgesang; dark blue dial, dark blue and purple minute ring, dark blue seconds, purple date, cream indices
Value - 43 / 100
At a retail price of just under €2,000, the Nomos Tangente 38 Date – 175 Years of Watchmaking in Glashütte offers a solid value proposition. With a total of 31 unique dial configurations and 175 pieces each, availability is limited. Demand for certain colours may push prices slightly above or below retail on the second-hand market. Currently, some are still sold directly through Nomos, but most models now require a lucky find — either as new old stock or from a trusted pre-owned seller.
Despite being a limited edition, prices on the secondary market typically drop by about 20%, though some popular configurations may hold firm or even appreciate slightly over time. It’s a watch that should be bought as a complete set given the collectability of each configuration and the risk of not being able to replace a lost or damaged one.
Compared to other models in the Tangente collection, the Nomos Tangente 38 Date is priced competitively — cheaper than some of the larger or automatic versions, and only slightly above the no-date equivalents. However, competition in the €1,500–€2,000 range is fierce: Sinn, Junghans, Longines, Vulcain, and entry-level pieces from IWC, Tudor, and TAG Heuer all compete for attention in this segment.
Collector Score - 48 / 100
Nomos Tangente 175 is ideal for collectors who value minimalist design and want a unique, colourful timepiece that stands out through personality and distinctive character. This watch is an artistic, limited-edition celebration of colour, culture, and craftsmanship. It’s a statement piece with historical roots and minimalist charm that captures the essence of German Bauhaus design. Its slim profile, vibrant dial options, and refined manual-wind movement make it a standout for collectors who favour expression over complication.