Nomos Autobahn Is A More Understated Take On The Driver’s Watch

Most driver’s watches we come across are festooned with automakers’ logos, carbon-fiber trim, perforated leather or Alcantara straps… that sort of stuff. They’re also often chronographs, with tachymetric scales around their bezels. Not the Nomos Autobahn, though.

The latest release from Nomos Glashütte, the Autobahn draws its name from the German highway network. And aesthetically, it sits closer to the brand’s typical Bauhaus-styled timepieces than the car-themed watches you’d expect to see from the likes of TAG Heuer or Richard Mille.

Stemming from a collaboration with German furniture designer Werner Aisslinger, the only nod towards its automotive leanings that we can discern from its design is the semi-circle of raised luminous appliqués that subtly recall the instruments on classic sports cars. But overall, it’s even more understated than the watches we’ve seen even from, say, Autodromo, a brand of automotive watches (and other accessories) that tends to keep its designs pretty clean and uncluttered.

At 41 mm, the case is on the larger side, and houses Nomos’ own Neomatik Caliber DUW 6101 in-house manufacture automatic movement. Aside from those raised accents, the face features a separate seconds sub-dial and triple-date window (ostensibly indicating the past, present, and future). It’s water-resistant to 100 meters and offers 42 hours of power reserve. It comes with a woven textile strap, and is offered in three colorways – white on white, white with blue, and blue with white – for $4,800.

With its Teutonically understated approach, it’s bound to find more fans among Audi and Porsche enthusiasts than, say, Lamborghini and McLaren aficionados. Just don’t expect to be measuring lap times or trap speeds with it.