Nodus and The Smoking Tire’s Matt Farah Team Up for a Bold, Driving Inspired LE

Automotive inspired watches come in many different forms. There are watches that draw attention to aesthetic similarities between well understood components of cars and watches (dials that look like gauges on a dashboard, or even putting an automaker’s badge on the dial). And then there are watches that are, ostensibly, meant to be thought of as tools for motorsport – chronographs with tachymeter scales and the like. But there’s another category – the one I tend to prefer – that takes a more abstract approach. These are watches that are imbued with the feeling of driving in their design. Autodromo, of course, are masters at this. Their watches capture a driving aesthetic that doesn’t simply port over elements of vehicle design into a watch, and they use color and texture to evoke specific aspects of driving culture. The latest from Nodus, their second collaboration with automotive personality Matt Farah, is very much in that vein.

The new Nodus Canyon in Sunset Orange follows the successful launch of the Mint colorway of the same watch last year (it sold out immediately to Farah’s Patreon subscribers). The watch, designed by Farah, is conceived as an everyday sports watch, with a 41mm stainless steel case that measures 11.5mm tall and 47mm from lug to lug. To look at the watch, you would not immediately clock it as automotive inspired, but it’s filled with subtle and personal details from Farah’s long history in the automotive world that will make it rewarding for his fans, or for watch collectors who also share an interest in car culture. Beyond that, it’s also just a very nicely executed sports watch with a cool orange dial. 

There are many small details within the Canyon’s design that nod to car culture. The hour and minute hands, for instance, have a faceted design with brushed and polished surfaces that is meant to evoke the angular designs of contemporary supercars. The seconds hand, in what is the most overtly car inspired design decision, is modeled after tachometer needles in classic sports cars. 

If you look closely at the dial, you’ll notice a very subtle gradient in the minute track at the dial’s perimeter from 0-15, which is a reference to the redline of a tachometer scale. The crown has a knurling pattern inspired by a “tire grip” aesthetic, according to Nomos, and the bronze colored cap on the crown (which is actually a PVD coating) is a tribute to cars in Farah’s personal collection, many of which feature bronze colored wheels.

The themes of the watch really come together, though, when you flip it over and see the engraving representing Farah’s favorite driving routes along Angeles Crest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon Road. The canyons of Angeles Crest are a driving route like no other, and the bright orange, sunset inspired dial color just makes a ton of sense.

The Canyon runs on the Swiss made La Joux-Perret Cal. G101 movement, which features a power reserve of 68 hours. It’s mounted to a five-link bracelet that tapers from 20mm to 16mm at the NodeX Clasp, a proprietary Nodus design that allows for easy micro-adjustments on the fly. The retail price for the Canyon in Sunset Orange is $1,199. More information is available here.