As we speak, thousands of grown-ass men and women with either A) lots of money; B) an irrational love of wristwatches; or, most commonly, C) both, are gathering around booths at the Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland, to gawk hung-jawed at the newest creations from the world’s most prominent horologists.
We’re talking Baselworld, one of the world’s foremost celebrations of ostentation, excess and — occasionally — some really excellent-looking timepieces.
Like this one: the Autobahn Neomatik by NOMOS Glashütte, a snazzy high-end ticker inspired by vintage automotive dials.
The new watch (which was made in collaboration with furniture designer Werner Aisslinger) is both a reprisal and a departure for the German label. Like all of their collections, the Autobahn is an exercise in Wes Anderson-ian restraint, from the simple stainless-steel case to the woven nylon strap to the sans-serif lettering and dial indicators. But in adopting a racing theme reminscent of Autodromo or TAG Heuer’s iconic Monaco, the Autobahn has very much carved out its own identity under the NOMOS umbrella.
NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Neomatik (2 images)
So what, exactly, gives the watch its Le Mans-era pedigree?
Three features, primarily: a date window at six o’clock inspired by a classic odometer, a lumed (read: glow-in-the-dark) “track” from eight-to-four o’clock that resembles a speedometer, and a 60-second sub-dial (also at six) that recalls a vintage stopwatch. In aggregate, they kind of make you feel like you’re staring down at the instrument panel of a mid-century Porsche, which is a pretty cool effect for a wristwatch.
On the technical side, there’s much to love as well, like a 100m dive rating and the new DUW 6101 in-house movement, which features a nifty bidirectional date-setting function.
The watch comes in three equally handsome colorways, all of which will retail for $4,800. Learn more at NOMOS Glashütte.
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