When did Nomos sales take off?

MR. AHRENDT: It happened bit by bit, but the strongest growth was really in the last three or four years. We invested a lot in technological independence. In 2014, we presented the Swing System to the public, although by then we had already built it into 10,000 watches. Nobody noticed, which was a good sign. We knew that what we had developed over many years also functioned well. We couldn’t have grown if we hadn’t done that. Now, we make about two-thirds of our own Swing Systems.

How would you describe Nomos’s

design?

MR. AHRENDT: We are very restrained. We are simple. We are sophisticated. We build watches for people who can read and write. For people who are more self-confident. We were always true to this design philosophy. We didn’t follow every trend. We didn’t overdo it with prices.

MS. BOROWSKI: We fight for the best result until we can’t do it any better. We have a special ambition to do things right and perhaps not such an ambition to become rich. We have more fun. The customer picks that up, at least we hope so. We also have the good fortune that most of the watch industry is a bit more conservative, and perhaps not as contemporary. We are a bit younger and more affordable for people in their mid-30s who have a decent job.

Why would the smartphone generation buy mechanical watches?

MS. BOROWSKI: It’s exactly because of the contrast with all these devices that are constantly beeping and sometimes getting on our nerves. People are longing today for something that they can understand and doesn’t become outmoded so quickly. Even if it’s complicated, it’s something you can grasp, and also something you can repair and not trade in after three years. It’s something that can accompany us throughout our lives, that can become part of us.