NOMOS Glashütte is releasing another new limited special-edition in support of emergency aid—for the first time with its automatic model Tangomat – Nomos Tangomat for Ärzte ohne Grenzen Deutschland.
A red twelve on the otherwise straightforward dial—the latest NOMOS model for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also bears this unmistakable symbol that has come to be associated with watches that help provide aid. The cooperation between watchmaking company NOMOS Glashütte and this Nobel Prize-winning organization began in 2012. Tangomat für Ärzte ohne Grenzen Deutschland is the eleventh model that NOMOS Glashütte has produced in support of emergency aid. An imposing watch with a 38-millimeter diameter, it is also a classic model from the watchmaking company. Ticking within is the in-house built automatic caliber DUW 5001, while the metal bracelet wears with the utmost comfort and rounds off the robust appeal of this timepiece.
250 euros from each sale goes directly to Ärzte ohne Grenzen (the section of MSF in Germany). This is how a single watch can support the treatment of 1,470 children against malaria, secure enough anesthesia for ten operations, or provide 450 people with three months’ worth of vital medicine. Despite its fine metal bracelet, and even though it is a limited edition, this version of Tangomat is available for exactly the same price as the standard model, which comes with a leather strap.
So, better times for NOMOS wearers and for people who are in need: “When it comes to brand cooperations, it is very important for Doctors Without Borders that certain principles and values are mutual. The cooperation with NOMOS Glashütte is regarded with conviction by both sides,” says Florian Westphal, General Director for MSF Germany: “Together, NOMOS Glashütte and Doctors Without Borders are saving lives.” This special-edition model, limited to 250 watches, is now available at select retailers across Europe.
Time for life: Interview with Florian Westphal
Florian Westphal is the general director of Doctors Without Borders Germany. Here, he talks about his work and the successful cooperation with watchmaking company NOMOS Glashütte.
Mr. Westphal, mechanical watches and providing aid: How do they go together?
At first glance, they don’t seem to have much in common. But I think that our “time for life” slogan summarizes our cooperation well, since NOMOS Glashütte and Doctors Without Borders are working together to save lives.
Could you explain in a few short sentences, for someone who might not know the organization, what Doctors Without Borders does?
We provide emergency medical aid around the world. Wherever there are wars, epidemics, or natural disasters threatening people’s lives, we are at work. We offer a wide range of medical services—from providing vaccinations for infants to fighting childhood malnutrition, supporting victims of sexual assault, and doing field surgery—helping those in need regardless of their background, religion, or political beliefs. Doctors Without Borders is independent of governments and business interests, as well as apolitical.
What exactly can you do with 250 euros—could you share some examples with us?
Several come to mind. During a project for Doctors Without Borders, I visited a hospital in the DRC that specialized in treating children suffering from malaria. 250 euros could help us get the necessary medicine to treat 1,470 children, for example. Or we could provide mosquito nets for 118 families, protecting them against mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. In Yemen, 250 euros would cover the cost of anaesthetic for ten people requiring surgery, or supply essential medicine for three months to 450 people displaced in camps due to violence.
Can a NOMOS customer purchasing one of these watches be certain that their money will go directly towards those in need? Without deductions?
In 2018, Doctors Without Borders invested around 87 cents from every euro donated into its aid projects worldwide. We have held independent certification for years from the DZI, Germany’s charities watchdog, for the responsible allocation of donated funds.
Where is the aid of Doctors Without Borders most urgently needed now, and what are you doing there?
At the moment, we are focused on the situation in Yemen—among other projects. The people there have been suffering the effects of a brutal conflict for years. Our teams are helping people there on both sides of the front line. First and foremost, we support the groups most in need—such as pregnant women and children. But I would also like to mention a country that we hear almost nothing about: the Central African Republic. Much of the population has been displaced due to armed violence, and many places lack even basic medical infrastructure. Our teams there carry out more than 800,000 treatments a year.
NOMOS Glashütte has been supporting Doctors Without Borders since 2012. How important are partnerships like this for international emergency aid?
Very important. Especially when they are based on mutual respect. This cooperation with NOMOS Glashütte enjoys enthusiastic support from both sides. When it comes to cooperating with businesses, it’s important for us at Doctors Without Borders to make sure we share certain principles and values. That is why we never accept donations from companies in certain industries. These include, for example, the arms industry or pharmaceuticals.
Let’s finish with a forecast: If you follow the news, there seems to be more crises than ever in the world; things are getting worse and worse. Does it seem that way to Doctors Without Borders? Or rather: Is it too late, in your opinion?
I could say we’re running out of time—but that’s a little too cliché for me. Overall, we have established that conflicts and crises around the world are not decreasing in number. A clear indication for that is the increasing number of refugees, which is higher than at any other point in history. At the same time, rich countries are closing their borders. Climate change is also contributing to crises for the inhabitants of poorer countries: Mozambique was struck by devastating tornadoes at the start of the year, for example. And in the region around Lake Chad and the Sahel, we are seeing malnutrition as a result of drought, which is also influenced by climate change. This is an area that will need more of our attention in the future.
Nomos Tangomat for Ärzte ohne Grenzen Deutschland Technical Specifications
CASE
- stainless steel, bipartite sapphire crystal glass back fixed with six screws
GLASS
- Sapphire crystal glass
WINDING
- automatic
DIMENSIONS
- diameter 38.3 mm
- height 8.3 mm
WATER RESISTANCE
- up to 3 atm (splash-proof)
DIAL
- galvanized, white silverplated
- Ärzte ohne Grenzen inscription at six o’clock,
- red 12
HANDS
- oxidized black
STRAP
- bracelet
- lug width 20 mm
REFERENCE
- 601.S13
LIMITED EDITION ENGRAVING
- Sondermodell Tangomat für Ärzte ohne Grenzen Deutschland 1/250
CALIBRE
- DUW 5001—in-house built NOMOS calibre with automatic winding
MOVEMENT HEIGHT
- 4.3 mm
DIAMETER
- 13 ¾ lines (31 mm)
POWER RESERVE
- up to 43 hours
SPECIAL QUALITIES
- NOMOS swing system
- tempered blue balance spring
- stop-seconds mechanism
- Glashütte stop work
- bidirectional winding rotor
- Glashütte three-quarter plate
- adjusted in six positions
- 26 jewels
- tempered blue screws
- rhodium-plated surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage
- ratchet and duplex wheel with Glashütte sunburst
