Watch KhalifaWhat We Know
Autodromo has just brought back one of its earliest designs in the Monoposto – but this time, it’s for a special reason. In November 2012, the original Monoposto was launched as Autodromo founder Bradley Price’s sophomore effort at designing a watch, establishing it as the brand’s first mechanical watch. Stemming from Price’s fascination for cars, the Monoposto was an homage to gauges on single-seater Grand Prix cars from the 50s, with a painted red zone and all. It was produced in two colorways of 250 pieces each, all selling out fast, which meant that Autodromo was here to stay as a watch brand. In 2017, the Monoposto was redone as a chronograph, and then the line went dormant.
Now, more than twelve years later, the three-hand Monoposto is alive again, in partnership with the Mobil 1 Racing Team, to celebrate the synthetic motor oil’s 50th anniversary in a new limited edition aptly titled the Mobil 1 Edition Monoposto. The 43mm diameter stainless steel case (also offered in a gold-plated version) is back, but aside from that, quite a bit has been refined on this new version.
While the diameter may scare you (and it would be understandable – it wears quite broad), the case has been slimmed down from 11.98mm to 10.8mm, hopefully making the wire lugs hug the wrist a little closer. The mineral crystal of the first edition has now been swapped for sapphire, a much-needed move given the size of the crystal. Inside the watch, the Miyota 9039 caliber has replaced the former 821A movement with no phantom date position.
Of course, the biggest change here is the new dial, rendered in a glossy white. While some of the text and typefaces have been slightly updated and taken from the chronograph edition, the main attraction to the watch is that red Pegasus logo right above 6 o’clock, the unmistakable signature of Mobil 1’s racing influence and brand identity. The crystal also gets the ‘redline delete’ treatment, marking the first Monoposto without a section of the glass painted with a stripe of red. Finally, to mirror Mobil 1’s color scheme, the hour text, and the skeletonized hands are rendered in a dark blue, while the second-hand matches the red Pegasus.
The Mobil 1 Edition Monoposto is limited to 150 pieces total, with 100 being produced in stainless steel and 50 produced in a gold-plated steel case. The steel version retails for $875, while the gold-plated version retails for $950. Each individually numbered piece will come in a collector’s box with the matching number.
What We Think
I think it’s safe to say that most folks familiar with Autodromo these days probably came by way of the Group B. It’s been the smash hit of the brand, but I’ve also always loved Autodromo’s other less-talked-about designs – especially the Monoposto. I played around with one of the original Monopostos last year, and it was an enjoyable watch, albeit big.
It’s not for my wrist, but it’s great to appreciate from afar. But this watch is fun for someone with a larger wrist or who might want to drive with this thing as an oversized watch. I’m curious to see this new version in person and see whether the new thinner case will mark a noticeable change in wearability. However, sometimes, a thinner watch with a large diameter makes it visually even larger.
From a design perspective, I quite appreciate the changes made to the Mobil 1 edition, and taking the updated dial text from the 2017 chronograph edition was the right move. Everything feels slightly cleaner and more refined when translating to the time-only Monoposto. The restraint in not doing anything crazy on the dial means that the red Pegasus really pops, and I’m sure that’s the whole point – using the revival of the Monoposto to debut this partnership was a fun move.
What I absolutely love about this edition is that the Monoposto is now no longer just an homage to motorsports – it has an official connection to it. I imagine this is quite a big deal for a brand like Autodromo and its founder, Bradley Price. I’m not the biggest expert on classic motorsports, but even for me, the red Pegasus logo is iconic. To have the Mobil 1 team buy in on a brand that remains relatively niche in the general public for this partnership is probably the dream. This edition will undoubtedly be one to pick up for die-hard Autodromo collectors and motorsports enthusiasts.
The Basics
Brand: Autodromo
Model: Monoposto Mobil 1 Edition
Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 10.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel (with gold-plated variant)
Dial Color: Gloss white
Indexes: Printed
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap/Bracelet: Italian buffalo leather in blue (steel variant), black (gold-plated variant)
The Movement
Caliber: Miyota 9039
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz
Jewels: 24
Pricing & Availability
Price: $875 (stainless steel); $950 (gold-plated)
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, 100 pieces of the steel and 50 pieces of the gold.
