Introducing the Autodromo Intereuropa

Autodromo is back with a new watch that represents a significant first for the brand, while still staying very much in the wheelhouse of automotive-inspired design. When you look at the watches and accessories produced by Bradley Price’s brand over the past several years, it’s hard not to be impressed by the consistency in the design language – everything is at once recognizable as “Autodromo,” even though the watches span a range of styles and genres. The new watch, the Intereuropa, is no exception. Inspired by the alloy-bodied sport coupes of the 1950s, made by the likes of Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia, the Intereuropa is unmistakably on brand, and quite a thing to behold in its own right.

Autodromo Intereuropa

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Cream, gray, silver blue
• Dimensions: 39 x 10.3
• Crystal: Sapphire 
• Water Resistance: 50 meters 
• Crown: Push/pull  
• Movement: ETA 7001
• Strap/bracelet: Leather strap
• Price: $1250
• Reference Number: n/a
• Expected Release: November 1
  

  ---

Like the berlinettas that inspired the watch, the Intereuropa is all about sporty elegance, that ability for a car, in this case, to perform at the highest levels of competition but also be at home in more mundane motoring tasks. The vehicles from this period are beautiful and glamorous pieces of design that in a modern context seem almost impossible as hard-core race cars, but that’s the dichotomy that makes them interesting and worthwhile as a starting point for the design of the Intereuropa.

The Intereuropa is powered by a manually wound Swiss movement, the first Autodromo watch with this type of movement under the hood. It’s a natural choice, not just to keep the watch sleek and thin (it’s just over 10mm thick), but there’s a connection as well with the ritual of winding a watch every day to keep it going that’s not too far removed from the care and attention required of the classic cars the Intereuropa is based on. In terms of automotive-inspired aesthetic features, as is typical of Autodromo’s designs, they’re certainly there, but you’re not being hit over the head with them.

On the Intereuropa, the dial is inspired by gauges of classic berlinettas, but even if you’re not a car aficionado the choices made here can still be very easily appreciated – it’s just a great-looking presentation. It doesn’t scream “car watch!” like some watches we see, but instead looks like something a gentleman racer would actually wear, as opposed to just being modeled after a component of his vehicle. Sized at 39mm and with plenty of high polish on the case, I’d hesitate to call this a sports watch even though it’s clearly inspired by racing culture.

The Intereuropa will be available in three variants: cream, gray, and silver blue. The most prominent dial feature is an elevated outer ring made of K1 glass with Arabic numerals for the hours printed on both sides. This creates a unique sense of depth to the dial, and the use of glass gives it a more refined feeling than if more traditional materials had been used. Wire lugs have been laser welded to the case, and each watch comes with a handcrafted Saffiano leather strap, further cementing the theme of sporty elegance that runs through the piece.

The Intereuropa is a great looking watch, and will, I’m sure, be another hit for Price’s brand, which seems to be cranking out high-quality products at a quicker clip as the years go by. But stand back for a minute and really consider what Price has done with the Intereuropa: rather than creating a sports watch inspired by a much-beloved sporting culture, he’s made a dress watch that matches the elegance, style, and romance of a very particular period in the sport. That seems, to me, to be immeasurably more difficult, and speaks to the talent of the designer. Autodromo