Autodromo is one of the earlier and more established microbrands out there. The brainchild of Bradley Price, they think of themselves as more of a lifestyle brand, and in addition to watches, also produce other automotive-related items such as driving gloves and sunglasses. Of all the watches I own, this Autodromo Group B Series 1 is probably the one with the most things that bother me, yet I still love wearing it.

I’ll start with a couple of negatives of the Autodromo Group B Series 1 first. This is purely subjective, but I’m not a big fan of the fact that the minutes hand extends out quite a bit past the centre, making it look a little bit like the hour hand. Also, I wish the seconds hand with that great looking yellow tip was longer and extended out towards the minute track.

The included Worn and Wound single pass leather strap was a big selling point, but unfortunately it seems about 1mm too small and the strap gap is noticeable and may bother some (it also comes with a grey Autodromo nato strap which fits well). Also, the case design without any springbars doesn’t allow you to use conventional two piece straps – you have to use natos or single piece straps. If you get the Series 2, it comes on a great looking bracelet with springbars which solves that issue.

Now, onto the things I like about the Autodromo Group B Series 1. Autodromo have combined the 70s stainless steel sports watch aesthetic with a fun dial inspired by 80s Group B rally car dashboard gauges with the pinkish red markers and hands. They really know how to play with colour for their designs (see the Safari and Corsica Blue Group B variants). When the hands are at about 10.10, you can also see a bit of a face staring back at you, thanks to Autodromo’s trademark two dots on the dial that resemble a pair of eyes and the logo in the position of the lips.

The Autodromo Group B Series 1 perfectly sized for my 6.5 inch wrist. It comes in at a bit under 40mm, and it’s also lightweight as the well-made angular case is a mix of PVD steel and titanium, plus you mainly wear it on a nato strap as well, which adds to the lightness. It’s also fairly slim at 10.2mm, so it just wears really comfortably and is perfect for the average sized wrist. It’s pretty low key and subtle limited edition, without any W&W branding on there. The only signs that it is an LE is the gunmetal grey case colour and that leather strap.

Overall, the Autodromo Group B Series 1 has its quirks, but it is a watch that has a lot of charm. I recommend the Series 2 as from all accounts the bracelet feels great and gives you more versatility, and I think I will definitely pick one up at some stage in the future.