2026-11-08 · Watches And More
Start with the small mechanism, not the dial. NOMOS describes itself as an owner-operated, independent company founded in 1990 by Roland Schwertner. Its Swing System brings that company story inside the movement: an escapement that NOMOS identifies as its own proprietary design. [S2] [S1]
According to NOMOS, the assembly includes a balance wheel with a blue balance spring, an escape wheel and a pallet fork carrying synthetic-ruby pallets. The escapement regulates the release of the spring’s stored energy rather than letting it unwind all at once. NOMOS explains that the fork’s two rubies alternately engage the escape-wheel teeth, metering that release. [S1] [S1] [S1]
💡 Did You Know?
NOMOS describes a miniature matchmaking operation: balance wheels and springs are measured and sorted into 40 classes according to their properties. After a spring is fitted to its wheel, the pair is checked again for roundness and flatness. Making the parts is only part of the story; finding the right partners matters, too. [S1] [S1]
⭐ Why It Matters
NOMOS’s account connects production with adjustment: it describes making and fine-machining caliber parts, then constructing, assembling, regulating and encasing calibers in Glashütte. At the balance wheel, that work reaches microgram scale. The company says detected imbalances are corrected by removing tiny amounts of material—millionths of a gram. [S2] [S2] [S1]
❤️ The W&M Take
Our take: the compelling detail is not the word proprietary but the patient process behind it. We think component matching makes independence easier to understand as an engineering ambition, rather than simply a brand identity. For us, that is worth appreciating without treating ownership of an escapement design as proof of superior accuracy.
Sources
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to keep these watch facts accurate, but the world of horology is full of myths, disputed stories, and fascinating trivia. Consider these facts a starting point for discovery rather than the final word. If you have corrections or additional insights, let us know—we’re always happy to keep the record ticking in the right direction.
Read Next
Watches And More · Watch Fact Archive · Companion site
What interests you more about a movement: who makes its components, or how those components are matched and finished?
