Today's Hands-On is about a watch that's on my wrist and that's very dear to me: the NOMOS Orion 38 De Stijl Limited Edition.
Nomos Orion De Stijl Limited Edition
Background
The Orion 38 De Stijl is a cooperation between German watch brand NOMOS and the Amsterdam-based Ace Jewelers. It was introduced in August of 2017 as a limited edition of 100 pieces in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the De Stijl art movement. Based on NOMOS' elegant Orion 38 watch, the dial of this limited edition was re-imagined to form a bona fide ode to De Stijl.
De Stijl
De Stijl, Dutch for The Style, was an artistic movement founded in 1917. Also known as neoplasticism, its members employed a minimal style, reducing both form and color to their bare essentials - working primarily with rectangular shapes and primary colors. Furniture designer & architect Gerrit Rietveld, painter Piet Mondriaan, and painter & designer Vilmos Huszár are among the best known names associated with the movement.
NOMOS
The NOMOS watch brand was founded in 1990 by Roland Schwertner in Glashütte, the birthplace of German watchmaking that was in the process reclaiming its roots in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall. From its earliest collection the brand has focused on a minimalistic Bauhaus'esque aesthetic paired with traditional mechanical movements. On a more abstract level the brand is influenced by the Deutscher Werkbund, an organisation that was formed to promote good design, quality and craftsmanship in mass-produced (German) goods
NOMOS Orion 38 De Stijl
As indicated above, the NOMOS Orion De Stijl was created by NOMOS and Ace Jewelers in celebration of the centenary of De Stijl. It's based on NOMOS' Orion 38 model, which is one of their most refined and elegant models. The stainless steel case measures 38mm across. The lines are clean & simple. The thin bezel allows the dial to take center stage, and for the occasion NOMOS and Ace designed one inspired by works of Mondriaan & Rietveld. The hour markers are simple black stripes, yet each and every single one is of a different length and weight. The result is a dial that is completely a-symmetrical yet very well-balanced. It's classical but with a healthy dose of funk. It's a true homage to De Stijl without feeling gimmicky.
This watch is powered by NOMOS' Alpha movement, a sturdy mechanical movement that's built in-house in Glashütte. It can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. It is hand-wound and features a power reserve of approximately 43 hours.