NOMOS Glashütte Launches New In-house Built DUW 3001 Ultra Thin Automatic Movement
During the prestigious Baselworld watch fair 2015, German watch manufacture NOMOS Glashütte unveiled DUW 3001, an ultra thin self winding calibre produced in house. Measuring a thickness of 3.2 millimetres, this movement is incredibly flat and also extremely accurate.
Nearly all the parts in DUW 3001 are placed between the base plate and the three-quarter plate. The ratchet wheel, for example, is now placed entirely under the three-quarter plate—and so needed to be made flatter than before. To avoid friction between the wafer-thin parts, a special new material was used; it has excellent, low friction properties, is extremely even, and is easy to form and harden.
A further challenge of this miniature work of watchmaking wonder: A flatter mainspring is required for a flatter movement. As it is thinner, it has correspondently less power, which had to be compensated for.
Past years of research into the gear train have helped NOMOS Glashütte to gather enough experience to optimize the gear train—the series of cog wheels and pinions that transfer the energy through a movement—for this exact caliber.
The result is that DUW 3001 is a chronometer-standard, high-quality, and very elegant in house caliber—unique in the watch industry and, thanks to new machines and technologies, also ready for large-scale series production. Of course, just like before, the motor also contains a great deal of craftsmanship, the NOMOS swing system still sets the pace, and the renowned Glashütte characteristics feature: the three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing, tempered blue screws, to mention only a few.
The new caliber therefore combines the best watchmaking craftsmanship and high-tech, and stands for both tradition and innovation—just like the research and development department at NOMOS Glashütte where it was created. This is where the first automatic caliber from the watchmaking company was developed; the patented date mechanism and the power reserve indicator—also patented—were designed; as well as the intricate movements for the gold watches Lux and Lambda. The NOMOS swing system, which caused a storm at Baselworld 2014, also originated from this department.
Now the NOMOS watchmakers are on the starting blocks for series production of the new flat automatic calibers, and new watches featuring this movement will be available with retailers as early as fall.
