Porsche Design is celebrating the car manufacturer’s 75th anniversary with festivities like this year’s Goodwood Speed Festival. Fans of the German brand can be a part of this joy by purchasing the new Chronograph 1 – 75 Years Porsche Edition watch. It went on sale on July 15th, limited to 475 pieces and priced at $11,000.
The Chronograph 1 – 75 Years Porsche Edition uses the Porsche Design Werk 01.140 caliber mechanism which has the precision certificate from Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). The dial has many functions such as a seconds indicator at the 9 o’clock position, a 30-minute counter at the 12 o’clock position, a 12-hour counter at the 6 o’clock position, a large red chronograph second hand, and a date window at the 3 o’clock position.
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The back cover features the production number of 475 and the 75Y logo. The winding rotor is shaped like the classic five-spoke Fuchs wheel with the Porsche logo in the center.
The dial measures 40.80 millimeters in diameter and 14.15 mm in height. The watch is water-resistant up to 100 feet (10 bar). The Werk 01.140 caliber mechanism has 25 jewels and operates at a speed of 28,800 beats per hour. It has a power reserve of 48 hours.
The watch is presented with a textile leather strap with blue stitching and a red stripe in the middle. There is also a black leather strap with black stitching. The quick-change system allows for easy swapping of the straps.
The Chronograph 1 – 75 Years Porsche Edition shares style cues with the chronograph on the front panel of the Mission X electric supercar concept (see below). Both are inspired by Porsche Design’s original Chronograph 1 from 1972. The watch was groundbreaking for that time with its anti-reflective matte black dial and cohesive case and strap. It came with features like chronometer and displays for day and date.
The Chronograph 1 model gained popularity. It was adopted by the German army in the 1970s, but without the black case and a few other adjustments. Plus, Tom Cruise wore one in the movie “Super Weapon”. An article on the blog “Revolution” shows that Mario Andretti also wore one.
Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche designed the iconic 911 and founded Porsche Design in 1972. The Chronograph 1 was the company’s first offering.