Introducing: The NOMOS Tetra Symphony Collection, An Homage To Ludwig Van Beethoven

February 21, 2020

The NOMOS Glashtte Tetra collection is one which I have always felt deserved more attention. It's not the first NOMOS collection on everyone's lips, but the watches make an impression in person which is out of all proportion to both their physical dimensions, and to their footprint in the enthusiast world. I had personally never given the Tetra watches much thought until getting a chance to work with a couple of models back in 2016, and I was really astonished at how convincing they were in person.? NOMOS has just announced a new four-watch Tetra collection, which is an homage to Ludwig Van Beethoven, so the company says. The four watches have names associated with various works by Beethoven C especially the Ninth Symphony, whose last movement is the famous "Ode To Joy" with lyrics from Friedrich Schiller's poem, penned in 1808 (the Symphony was completed in 1824).? The Tetra Divine Spark. The four models are the Divine Spark, Ode To Joy, Immortal Beloved, and the Fidelio C dials are copper, olive green, turquoise, and dark blue respectively. Divine Spark is an English translation of the German "Gotterfunken" which appears in the Ode To Joy ("Freude, schoner Gotterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium ... " etc.). Ode To Joy is self-explanatory. Immortal Beloved refers to an enigmatic letter which Beethoven apparently wrote in Leipzig on the 6th and 7th of July, 1812 (a fraught year; it was the year Napoleon's Grande Arme invaded Russia).? The famous portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. The letter was a love letter, ten pages long, and it was addressed to his "Immortal Beloved." Beethoven never sent the letter, and today there is still considerable speculation as to whom the intended recipient might have been. Fidelio is, of course, the name of Beethoven's only opera (I just discovered that the original title was supposed to have been Leonore, Or The Triumph Of Marital Love, and you gotta admit that Fidelio has a bit more punch) which was first performed in 1805. These four moments from the composer's career represent some of his most famous work, as well as one of the most significant mysteries in his biography. The Immortal Beloved letter was even the inspiration for a film of the same name, in 1994, which starred Gary Oldman as the composer and in which Beethoven's secretary attempts, after the composer's death, to establish the identity of the intended recipient. The Tetra Fidelio. The movement in each watch is the NOMOS Alpha caliber, which is a 10?? round movement that comes in at a quite flat 2.6mm (the movement is based on the Peseux/ETA 7001).? Initial Thoughts As I've already mentioned, I find the Tetras, in general, very convincing in person. While they've been, since 2016, somewhat eclipsed by other introductions from NOMOS, I think they continue to offer a quite fantastic value for anyone looking for a really elegant, mid-20th-century-vibe watch that also has a strong contemporary presence, and which comes from a brand that continues to be an important part of the modern fine watchmaking landscape (and which through some miracle has managed to continue to do business without being acquired by one of the major luxury groups).? The Tetra Ode To Joy. An obvious question with this collection is, "How much do they actually have to do with Beethoven," and, hard upon its heels, "How much does it really matter?" I don't see anything specifically Beethoven-centric about the designs C I mean, sure, the Immortal Beloved is certainly a shade of blue which, against the glow of the gold hands, might be thought to evoke the melancholy of a lovelorn genius contemplating a confession of impossible love in a world torn by war. But you don't need that association to enjoy the watch as a watch, and I daresay anyone who likes the watch on its own merits will find it just as attractive, with or without the shade of Beethoven hovering in the background.? The Tetra Immortal Beloved. The connection with the composer is, rather, a more general one: This is the year of his 250th birthday, and, of course, there's the whole made-in-Germany thing. However, the watches seem to me to stand more on their (considerable) merits as watches. I think it's actually one of the virtues of the collection that it leaves connecting the dots between the designs, and the events of the composer's life, somewhat to the imagination. You can easily end up with something very obvious and uninteresting by hitting the connection too hard, which NOMOS has managed to avoid. The four colorways look like a very attractive update to the Tetra line and also offer a further expansion of the more pastel palette in the collection C and at an extremely attractive price for a watch with an interesting movement and distinctive, characterful design; they start at $2,080. And hey, if you do happen to look down at the Immortal Beloved, and immediately envision a wild-eyed Beethoven looking hopelessly out a window at nothing, on a long-ago July day in a war-torn Europe, so much the better. Buy one for your one true love who will never love you back today. The Basics Brand: NOMOS GlashtteModel: Symphony CollectionCase width: 29.5mm x 29.5mmThickness: 6.5mmCase Material: stainless steelDial Color: varies with modelWater Resistance: 3 atmospheres/30 metersStrap/Bracelet: velour leather, 18mm lug width The Movement Caliber: NOMOS Alpha caliberFunctions: Hours, minutes, small secondsDiameter: 10??Thickness: 2.6mm Power Reserve: 43 hoursWinding: manualJewels: 17Chronometer Certified: no; however, adjusted internally by NOMOS to six positions Pricing & Availability Price: $2,080Availability: available nowSee the whole collection, right here.