Nomos Introduces a Limited Edition Lambda in Stainless Steel

Nomos has introduced three new limited edition versions of their Lambda model to celebrate 175 years of watchmaking in Glashutte, Germany, the home of the Nomos manufacture. Unlike previous versions of the Lambda, always cased in solid gold, these Lambdas are in stainless steel, and thus much more approachable, and perhaps better suited to everyday wear than the $20,000, precious metal versions the brand has produced to this point. With the same distinctive dial layout, case shape, and highly decorated movement as the gold versions, these Lambdas represent a new high-end in Nomos’s stainless steel offerings, and function as something of a bridge between value oriented references we know and love, and the more haute horlogerie focused watches Nomos has produced for years in smaller numbers. 

The Lambda’s aesthetic is very much in line with the minimalist, Bauhaus inspired look that we’ve come to know from Nomos. There’s a great deal of open space on the expansive dial, with simple markers (dots and lines) denoting minutes around the perimeter. Hands are long needles in polished stainless steel, or blued, depending on the dial, and the only text is the brand’s signature and a German call out to the 84 hour power reserve, on either side of the small seconds indicator near 6:00. The most noteworthy and dramatic aspect of the Lambda’s dial layout is a large power reserve indicator that spans much of the dial’s top half, which counts down each of those 84 hours until zero, represented with a pop of red that lends the Lambda just a hint of the Nomos playfulness they’re so well known for. 

There are three dial options for the stainless steel Lambda: white, black, and blue. All dials are in a glossy enamel and curved to match the domed sapphire, which should give the Lambda some of the qualities of a vintage watch. The case is 40.5mm in diameter, and seems to be as sneakily complex as many of our favorite Nomos models, with a thin bezel and a caseback that meets the midcase at a curve, rather than a hard angle. Many Nomos watches have an almost organic quality to the case with their soft lines, and the Lambda is certainly in that vein. 

Where the Lambda has always set itself apart from other models in the Nomos lineup is the movement. The Tangentes and Orions of the world have nicely finished hand wound or super thin automatic calibers, but the Lambda introduces some real hand finishing into the mix, with the DUW 1001. You’ll notice several hallmarks that are typically associated with the finest of German watchmaking in this movement, including a prominent three-quarter plate with sunburst polishing, and a hand engraved balance cock with the words “Lovingly produced in Glashutte” appearing in German. Nomos also tells us that all edges on the movement are hand polished, with black polish applied to individual steel parts. This is quite simply a much more finely finished movement than what you’d find in every other stainless steel produced by Nomos up to this point. 

This level of hand work doesn’t come cheap, even if it is significantly less than a solid gold Lambda. At $7,500, this is an expensive stainless steel watch that exists in a segment Nomos hasn’t really tested to this point, so it will be interesting to gauge the reaction to the stainless steel Lambda as they begin to make their way onto the wrists of collectors. With only 175 pieces of each dial variant being produced, this watch is likely to sell quickly. And if it does, we’ll be curious to see if Nomos continues to play in that $7,000 price point. NOMOS