Going On A Second Date With The Nomos Tangente 2date

Let’s start with a quote from the introduction article I wrote on the Nomos Tangente 2date. Here goes: “… if you wear this new Tangente on a first date, the chances you will land a second date are practically zero if the other person is into watches and a frequent contributor to the ‘date or no date’ debate online.” Well, I was wrong because I went on a second date with the Tangente 2date. Why? Well, everybody deserves a second chance, and that includes watches. This is what happened.

“Hi, how are you? Glad you agreed to meet me again. I might have been a bit harsh the first time we met, but I just had a lot on my mind. Busy at work, lots to think about. You know how it goes; everyday life can be overwhelming sometimes. I guess I wasn’t in the best of moods when we first met. I think that’s why I didn’t pick up on your joke. Why are you looking at me like that? You made this joke when you introduced yourself as Tangente 2date. The name and your attire were a joke, right? And then I retorted by saying it would be difficult to date you looking like that and that we would probably have the worst date to date. You were not joking. I was being rude. Right. Okay, let’s just start with a clean slate, shall we?”

Taking the Nomos Tangente 2date on a second date

It’s safe to say we got off to a rocky start — twice. But we soldiered on and spent some time together. I always consider myself a man who doesn’t judge a book by its cover. I mean, what’s in a name? Also, it’s more about what’s on the inside than the outside, right?

And I know what’s inside because the Tangente 2date ref. 135, with its clean silver-plated dial with contrasting black and red details, has a transparent case back (€2,580). Beneath it lies the in-house caliber DUW 4601 with a 52-hour power reserve, stop-seconds function, and rapid date adjustment. It’s a good-looking movement with fine sunbeam ribbing on the traditional three-quarter plate and newer date-ring plate. The way the finish radiates from the Nomos Swing System is quite a sight, and it was previously reserved for the exclusive movements of gold Nomos timepieces.

Still, no matter how delicate the movement looks and how often you take your time to observe and appreciate it, you will look at the watch’s face much more. And on that face, the double date display is hard to overlook.

Caught me staring

Your inner voice might scream at you not to look at something, but that will only make the temptation worse. You want to focus on the sharp hands, lovely Arabic numerals, slender indices, and sober but crisp lines of the moderately sized 37.5 × 6.75mm steel case, but you just can’t. The two date indications catch your eyes time and time again. And before you know it, you’re staring at either of the two date indications. Not a good look. And I’m not just referring to the watch. My mom taught me it’s impolite to stare, and I’m sure it’s a universal code of conduct. Compare it to going on a date with Cindy Crawford; all you see is her mole above her left lip instead of looking in her eyes when she tells you about her favorite movies or bands. It’s just rude.

Still, no matter how much I tried, every time I looked at the small, slender watch with Bauhaus roots on my wrist, I found it hard to perform a simple task like reading the time because of the dates. Going on a second date with a clean slate is impossible.

First impressions

You have to believe me when I tell you I honestly wanted to give the Nomos Tangente 2date a second chance. Unfortunately, there is something behavioral scientists call first-impression bias. This limitation in human information processing causes us to make quick and incomplete observations based on the first piece of information we perceive. A first impression leads to quick assumptions and judgments that will stick in the brain. It occurs when meeting people for the first time, but I guess the same happens when encountering a new watch design for the first time. When hearing the watch’s name before seeing it, the wordplay might have already triggered something.

In the case of the Tangente 2date, it wasn’t the funny spelling of the name that prevented an open-minded approach — the watch explained to me earlier that it was not trying to be funny. Instead, it was the name itself. It promised a watch with two dates. What I expected from a thoroughly German brand with an artsy side to it was a second date indicator displaying something other than the first one. But the Tangente 2date doesn’t. It doesn’t even have symbols (funny or not) for the seven days or particular symbolic colors to represent them…

The 2date just gives you the same date twice but in different styles. There’s the standard form seen at 6 o’clock and the more stylized version of the pointer date on the dial’s perimeter, where it “captures” the date between two colored ovals. The latter seems more decorative, with the far more intuitive traditional date window at the bottom of the dial. It results in a confusing watch, especially when, by now, you’re fully aware the Tangente 2date is not a witz.

I’ve had far worse dates, to be honest

Still, it wasn’t the worst date. I can think of dates far worse than the Nomos Tangente 2date. The sight of a date indicator that not only shows today’s date but also yesterday’s and tomorrow’s because it’s designed like a cockpit instrument is far worse. Why would you want to show me what date it has been and what will come tomorrow when I know what date it is today? I can instantly figure those things out by myself because, well, I’m not a complete idiot. At least the Tangente 2date only shows today’s date. But I still can’t figure out why it has to do it twice. Can you? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.