Nomos Autobahn Review & Comparison

Fast-moving watches for the most dapper of drivers.

Today we'll be reviewing a sporty watch known as the Nomos Glashutte Autobahn Neomatik 41mm.  Nomos has become a rising star in the world of horology. This very young yet very talented watchmaker hails from Glashutte in the Saxon region of Germany and is neighbors with some very high-end watchmakers such as A. Lange & Sohne.

 Nomos Autobahn Review

NOMOS made their mark through their ingenuity, innovation, and bringing in-house movements to the masses. Their distinct minimalist watches are reflections of Bauhaus; one of the most influential design schools in the 20th century.

What makes the Autobahn different from almost every other NOMOS watch is its uncharacteristically motorsports-inspired dial which clearly replicates the dashboard speedometer of a sports car thanks to the bold and thick luminescent striping that goes two-thirds of the way around the dial. The dial is more happening than just about any other NOMOS watch but without getting too cluttered. 

This particular model featured here is the 1303 Sports Gray model which has a white dial that shows a blue stripe for the hour markers between 8 and 4. A slightly recessed small seconds sub-dial is located just above the 6 o'clock position where you'll find an extra-wide date window. This sub-dial uses a slender orange hand and has this finely printed seconds track with the number 60 at the top of the sub-dial.

As with most nomos watches the dial uses a thin and minimalist sans-serif font for the hour markers 2,4,8,10 & 12 in a large font and has more Roman numerals in a matching but smaller sized font at each of the five-minute intervals of the minute's track.

Unlike many NOMOS watches which have two versions of each model, one with a solid case back and one with a transparent sapphire crystal case back, this one only has the sapphire case back option which means you and your watch's movement will be seeing a lot of each other.

The main central hands are made of steel. The central hour hand is filled-in with orange and the central minute's hand is pure steel with just a splash of the same orange hue at the tip.

All aesthetics aside, let's roll up our sleeves and discuss what's "under the hood", shall we?

Enter the DUW 6101 caliber also known as the NOMOS automatic caliber Neomatik Date; a next-generation Neomatik (a Nomos automatic watch that uses their in-house escapement equipped with the revolutionary NOMOS Swing System). What makes the DUW 6101 different than its predecessor is the addition of the date function.

This is a remarkable mechanical movement that is surprisingly thin at only 3.6mm yet uncharacteristically accurate for a movement with such a slim profile. The DUW6101 is a 27 jewel self-winding movement that has some fine finishing including Glashutte-style ribbing and a circular brush decoration known as NOMOS "perlage".

Pink rubies and tempered blue screws grace the extremities of the bridge and 3/4 plate and are one of the signature looks of watches made in Glashütte Germany and you can expect to see them in a NOMOS movement too.

The weighted rotor is slightly skeletonized to show what lies beneath it and has the words "NOMOS GLASHÜTTE DEUTSCHE UHRENWERKE" in raised gold lettering along the edge of the rotor. On the three-quarter plate, the caliber name "DUW 6101" along with the words "27 Rubine" and "Made in Germany" are engraved with a gold filling.

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Summary:

Overall, this is a thin and lightweight sporty watch that has a great in-house movement with impressive mechanical features. This is one of the things that give a NOMOS watch like the Autobahn Neomatik a lot of its value. It's rare when you get a watch that is this well made at this price-point.

Compare the available models of the NOMOS Autobahn below:

Brand:	Nomos Glashutte	Nomos Glashutte	Nomos Glashutte
Series:	Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date	Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date	Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date
Model #:	1301	1302	1303
Size:	Men's	Men's	Men's
Case Material:	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel
Dial Color:	White	Blue	White
Bracelet/Strap:	Fabric	Fabric	Fabric
Clasp Type:	Tang Buckle	Tang Buckle	Tang Buckle
Movement:	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic
Crystal:	Scratch Resistant Sapphire	Scratch Resistant Sapphire	Scratch Resistant Sapphire
Case Back:	Transparent	Transparent	Transparent
Water Resistance:	100m/330ft	100m/330ft	100m/330ft
Case Diameter:	41mm	41mm	41mm
Case Thickness:	10.5mm	10.5mm	10.5mm
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