This Automotive-Inspired Watch Will Pair with Anything in Your Wardrobe

The NOMOS Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date is inspired by classic automobiles, but you need not be a “petrolhead” in order to enjoy it.

Published October 21, 2021

Updated December 13, 2023

Brand: NOMOS Glashütte
Product: Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date Midnight Blue
Price: $4,800
From: nomos-glashuette.com

In most cases, products that attempt to elicit feelings of sitting behind the wheel of a classically designed automobile fall short in doing so. Fortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to the NOMOS Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date. One glance at the watch’s Midnight Blue dial is enough to send visions of rapidly rising speedometers and tachymeters through your head. At this point, you’d be forgiven for thinking this watch was solely an homage to the automobile — but you’d be wrong. We spent a week with the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date, and can say with certainty that it’s so much more.

From the Brand

“The moon and stars are shining, as are the streetlights — and the superluminova on this watch. The elongated date window and the flowing curve of the dial are entirely new. The color of this Autobahn watch is obvious: midnight blue. Can a wristwatch give you confidence? It certainly can.”

What We Like

NOMOS is known for crafting watches with a distinctive Bauhaus style, and this defining characteristic is something we adore. Like the other NOMOS watches we’ve spent time with, the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date exhibits incredible attention to detail, considered construction and functionality as well as a handful of unique touches that make it undeniably NOMOS.

You’d be hard-pressed not to immediately notice the sweeping superluminova semicircle inset from the indices. In subdued lighting, it glows a bright blue hue — allowing the time to be read quite easily between the hours of 8 PM and 4 AM (when you most likely have less available light to read your watch.

In addition to the superluminova, the expanded date window is a dial accent that sets the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date apart. Not only is it unique in that it displays both the calendar date and the days that follow and precede it, but it’s also much further to the outside of the dial, in comparison to other watches. NOMOS attributes this to the new construction of the Neomatik calibre that the watch runs on (an in-house DUW 6101 automatic with a 42-hour power reserve). Our tester found it easiest to set the expanded date window with the current date in the center position, but also noted that one could easily set it as left-justified or right-justified if that suited their preferences.

But it’s not just what’s on the dial that’s worthy of mention. The dial itself also warrants examination. As it reaches the case at the edges, the dial slopes upward gently. It calls to mind enamel gauge clusters of classic British sports cars, and also adds depth and dimension to the face of the watch. It’s enjoyable to look at as you glance down to check the time, and also showcases NOMOS’s ability to execute unique and intricate designs with its dials.

The automotive influence also extends to the second and minute hands, where a racing-inspired red color dots the tip of the minute hand and covers the entirety of the sub-seconds hand (this red is also echoed in the “neomatik” splashed under the manufacture’s nameplate).

We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the strap the Autobahn comes on. Where many manufactures pay little attention to the arena, NOMOS extends its design expertise and attention to detail to the textile strap. It’s made exclusively for NOMOS in France, and is supremely comfortable.

Who It’s For

Though the watch is inspired by the world of classic automobiles, you need not be a “petrolhead” to enjoy it. Like each of NOMOS’s other timepieces, the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date is understated and elegant. It pairs with cuffed denim, a t-shit and sneakers as well as it does with a sleek grey suit and shell cordovan oxfords. And therein lies its beauty — it could well be the perfect watch for 2021 and beyond, where versatility and flexibility are paramount.

Verdict

NOMOS posits that the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date can inspire confidence, and we’d have to agree. There is a certain air that comes with knowing you have a timepiece on your wrist that’s so unique. In testing, we got more than a few comments from curious onlookers in the vein of “What kind of watch is that?” It’s a great feeling, and one that alone justifies the watch’s price tag. But beyond anything else, the key takeaway with the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date is that it’s incredibly refined, and could find a home on the wrist of anyone who appreciates design and attention to detail.

Price: $4,800

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