Founded in 1990 following the collapse of the Berlin wall, like a handful of other historical German watchmakers who arose once again after capitalism was restored, Nomos Glashutte has quickly grown into one of the most highly respected watchmakers in the world thanks to their exceptional value for money, eye for detail and steadfast dedication to the Bauhaus school of design. Combining all of those tenets into one watch, like so many of their other models, is the Tetra Lambda 175th Anniversary that we have here. Launched in 2020 as a limited edition collection of just 175 per color to celebrate the 175th anniversary of watchmaking in the German village Glashutte, Nomos’ home, the Lambda is a wonderfully well made timepiece that expresses Nomos’ design language in an impressively built horological machine. Powered by the manual-wind Lambda cal. DUW 1001 movement, an inhouse movement created by Nomos, the Lambda features a large power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock on its white dial along with a running seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Made of stainless steel, a change on the previous Lambda models, and featuring an updated case diameter of 39mm instead of 42mm like the previous models, the 175th Anniversary edition is wonderfully wearable. Speaking to Nomos’ Bauhaus design princpals, the Lambda 175th Anniversary is an aesthetically consistent watch that showcases exactly why Nomos are as respected as they are within watchmaking, with the Lambda’s craftsmanship, finishing, and design far more impressive than its retail price would lead you to believe.

The watch is in excellent condition. The stainless steel case has a few light scratches and a more noticeable scratch on the bezel, just after 12 o’clock. The display case back is excellent, featuring crisp text around the outer edge. The white enamel dial is pristine, with delicate blued hands in excellent condition. The watch is fitted with a shell cordovan leather strap and a Nomos stainless steel buckle. It comes with its inner zip pouch, outer box, warranty, and papers.

A stunning watch that introduced some welcome changes to the collection, such as its use of steel and a smaller diameter, the Lambda 175th Anniversary model showcases why Nomos are as highly respected as they are.