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NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Watches: A Driver’s Must Have Timepiece

In collaboration with world-renowned designer Werner Aisslinger, NOMOS Glashütte has introduced a trio of stylish and reliable timepieces for dapper drivers. From the dial alone, it is clear how the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn has taken inspiration from motorcars. The dials of these NOMOS watches tastefully replicate the speedometer found on the dashboards of sports cars.

This trio of sophisticated driver’s watches from NOMOS Glashütte are equipped with the brand’s in-house DUW 6101 movement. These movements are enclosed in robust 41mm cases that are surprisingly slim. Equipped with luminous fields, the Autobahn watches are the perfect accessories for a lengthy nighttime drive.

Price List at a Glance: The Best NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Watches

How Much Does a NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Cost? 

All three timepieces in the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn family cost approximately $4,800 USD. These driver’s watches come in 41mm polished stainless steel cases, all of which are water-resistant up to depths of 100 meters. As mentioned above, ticking away inside these NOMOS Glashütte sports watches for men are the in-house DUW 6101 caliber movements. You can admire this automatic movement through the Autobahn’s bipartite domed sapphire crystal case back. 

The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date Ref. 1301 features a galvanized, white silver-plated dial. It comes with a white luminous semi-circular motif that has a gorgeous blue emission in the dark. The dial on this specific NOMOS watch features black printed Arabic numerals for hour markers and has a minute scale around its perimeter. The two hands of this sports watch are both rhodium-plated, with the hour hand filled with a luminous inlay in white. Meanwhile, the minute hand features an orange tip for a splash of color in this mostly monochrome watch. NOMOS watches in the Autobahn collection also feature a small seconds sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position. The Ref. 1301 comes with a neon orange hand for its sub-dial.

The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date Ref. 1302 on the other hand, features a vivid midnight blue dial. Similar to the Ref. 1301, this sports watch features a white luminous arch-shaped design with blue luminescence. The Arabic numeral hour markers come in white, as does the printed minute tracker around the rim of the dial. The rhodium-plated hour hand comes with a light-blue luminous fill, while the minute hand has a vibrant red tip. The small seconds sub-dial of this NOMOS watch also features a small red hand.

Last in this collection is the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date Ref. 1303. The dial of this Autobahn watch comes in stylish silver with bold blue luminous accents. Similar to the Ref. 1301, the Arabic numeral hour markers and minute tracker of this NOMOS watch come in black. Its hour hand has a bright orange luminous fill, while the minute hand features an orange tip. The hand on the small seconds sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position is also painted in a bright neon orange color.

All three sports watches in this collection feature an elongated date display window located at the six o’clock position, just below the small seconds sub-dial. Completing the overall sporty look of the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn is the blue-black woven textile strap. Not only will this material sit comfortably on your wrists during long drives, but they are also suitable for a lap around the pool.

NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn's History and Design Details

Known for its minimalist designs, NOMOS Glashütte called on the talents of Berlin-based furniture designer Werner Aisslinger, to create a new line of sports watches inspired by the beauty of vintage cars. First introduced at Baselworld 2018, the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn collection initially turned a few heads of longtime fans of the brand.

If the name Autobahn sounds familiar, it is because NOMOS named this collection after a massive highway system in Germany. This expressway is famous for its lack of a speed limit. From the name alone, it is obvious that the brand wants us to associate this collection with the long road ahead.

Some NOMOS purists fans have turned up their noses at the Autobahn because of its luminescent arch-shaped design below the 12 o’clock marker. Truthfully, the midnight-blue luminous display of this NOMOS watch is nothing more than a whimsical decor that tips the balance between form and function. Some might view it as a risky design choice since the brand has always been known to stick to the essence of timekeeping, but others have appreciated the diversity in design that the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn brings.

Nevertheless, the crescent-shaped design has proved itself to be the Autobahn collection’s most eye-catching feature. When taking a long-haul drive at night, the luminescent arch gives these Autobahn watches a certain look that’s reminiscent of speedometers found on the dashboards of vintage automobiles.

These automatic sports watches for men feature curved dials with convex, elongated windows as date display complications that cover three dates. NOMOS Autobahn watches are housed in 41mm cases on comfortable textile straps which are tailor-made in France, especially for the brand.

NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn models come in three color combinations. The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn ref. 1301 comes in white on silver. Meanwhile, the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn ref. 1302 features a white on blue dial. Lastly, the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn ref. 1303 has a blue on gray color palette. 

Reasons to Buy NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Watches

1. One of the key features of the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn is the brand’s thin automatic in-house movement. The DUW 6101 is a relatively slim movement that measures only 3.6mm in height and 35.2 mm in diameter. This in-house caliber features a quickset date complication which can easily be adjusted back and forth. It also has a substantial power reserve of up to 42 hours.

2. The speedometer-like design of the watches in this collection is the brainchild of furniture designer Werner Aisslinger. This award-winning German designer wanted to create a new archetype for sports watches and thus, the NOMOS Autobahn was born.

3. With that in mind, the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn offers an incredibly unique design that’s unmatched by other timepieces. It has that iconic Bauhaus-style look that NOMOS is famous for but also brings something new to the table with its race car dashboard motif. 

4. All three timepieces in this collection of NOMOS watches have water resistance capacities of up to 100 meters. As such, these luminescent sports watches are not just perfect for nighttime drives but also for a swim in the waves.

5. The NOMOS Autobahn is incredibly legible. It has a clean, uncluttered dial that makes it incredibly legible in the daytime. In addition, the generously applied luminous material in the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn also makes it fairly easy to read in dimly lit circumstances.

The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Collection: Form and Function in One

Even at first glance, it’s clear that the NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn is not your typical timepiece from the brand. The DUW 6101 caliber used by this watch is one step ahead of its predecessor thanks to the addition of a quick-set date function. The elongated date display window on the dial is something we have not seen from Nomos Glashütte before. 

Moreover, unlike other timepieces from the brand, Autobahn watches don’t have clean, ultra-minimalistic dials. Instead, these sports watches have bold and eye-catching designs. The block arch-like design across the dial is enough to make clear that the NOMOS Autobahn is not just your usual driving watch. However, despite the extra flourish that Autobahn watches possess, they don’t take away from the essential purpose of a good timepiece — telling the time.