Here is my Nomos Orion Weis in 33mm (well, 32.8mm if you want to be exact). It hails from the renowned German watchmaking town of Glashütte in the state of Saxony that is often associated with their bigger neighbors, A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original. Despite NOMOS having practically zero history or ties to the famed watchmaking town (unlike most of the other manufactures), they have made a very strong case that this is where they belong, essentially standing alongside the giants of Glashütte. NOMOS was founded in 1990 and they basically started with nothing but an idea…but that idea was a very strong (or simple) one. NOMOS draws influence from the Bauhaus philosophy, where one does not have to choose between form and function, but rather, through design, form and function could coexist in perfect harmony with one another. This is no more evident than in the NOMOS Orion 33.

Starting with the dial, the Nomos Orion Weis 33 steps away from the normal Orion with a more stern and strict aesthetic by using only silver stick indices and hands, instead of the blued steel hands and gold-toned indices of the latter. In doing so, it elevates the watch to a dressier, more elegant aura. But don’t be fooled: this watch can easily be dressed down to a t-shirt and shorts; it’s that versatile. With a twist of the wrist, the indices make light dance and reminds the wearer that he/she is wearing something special. Legibility isn’t really an issue because of the reflective nature of the indices and the simplicity of the watch’s design. Do note that the sapphire crystal has no AR coating so in certain light conditions, you may have to twist the wrist just the slightest to see the time a bit clearer. In the Orion 33, the sub-seconds dial placement is also more proportional and aesthetically pleasing within the dial than the 35mm and 38mm variants of the Orion, which have more negative space.

The watch measures 32.8mm in diameter, 8.5mm in height with a lug-to-lug measure of approximately 43mm, and weighs practically nothing. You actually forget it’s there, which is great for a watch of this nature. On my 16cm wrist, it wears comfortably, light and unassuming, as a dress watch should; this is the antithesis of the dinner-plate dress watch.

The movement is NOMOS’ in-house mechanical Alpha movement. I’ll spare you the details but just know that it winds very smoothly and is easy to set. The movement, though not finished to the same level as their haute horology neighbors, NOMOS still managed to create a movement that invites you to look closer. The Glashütte stripes on the traditional German 3/4 plate radiate depending on the light direction and add a lot of dimensionality to the otherwise simple movement. The wearer will most likely be looking at the back of the watch just as much as the front.

But here’s the biggest thing for me: at RRP, I can’t say the Orion presents itself as “good” value. Sure, it has an in-house movement and the Bauhaus aesthetic going for it, but at that price point, you may look elsewhere for something a little more interesting, a little less boring, or even something completely different. BUT, when purchased at secondhand market price, the Orion presents tremendous value, in my opinion. If the right one comes along, one can be scooped up for under $1000USD…though it appears they generally trade right around that $1000USD mark.

So though NOMOS is a relative newcomer to the Glashütte region, their watches really exhibit a lot of the aspects that enthusiasts generally associate and want with German watchmaking. 3/4 plate? Check. Balance cock? Not engraved, but check. Simple and straight-to-the-point aesthetics? Check. Deserving of the Glashütte label? Big check.