The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn was released in 2018 and it is the most dynamic design from NOMOS Glashütte to date. This minimalist watch has officially joined the top echelons of the international design world by winning the Gold “Excellence in international design” at the 2019 German Design Awards —despite some less than stellar hands-on reviews by some of our competitors. The GDA is presided by the German Design Council, founded as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament in 1953. Since then, it is the leading authority on branding and design in Germany.

The dashing timepiece is the product of a collaboration with internationally renowned product and interior designers Tina Bunyaprasit and Werner Aisslinger —Vitra, Loftcube and Juli Chair. Their goal was to attract new customers to NOMOS Glashütte with a bold yet playful design. Both the name, which was originally the working title, and the distinctive dial convey the underlying concept: a powerful watch with the full-bodied curves of analog gauges in classic cars. Inspired by mid-century modern design and still firmly planted in the here-and-now, Autobahn builds a bridge between past and present, while still appealing to design enthusiasts far beyond the world of automobiles.

NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn is available in three dial versions that include a white silver-plated, a sports grey and a midnight blue. All three watches feature a wide superluminova arc on a deeply curved dial. The movement inside is the Neomatik Date calibre DUW 6101, the latest in-house movement from NOMOS Glashütte. The date ring is masterfully positioned at the outer edge of this calibre to create a highly individual date display with a trio of dates: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Another practical and innovative feature is the quick-set date, which is easy to adjust in both directions with the crown. An elegant and extra-durable textile strap completes the design. Werner Aisslinger and Judith Borowski, NOMOS CBO, both agree that the Autobahn is ‘a watch with enough horsepower to become a classic.’ Though still young, the GDA is already Autobahn’s second award, after having received the Red Dot in April. For NOMOS Glashütte, it will join a growing list of accolades that the manufacturer has won for its outstanding design, value, and quality—all told, it will be number 150.

Sticker Price $4,800 USD. For more info on NOMOS Glashütte click here.