The long-awaited return of a fan favourite: the Lambda in stainless steel is sure to bring a smile to many followers of the German brand.

When NOMOS Glashütte sprang into being in 1990, it did so out of the rubble of the Berlin Wall. The brand represented not only the reinvigoration of Germany’s watchmaking industry (which has for centuries centred on the small village of Glashütte, near Dresden), but a bold new vision.

Other marques, notably A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original, were to pick up where their forebears had left off, before the Soviet occupation of East Germany, crafting the finest watches known to human hand. But NOMOS was different; quality was a requirement, of course, but so was value and, more importantly, modernity. NOMOS Glashütte came to stand for a type of watchmaking that respected 19th-century tradition but committed itself to 20th-century design and a forward-looking attitude, typified by the presence of the brand’s design studio in Berlin as well as its watchmaking factory in Glashütte.

The resulting timepieces are well known to watch devotees, as well as being the recipients of multiple design awards. Wearing a NOMOS is a decision that will earn you a firm nod of approval in any gathering of watch geeks (as I can personally attest) – the clean, simple lines and uncluttered, uncomplicated dials, as well as modestly sized cases all generate enormous insider appeal. Understated and underappreciated, some might say.

But the folks at NOMOS Glashütte aren’t purely concerned with making watches for turtlenecked ascetics. Back in 2013, it decided it had better show the world it knew what a good time looked like, with the release of two showstopper models in different tones of gold: the Lux and Lambda. These were the peak of NOMOS’ craft on a horological level, with absolutely gorgeous movement finishing – particularly the radial striping to the plates.

When the range was expanded in 2014, their everyday excellence took the concept of restrained design to a whole new plane, with bright colours leading the way for a trend that has swept the entire industry. For me, and many others, the Lambda immediately became a grail watch – an opulent, extravagant dress watch from the most controlled and refined of watchmakers. It was flashy, but in a way that still marked you out as a connoisseur. If only I could afford it…

Seven long years later, NOMOS has answered my prayers with an execution of the Lambda in stainless steel. In the absence of a lustrous gold case, the style may not have the same grandiose sense of presence, but as each design is a limited edition, it is suitably exclusive nonetheless.

There are three colourways in total, and 175 pieces of each, to mark the anniversary of watchmaking in Glashütte. My personal favourite is this blue-dialled version, but all have stuck faithfully to what made the Lambda great in the beginning: an expansive dial with stick-thin markings and hands, with the 84-hour power-reserve indicator given pride of place at 12 o’clock.

On the reverse, you’ll see the same hand-wound calibre DUW 1001 with the radial finish and colourful pinions set with synthetic rubies in gold chatons fixed with blued screws. The only visual difference between this and the equivalent Lambda in white gold is the case size – the new steel pieces are all 40.5mm in diameter, down from 42mm. If I’m honest, that’s the cherry on the cake – an improvement I didn’t even know I wanted.  

Materials: Stainless steel and Horween leather

Diameter: 40.5mm

Height: 8.9mm

Water-resistance: 30m

Power reserve:  84 hours

Price: £5,800