Z
Zach Weiss
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When people discuss the great era’s of watch making, the 80’s don’t often come up. It was a time when quartz had leveled the industry, inexpensive pieces flooded in and digital was emerging. Nor do the 80’s come up when people speak of great style and fashion, plagued by fluorescent colors, padded shoulders and oddly baggy shirts. But when people discuss Rally car racing, it’s a different story altogether.
With Autodromo’s new line of watches they drew upon the distinctly 80’s era of rally car racing known as Group B. As Sean pointed out when we first announced the watches, Group B was a notoriously brutal and dangerous. Cars were light and had monstrous amounts of power. It was an era that fostered a lot of technological innovation in the sport, but resulted in too many accidents as well as a few deaths, ending after 4 years. Many consider it the “golden age” of rally car racing.
As with previous lines of Autodromo watches, the design found its inspiration in those beastly machines, drawing on their blunt, faceted chassis and neon, high-contrast dashes, but also on their spirit of innovation, pursuing a lighter build, mix of materials (steel and titanium) and springbar-free concept. But the watch design itself is obviously not a literal translation of a rally car, instead speaking to sport watches of the surrounding period, as well as the aesthetics of 80’s… but, done with a careful eye, avoiding the tackiness that pervaded the era.
What they ended up with is their boldest design to date. A watch that hints at Genta, has shocks of color, is exceptionally light and balanced and is truly unique in the current market. The Autodromo Group B comes in at $925, is powered by a Miyota 9015 automatic, features two custom nylon pass-through straps and a handmade aluminum box.
Autodromo Group B Review
Case: Steel + Titanium
Movement: Miyota 9015
Dial: Black w/ various colors
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire
Strap: 2 x Nylon
Water Res.: 50 m
Dimensions: 39 x 50 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Crown: 4.75 x 3mm
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $925
Case
Autodromo is a brand that puts a lot of attention on case design and finishing. It’s a theme through all of their watches that, to my eyes, has made their watches truly excel. The Group B is no different, and is perhaps their strongest offering in this regard to date, though perhaps the most divisive. The two most standout design features are the mix of steel and titanium elements and the pass-through lug design. The first grants the watch a light weight of 52g, some interesting, subtle shifts of color and speaks to the ingenuity of the Group B rally cars. Autodromo used the light weight metal to create a sort of capsule including the bezel, case back as well as the movement holder. It’s the latter detail that is perhaps the coolest as it’s functional rather than aesthetic.
The second creates an even simpler method of strap swapping, removes a potential breaking point (spring bars can pop out or snap under extreme circumstances) and continues the visual language of the design through out all case elements. The down side is that normal two-piece straps are not usable. It’s certainly a bold design decision that while potentially turning away some customers speaks to the concept and visually ties the watch together.
The case measures 39 x 50 (edge to edge) x 10.2mm (to the top of the sapphire), making it a thin and modestly sized watch. If you were to remove the crystal, the watch would be under 10mm, which is very thin. This was achieved through clever design, where the movement partially sits within the domed case back. The result is something light and lithe. The edge to edge length is on the long side for a 39mm diameter, but thanks to the faceted design, it wears smaller in that dimension. Overall, it’s a great compact size, which unto itself is a nice change of pace from a lot of what’s out there.
The design is striking, mixing a barrel shape with sharp facets and excellent finishing. From above, you have that classic barrel silhouette, with a flat top surface and a bezel mounted directly onto it, which cuts away with a steep angle to descend down the wrist, and create the slot for the straps. The finishing quality of the case is immediately apparent here. The top surface breaks into the angled side with a perfectly clean and sharp line. Both have continuous brushing running vertically (12 – 6). The titanium bezel is then brushed on its top surface as well, perfectly matching the mid-case below. The bezel is matte on the sides, creating a nice contrast of textures as well as bringing out some of that darker titanium gray color. On the bezel, there are tool grip marks, like what you’d typically find on a case-back, bringing another dimension of texture in and creating a technical aesthetic detail.
Continuing to look at the steel mid-case, the sides are brushed as well, and along all side edges, including on the underside, there is a polished bevel. This detail is particularly gorgeous, adding some classic elegance in the mix. In the light, that little glint from the edge highlights the form. The fact that the finishing runs on the underside speaks to the brand’s commitment to detailing. Even the flat portion on the underside of the strap-slots is brushed. You rarely see that kind of attention to detail.
On the right side is a small crown measuring about 4.75 x 3mm with a hexagonal design. It’s actually the same design that is found on the Prototipo, but shrunken down for the Group B case. It’s a nice design that definitely speaks to the Autodromo concept and aesthetic. It’s also nicely finished with rounded edges all around.
Flipping the watch over, the case back is made of matte titanium and is held down with 6 screws. As mentioned, the case back is a bowl shape and actually the tallest part of the case. Since it’s underneath, domed and partially obscured by the strap, you don’t realize that, which is a clever trick to further make the case look and feel thinner. The back is relatively plain, once again as it is largely obscured, but does contain various details about the watch in an elegant and small typeface around its perimeter and an Autodromo logo in its center.
The post Autodromo Group B Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.
When people discuss the great era’s of watch making, the 80’s don’t often come up. It was a time when quartz had leveled the industry, inexpensive pieces flooded in and digital was emerging. Nor do the 80’s come up when people speak of great style and fashion, plagued by fluorescent colors, padded shoulders and oddly baggy shirts. But when people discuss Rally car racing, it’s a different story altogether.
With Autodromo’s new line of watches they drew upon the distinctly 80’s era of rally car racing known as Group B. As Sean pointed out when we first announced the watches, Group B was a notoriously brutal and dangerous. Cars were light and had monstrous amounts of power. It was an era that fostered a lot of technological innovation in the sport, but resulted in too many accidents as well as a few deaths, ending after 4 years. Many consider it the “golden age” of rally car racing.
As with previous lines of Autodromo watches, the design found its inspiration in those beastly machines, drawing on their blunt, faceted chassis and neon, high-contrast dashes, but also on their spirit of innovation, pursuing a lighter build, mix of materials (steel and titanium) and springbar-free concept. But the watch design itself is obviously not a literal translation of a rally car, instead speaking to sport watches of the surrounding period, as well as the aesthetics of 80’s… but, done with a careful eye, avoiding the tackiness that pervaded the era.
What they ended up with is their boldest design to date. A watch that hints at Genta, has shocks of color, is exceptionally light and balanced and is truly unique in the current market. The Autodromo Group B comes in at $925, is powered by a Miyota 9015 automatic, features two custom nylon pass-through straps and a handmade aluminum box.
Autodromo Group B Review
Case: Steel + TitaniumMovement: Miyota 9015
Dial: Black w/ various colors
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire
Strap: 2 x Nylon
Water Res.: 50 m
Dimensions: 39 x 50 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Crown: 4.75 x 3mm
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $925
Case
Autodromo is a brand that puts a lot of attention on case design and finishing. It’s a theme through all of their watches that, to my eyes, has made their watches truly excel. The Group B is no different, and is perhaps their strongest offering in this regard to date, though perhaps the most divisive. The two most standout design features are the mix of steel and titanium elements and the pass-through lug design. The first grants the watch a light weight of 52g, some interesting, subtle shifts of color and speaks to the ingenuity of the Group B rally cars. Autodromo used the light weight metal to create a sort of capsule including the bezel, case back as well as the movement holder. It’s the latter detail that is perhaps the coolest as it’s functional rather than aesthetic.
The second creates an even simpler method of strap swapping, removes a potential breaking point (spring bars can pop out or snap under extreme circumstances) and continues the visual language of the design through out all case elements. The down side is that normal two-piece straps are not usable. It’s certainly a bold design decision that while potentially turning away some customers speaks to the concept and visually ties the watch together.
The case measures 39 x 50 (edge to edge) x 10.2mm (to the top of the sapphire), making it a thin and modestly sized watch. If you were to remove the crystal, the watch would be under 10mm, which is very thin. This was achieved through clever design, where the movement partially sits within the domed case back. The result is something light and lithe. The edge to edge length is on the long side for a 39mm diameter, but thanks to the faceted design, it wears smaller in that dimension. Overall, it’s a great compact size, which unto itself is a nice change of pace from a lot of what’s out there.
The design is striking, mixing a barrel shape with sharp facets and excellent finishing. From above, you have that classic barrel silhouette, with a flat top surface and a bezel mounted directly onto it, which cuts away with a steep angle to descend down the wrist, and create the slot for the straps. The finishing quality of the case is immediately apparent here. The top surface breaks into the angled side with a perfectly clean and sharp line. Both have continuous brushing running vertically (12 – 6). The titanium bezel is then brushed on its top surface as well, perfectly matching the mid-case below. The bezel is matte on the sides, creating a nice contrast of textures as well as bringing out some of that darker titanium gray color. On the bezel, there are tool grip marks, like what you’d typically find on a case-back, bringing another dimension of texture in and creating a technical aesthetic detail.
Continuing to look at the steel mid-case, the sides are brushed as well, and along all side edges, including on the underside, there is a polished bevel. This detail is particularly gorgeous, adding some classic elegance in the mix. In the light, that little glint from the edge highlights the form. The fact that the finishing runs on the underside speaks to the brand’s commitment to detailing. Even the flat portion on the underside of the strap-slots is brushed. You rarely see that kind of attention to detail.
On the right side is a small crown measuring about 4.75 x 3mm with a hexagonal design. It’s actually the same design that is found on the Prototipo, but shrunken down for the Group B case. It’s a nice design that definitely speaks to the Autodromo concept and aesthetic. It’s also nicely finished with rounded edges all around.
Flipping the watch over, the case back is made of matte titanium and is held down with 6 screws. As mentioned, the case back is a bowl shape and actually the tallest part of the case. Since it’s underneath, domed and partially obscured by the strap, you don’t realize that, which is a clever trick to further make the case look and feel thinner. The back is relatively plain, once again as it is largely obscured, but does contain various details about the watch in an elegant and small typeface around its perimeter and an Autodromo logo in its center.
The post Autodromo Group B Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.