The Autodromo Group B Welcomes All-New Rallysport Chronograph

The Autodromo Group B is something of a modern legend around here. It’s a watch that works on every level, from concept to execution, and it remains one of the most compelling micro-brand/small independent offerings even now, 8 years after its initial release (particularly in Night Stage form, if you ask me). The Group B has always been a time-only three-hander, but that changes this week with the introduction of a new kind of Group B, a manually wound chronograph kind of Group B. Released in a range of five unique colorways exclusively through the Hodinkee Shop, the new watches are as bright and vivacious as the cars that inspired them. 

The Group B takes inspiration, and indeed its name, from the short lived racing series from the ‘80s, which birthed some of the all-time great racing cars and their homologated road cars. The new Group B Chronograph watches reflect details and colors seen in and on the cars of that era, bringing bright hits of primary colors to the dials and hands that feel authentic to the subject matter without betraying anything too specific. Because of that, these watches should land pretty well even for folks unfamiliar with, or uninterested in, the racing tie in. There’s even a Hodinkee specific colorway, the H01, that applies subtle shades of green for a more subdued look.

One of the many things that make time-only Group B so great are its impeccable dimensions. The 39mm titanium and steel case measures 39mm in diameter, and a scant 9mm in thickness. When paired with the flat link (kinda sorta) integrated bracelet it presented beautifully on the wrist. The inclusion of a chronograph in these latest renditions changes that, as you might have suspected, but not by much. The Group B Chronograph measures 40mm in diameter, and has grown to 13.4mm in thickness, all incredibly impressive numbers for a watch using a Sellita chronograph and a price under $1,500. 

Perhaps the most unique element of the Group B Chronograph is the design of the dial. The sub-dials are set within a carved out section of the lower portion of the dial, taking on the look of an old-school dashboard layout. That section of the dial is presented in contrasting tones to the upper portion of the dial, and creates some of the more compelling design choices within the colorways. There’s more than a hint of the famous Seiko Giugiaro chronograph here, and that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. One thing to point out, the hand design has been changed from the existing Group B, and no longer features the large overhang of the counterweight, so you won’t be seeing multiple hour hands here.

Inside, Autodromo is using the Sellita SW 510 M B movement, a manually wound chronograph with 63 hours of reserve. We’ve seen this movement used with increasing frequency across the realm of micro-brands from brands like Farer and Nivada Grenchen, to Massena LAB and Hanhart. It’s proven to be a great base and certainly keeps the wearability in check, and Autodromo has managed to price it on the lower end of what we’ve seen, at $1,495. 

The Autodromo Group B Chronograph is available exclusively through the Hodinkee Shop, and each colorway is limited to just 100 units. Autodromo.