One (Perfect) Day in Berlin With NOMOS Glashütte

Spending time at work, hours and minutes can often feel slow and deliberate. But when visiting a foreign city on vacation, rules change. Scheduling becomes irrelevant. In a recent issue of Watch Journal, we featured a travel story about Berlin, a city our friends at NOMOS Glashütte know well. Concurrently, the German watch brand brings us a new series of watches with a significant update: Tangente, Orion, and Ludwig, each with a radically redesigned caliber, the neomatik date DUW 6101. These pieces require less maintenance, provide greater precision, and offer super-legible date indicators. Perfect for getting the most out of a day in Berlin, a bustling city that demands punctuality.


8:00 am –  The Tangente neomatik 41 Update at the Hotel Oderberger

NOMOS Glashütte Tangente neomatik 41 Update. (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

The ideal watch to start the day, the Tangente easily synchronizes to local time (GMT +2). Gained or lost a day in transit? A simple turn of the crown sets the date backward or forward, with a cool, red marker that travels around the outer ring of the dial.

Facade of Hotel Oderberger, formerly Oderberger Stadtbad

“This boutique hotel occupies an old public bathing house [designed by architect Ludwig Hoffmann in 1898]–the rooms still have some of the old features, and, more importantly, the swimming pool is open to all. We held an event here last summer to launch our Aqua series.” 

– NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS Glashütte Tangente neomatik 41 Update. (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

10:30 am – Tour The Boros Collection, but keep an eye on the Tangente. The museum can only accommodate 12 people at a time, and German-language tours start on the full hour, English on the half-hour. Open Thursday thru Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm. (Make sure to book a viewing in advance.)

The Boros Collection. (Photos, including opening image, by NOSHE)

“Only in Berlin can you find 3,000 meters of exhibition space in a converted war bunker. We share the Boros’ love for clean and creative design, rooted in the 20th century but constantly in dialogue with today’s developments.”

– NOMOS Glashütte

NOMOS Glashütte Tangente neomatik 41 Update Specs:

  • Oxidized black hands
  • Steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal dial
  • Automatic movement
  • Diameter: 40.5 mm
  • Height: 7.9 mm
  • Weight: 58 g
  • Horween black cordovan leather strap
  • Reference 180

12:00 pm  – The Ludwig nemomatik 41 Date at the Berlinische Galerie

NOMOS Glashütte Ludwig neomatik 41 Date. (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

Midday is ideal for contemplating great German design. The Ludwig has it in spades. Its date window sits at the 4 o’clock position, displayed in Arabic type—a smart, contrasting twist alongside the dial’s elegant Roman numerals.

Berlinische Galerie. (Photo by Nina Strassguetl)

“This is one of our favorite museums in Berlin, as it focuses on local art from the past 150 years, giving a real insight into the cultural history of the city.”

– NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS Glashütte Ludwig Neomatik 41 Date. (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

3:00 pm – Visit the Istanbul-inspired Turkish Bazaar. Again, timing is everything here. The open-air market is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Turkish Bazaar. (Photo by Neil G Hamilton)

“NOMOS employees can often be found here on their lunch breaks, having a stroll, or getting groceries.”

– NOMOS Glashütte

NOMOS Glashütte Ludwig neomatik 41 Date Specs:

  • Steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal dial
  • Tempered steel blue hands
  • Automatic movement
  • Diameter: 40.5 mm
  • Height: 7.7 mm
  • Weight: 54 g
  • Horween black cordovan leather strap
  • Reference 260

7:00 pm – The Orion neomatik 41 Date for an evening at Katz Orange

NOMOS Glashütte Orion neomatik 41 Date (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

Nighttime is ideal for the Orion, named after the constellation, with its elegant golden indices, small seconds at the 6 o’clock position, and date window at 3. Ideal for a stylish night out on the town. Here, that means a fabulous dinner at Katz Orange. Reservations can easily be made online via OpenTable.

Kate Orange Courtyard. (Photo by Thanasis Boucharas)

“We also think [Katz Orange] has great taste in desserts—try the petit fours, to which we have dedicated our latest series of Tetra watches.”

– NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS Glashütte Orion neomatik 41 Date. (Photo courtesy of NOMOS Glashütte)

NOMOS Glashütte Orion neomatik 41 Date Specs:

  • Steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal dial
  • Tempered steel blue hands
  • Automatic movement
  • Diameter: 40.5 mm
  • Height: 9.35 mm
  • Weight: 58 g
  • Horween black cordovan leather strap
  • Reference 360

Travel Time: The 9 Coolest Spots in Berlin

While company headquarters are two hours south, NOMOS Glashütte’s in-house design studio is located in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. The area’s hipper than all get-out, a sprawling collection of third-wave coffee shops, art galleries, and vintage shops, home to punks, poets, students, and a strong contingent of Turkish expats. NOMOS maintains that the influence of Kreuzberg, and Berlin in general, is central to the handsome, modern aesthetic of its timepieces. We asked the brand’s design team to give us the lowdown on the city’s coolest spots.


1. Michelberger Hotel

“This beautifully converted factory building is a favorite of ours. [Award-winning furniture designer] Werner Aisslinger—who recently collaborated with NOMOS—designed the interior of this vibrant, homey, and creative hotel in Friedrichshain. The restaurant and bar are always worth a visit, too.”

2. Hotel Oderberger Swimming Pool

Hotel Oderberger Swimming Pool

“This boutique hotel occupies an old public bathing house [designed by architect Ludwig Hoffmann in 1898]—the rooms still have some of the old features, and, most importantly, the swimming pool is open for all. We held an event here last summer to launch its Aqua series.”

3. Lode & Stijn

The Dutch Chef Duo in charge of Lode & Stijn. Photo by Lena Ganssmann

“Contemporary, inventive, and down-to-earth in the heart of Kreuzberg, Lode & Stijn is a beautiful little restaurant that has built its reputation on local, seasonal cooking in a relaxed but elegant little space. It’s great for a drink and some bar snacks, or a leisurely evening with their carefully selected five-course menu.”

4. Katz Orange

Katz Orange

“Tucked away in the sweet courtyard of a converted brewery, Katz Orange is a treat. There’s a cozy bar with delicious cocktails, which opens out onto the courtyard in summer. Then there’s the menu of slow-food delights, put together by the brilliant German chef Daniel Finke. We also think they have great taste in desserts—try the petit fours, to which we have dedicated our latest series of Tetra watches.”

5. Kranhaus Café Schöneweide

“This small café is on a ship, on the banks of the Spree river, anchored between the AEG Hall and the so-called Behrens Bau—the former flagship buildings of Berlin’s industrialization. Our watches are made in Germany, and are influenced by German industrial design in the traditions of Bauhaus and the Deutscher Werkbund, which makes the place even more special.”

6. Turkish Market, Maybachufer, Kreuzberg

“Every Tuesday and Friday, countless vendors set up their stalls along the Landwehr Canal, selling everything from fabric and fruit to falafel wraps. NOMOS employees can often be found here on their lunch breaks, having a stroll, or getting groceries.”

7. Berlinische Galerie

“This is one of our favorite museums in Berlin, as it focuses on local art from the past 150 years, giving a real insight into the cultural history of the city. Besides the beautiful permanent collection [which includes works by Max Liebermann, Otto Dix, and Hannah Höch], there is always a temporary show worth visiting.”

8. Bauhaus Archive/Museum of Design

Berlinische Galerie Treppengalerie. Photo by Nina Strassguetl.

“It’s no secret what a source of inspiration the Bauhaus movement is to our aesthetic. This iconic building, designed by the great Walter Gropius [in 1964], houses one of the largest collections of Bauhaus material.”

9. Boros Bunker

Boros Collection. Photo by Noshe

“Only in Berlin can you find 3,000 meters of exhibition space in a converted war bunker. We share the Boros’ love for clean and creative design, rooted in the 20th century but constantly in dialogue with today’s developments. [Famed art collectors] Christian and Karen Boros have built their home onto the top floor of the bunker; on the many floors below, they put on an impressive exhibition.”