NOMOS Glashütte’s First Special Edition Ludwig Models Raise Funds for Doctors Without Borders

Since 2012, NOMOS Glashütte has produced a series of limited-edition timepieces to support the critical work of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. and frankly, it has been one of the watch industry’s most effective charity collaborations, with over €1.3 million having gone directly to the organization’s efforts to date.

Now, the recently debuted Ludwig neomatik Doctors Without Borders limited editions not only tighten the brand’s charitable focus by partnering specifically with the German arm of the organization, Ärzte ohne Grenzen, but they are also the brand’s first-ever special editions for the dressy yet sporty Ludwig neomatik collection.

In addition to being the first special edition Ludwig neomatik, the brand hopes to raise €125,000 for the organization with these new Ärzte ohne Grenzen models.

“Larger sums that are not tied to a specific purpose make our work easier to plan and also enable us to help in crisis areas that are not widely reported in the media,” said Christian Katzer, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders Germany, in a release about the effort.
 

He continued: “€125,000 could help provide therapeutic food to treat 4,460 acutely malnourished children, for example, in northern Nigeria and Sudan, where we provide vital emergency aid in response to severe nutritional crises.”

With a fundraising goal and its potential critical impact so inextricably entwined, what better opportunity to wear your heart on your sleeve?

Available in two sizes – 36.4mm and 38.5mm – these steel-encased special edition Ludwig neomatik models both feature stylish nods to the urgency of the organization’s work with a red “XII” hour marker (which is the hallmark of NOMOS’ Doctors Without Borders special editions) on a white-enamel dial and a subtle inscription at 6 o’clock that reads “Ärzte ohne Grenzen.”
 

Other than those subtle changes, you can expect all the appeal of the popular Ludwig neomatik, from the ultra-thin in-house automatic caliber DUW 3001 movement with 43-hour power reserve to 5 ATM of water resistance to the elegant, subdued lug and crown executions.
 

But, I mean, that dial, right? The white-enamel dial surface creates an almost cloud-like canvas for the vibrant red of the 12 o’clock marker. Moreover, the clean and refined, Bauhaus-inspired details we expect from NOMOS Glashütte complement the white and red beautifully.
 

More specifically, these special editions feature a mix of simple bar and elegant Roman hour indices, have the brand’s signature small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, and include a small Arabic outer minute ring for more precise minute tallying. Oh, and did we mention the exquisite 7mm thinness?
 

It’s a full-on NOMOS Ludwig neomatik but with a much more profound purpose than simple wrist decoration or even time-telling.