Ownership has its responsibilities:
care and service
It is no big deal. Really. Nevertheless: for owners of NOMOS watches, we would like to draw your attention to a few small matters.
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Day in and day out a wristwatch is exposed to a variety of greater or smaller stresses and strains, for example when cleaning in the bathtub, changing a tire, pruning the rose bushes, paddleboating, taking care of the canary, or eating breakfast with small children.
For this reason, the watch should be periodically taken in for inspection. We recommend that you have a watchmaker check your watch every three to five years, so that it can be cleaned, freshly lubricated, and tested for water resistance. You can either do this at your local NOMOS dealer or send it directly to NOMOS in Glashütte. This will ensure that it will continue to hold up under all the greater and smaller strains that the day brings. Addresses can be found here:
Water and sports
According to the standards laid out by DIN (German Institute for Standardization), NOMOS watches are water resistant. However, the DIN values are unfortunately often somewhat misleading.
According to the standards, the label “water resistant to 30m” (or “water resistant to 3atm”) implies that the watch can withstand being in water one meter deep for 30 minutes. This presumes, however, that the watch will not be moved. Yet, a powerful swimming stroke just under the water’s surface can sometimes create the same level of pressure as that found at a depth of several meters. Furthermore, since heat and fluctuations in temperature are not good for the watch in that they weaken the sealant, it is best to take off the watch when diving, swimming, or even showering.
Of course, it is perfectly fine to wear a NOMOS watch when watering the plants and even a rather heavy rainfall will not bother it. Those watches which are water resistant up to 100m/10atm, such as the NOMOS Sport and Club models, are suitable for swimming, sailing, surfing, and snorkeling, but even they are not good for deep sea diving. It is recommended to have the water resistance of your watch checked every year, because the zytel sealant can be damaged by heat and fluctuations in temperature. (A watchmaker can complete this examination in very little time.)
The leather of the strap
The hand-made straps used in NOMOS watches are fashioned from Shell Cordovan, a particularly sought-after piece of leather taken from the skin on the hind-quarters of a horse. This pliant, water repellant leather is thick and watertight like no other. You do not even need to oil it.
Whereas normal leather straps generally need to be changed every few months, a strap made from Cordovan usually lasts several years.When exposed to severe fluctuations in temperature, it can happen that the natural oil inside the leather will seep out in a whitish form. A little polishing should take care of this. So, the next time you travel from the equator to the North Pole and observe white markings on your watch strap or notice that it has become somewhat lackluster, do not be alarmed. This is not the sign of a larger problem, but a perfectly normal occurrence. Just rub it away.
The smaller NOMOS-watches come with a delicate, light-brown strap made from suede which suits the delicate watches better than the normal Shell Cordovan strap. The suede is not quite as hard-wearing but nevertheless, it is rather durable. And very beautiful, too.
And otherwise?
What should you do if you still encounter some unexpected problems, something that doesn’t work as it should? Ever since the first one we produced (Number 1), all NOMOS watches have been consecutively numbered and if so desired this number can be registered under the name of the purchaser.
This way, if a watch is lost and then somehow turns up later at NOMOS, we are able return it to the owner. Even after the warranty has expired, we at NOMOS will try to help our customers as obligingly and inexpensively as possible.