NOMOS Glashütte “Autobahn” Neomatik Watch
Switzerland’s TAG Heuer isn’t the only luxury watch company with a love of vintage motorsports. NOMOS Glashütte of Germany has also gotten in on the game with releases like the striking Autobahn Neomatik.
Created in collaboration with renowned Berlin-based interior designer Werner Aisslinger, the Autobahn watch is inspired by classic sports cars, featuring an eye-catching dial that curves gently upward along its outer edge, à la the outside lane of a racetrack.
The sub-seconds dial below the main hands similarly curves downward except in miniature, and the three-day date window itself dips down below that, altogether creating a great deal of visual depth despite the watch’s slender 41mm-thin case.
The Autobahn is powered by an in-house automatic movement with a power reserve of up to 42 hours, and they designed it to have water resistance up to 100 meters, making it nicely suited for swimming with.
Also on the dial is a ring of large superluminova fields that, when paired with the equally luminous hour hand, will not only allow you to tell the time at night, but also gives the watch a speedometer-like appearance:
Why is this watch called Autobahn? — It’s dashing, sporty, a powerful machine—without being brash or loud. Autobahn reminds me of a vintage sports car. There are definitely more contemporary modes of transport, but old automobiles, their form and finishing, fascinate me.—Werner Aisslinger, designer
As far as I’m concerned, the Nomos Autobahn is German engineering personified, and it comes in three beautiful colorways: