How’d they do it? No short cuts, just very careful engineering, and careful decision-making. For instance, caliber DUW 3001 is unusual in that almost all the components are below the ¾ plate – often, self-winding movements have the automatic winding train on a separate bridge, above the level of the main gear train. In DUW 3001, everything is on the same level, under the top plate, which means working in a space with only one millimeter of clearance. Theodore Prenzel, the deputy head of the NOMOS research and development division, has this to say:

“Almost all of the caliber parts were inserted between the base plate and the three-quarter plate. For this reason, the ratchet wheel had to be 50 percent flatter than usual; after all, the construction space between the base plate and the three-quarter plate is on average only 1 millimeter high. It is in this space where almost all the parts, which in other calibers are built up as modules, have to be accommodated . . . the NOMOS swing system has helped us in this caliber as well, ensuring the best accuracy.”