Last year, Autodromo re-released one of the coolest, most individual racing-inspired watches on the market, the Group B. It’s sharp lines and hard, muscular silhouette were directly inspired by the rally cars of the 80s, the kind that were designed to survive through anything. It made a nice change from the usual raft of F1 watches and now we have a new, even more brutal edition: the Group B Series 2 Windup Edition.

Autodromo has partnered with boutique watch shop Windup to give the cult design a bold new look. Because it wasn’t bold enough already, apparently. Monochrome is the name of the game here, with the 39.5mm case coated in titanium PVD giving the steel a uniform grey. The colour is matched by the dial, enhancing the no-nonsense, built for purpose look of the Group B.

That grey is alleviated by the hands and indexes in the kind of colour you’d likely expect to see on a Nomos Glashutte, namely an electric blue. It’s a lovely but not too striking contrast further differentiating the Autodromo from other racing-inspired timepieces.

Inside you have a reliable Miyota movement, the calibre 9105. There’s not much top say about the movement other than, like the rally cars it takes after, it’ll keep getting the job done, year after year.

The finishing touch is a particularly well-made bracelet. The original Group B, back in the misty days of yore, only allowed a single-piece strap. The 2018 update changed things to allow two-piece straps and this slatted bracelet. The large links feel great on the wrist, not to mention promoting the watch’s innate muscular silhouette.

This is certainly one of the most off-kilter boutique-only launches we’ve seen recently but that’s no bad thing. At the very least, this is one to remember.

Price & Specs:

Model Name: Autodromo Group B Series 2 Windup Edition Case: 39.5mm diameter x 50mm height x 9.9mm thickness (with 20mm lugs), Steel and Titanium

Dial: Matte Gray Movement: Miyota 9015

Water Resistance: 50m

Strap: Steel bracelet + ADPT Nylon Mil-Strap Price: $975, limited to 145 pieces



For more information visit Autodromo’s website.