I wanted to get a closer look at the new Autobahn Director’s Cut A3 limited edition to 175 pieces. It was made for the celebration of 175 years of watchmaking in Glashütte. With its silvery white dial and bold orange accents, the A3 immediately spoke to me. Orange is by far my favourite colour. Thanks to Nomos, I was able to get the watch for a closer look for a few days. And boy did I enjoy that. So let’s dig right into it!
Nomos’ brushed sport steel bracelet
The A3, as all of the Nomos Autobahn models, is made of a completely polished 41 mm diameter stainless steel case. The subtle height is 10.5mm and comes on a stainless steel ‘driver’ bracelet. With its two big holes on either side of the pre bent half of the bracelet, it allows for comfortable ventilation, as well as hugging the wrist perfectly.
The other half of the bracelet is Nomos’ brushed sports steel bracelet. It has 4 mm long links and therefore allows for a genuinely perfect sizing to one’s wrist. Furthermore, due to the small increments the underside of the bracelet also fits perfectly around the wrist. The folding clasp has a very satisfying closure and remains rather flat, so that it doesn’t bother you during wear.
Inspired by motorsport
While the design of the bracelet of the Nomos Autobahn Director’s Cut Limited Edition A3 is polarising, I personally really enjoy it as it fits perfectly into the theme of motorsport related watches, which the Autobahn truly is. Werner Assigner designed the bracelet from an inspiration of a vintage Breitling he owns, which features a similar bracelet style. Modern watches rarely feature such bracelets, so these have become a rare sight.
Slim bezel
The case is water resistant to 100 m, making it an everyday watch that won’t mind a dip in the water. By keeping the bezel extremely slim, the face of the watch looks very open and large. This further accentuates the beautiful curvature of the dial, as well as the sub dial for the small seconds indicator.
The non screw down crown has a conical shape to it. That adds that little extra design touch, while still being very grippy and easy to use. The date indicator is placed at six and shows three dates. You always have to remember that the middle one is the current date, which I found to be no issue at all.
Dial of the Nomos Autobahn Director’s Cut Limited Edition A3
Furthermore, the dial sports eight circular blocks that span from eight o’clock to four o’clock and are another reminiscent design feature of dashboard clocks found in cars. While they don’t fulfil any purpose (a genuine rarity for Nomos, which is a brand which has Bauhaus as their core ideal), they look extremely good and glow in the dark.
To contrast the vibrant orange, Werner Aisslinger opted for a light blue colour for the hands, small seconds and hour hand are fully covered, while for the minute hand only the tip was coloured, which also glow in the dark for easy readability.
Movement
The movement (visible through the exhibition caseback) powering the watch is Nomos in-house designed and produced caliber 6101, which is a culmination of all of the brand’s watchmaking advances and is regulated to a Chronometer standard (not certified though). With a height of just 3.6 mm for this automatic winding movement with 42 h of power reserve, it allowed the curved dial enough space to realise Werner Aisslinger’s design idea while still maintaining a proper height of the overall watch.
Unusual
So what do I conclude for my review of the Nomos Glashütte Autobahn Director’s Cut Limited Edition A3? This watch is something unusual. The whole Autobahn collection is. Especially when looking at the Bauhaus inspired design of the brand in the rest of their collection. Do I dislike it that they changed the design and went for something different? Hell no! I love it! It shows the brands versatility and ability to implement other design ideas while maintaining their watchmaking core.
Refreshing
To me the Autobahn collection as a whole is a refreshing addition to the brand’s well perceived collection. Nomos shows how well the work with an external designer can be. Furthermore, making a completely different bracelet is what makes me love the Director’s Cut even more. This shows that we Germans are certainly able to have some fun – as long as it doesn’t get too much ;-). Overall I can certainly say that I would love to see the Autobahn Director’s Cut A3 in my collection. Unfortunately it was sold out immediately after its launch.
