With a huge growth of 30% posted in 2015, Nomos will be all smiles heading into 2016. Thanks to its proprietary escapement and a new automatic calibre, the Glashütte watchmaking company is one to watch out for in the years to come.

With a generally difficult 2015 wrapping up for the watch industry, brands will be lamenting over their books and trying to avoid reproducing the same slumping sales figures in 2016. But if you ask Nomos about their 2016 outlook, no doubt they would sign up to have another record year like they did in 2015. In fact, Germany’s largest independent watch producer was all in the black this year, managing a staggering growth rate of around 30 percent.

Sure, an independent brand like Nomos has much more room for growth than other big Swiss brands that might have already (over)saturated the market. But 30 percent growth is quite the accomplishment by any standard. So much so that perhaps the “Made in Germany” label should be seen as a serious threat to the Swiss dominance in the industry.

Nomos has masterfully capitalized on the increasing demand for mechanical timepieces in recent years, with the brand seemingly doubling its growth every few years. This is all the more significant given the pressure the industry has been under, including the strong Swiss franc, the weak Russian ruble, slowing demand in China, and the introduction of smartwatches.

Not to brag, but Nomos actually cannot keep up with demand. According to brand CEO Uwe Ahrendt:

“We could sell more than we can produce… A watchmaking company that places craftsmanship and quality above all else could not grow any faster.”

The emphasis the company places on quality design and engineering is certainly part of the explanation. Its recent technical innovations have also helped. After introducing the impressive Nomos swing system - its proprietary escapement - the company successfully followed up with an entirely new automatic series this year.

Leading the line is the incredibly slender DUW 3001, their tenth in-house calibre which powers the neomatik range of watches and is only 3.2 mm in height. The range has been so well received that the Minimatik champagner and Metro neomatik watches are virtually sold out, despite just being introduced on the market.

Nomos is already Germany’s market leader in mechanical watches. And now it’s increasingly setting its sights abroad to meet increasing demand internationally. They are already exporting to over 40 countries worldwide, with strategic partnerships with top retailers in all the biggest metropolises, from London, to Paris, to Singapore. Looking forward, one area of further expected growth for the brand will be the North American market.

Going from strength to strength, year by year, it seems Nomos will not stop moving forward, even when some of its competitors have already tripped up.