Porsche Design’s latest piece, the Chronograph 1 1975 Limited Edition, digs through the archives for a niche bit of inspiration
Borna Bošnjak- Inspired by the original uncoated steel model of 1975, Porsche Design offers the new Chronograph 1 in uncoated titanium to non-Porsche owners for the first time.
- The dial is as minimal as a functional chronograph gets, inspired by vintage Porsche speedometers (as you may expect).
- Limited to 350 pieces and priced at US$9,650, this titanium Chronograph 1 will go on to inform the design of a general-release model, with minor tweaks.
There is no shortage of iconic, drool-worthy models from Porsche’s horological history, but the 1970s in particular stand out as a period of importance, producing models such as the Carrera RS and 930 Turbo. More importantly for us watch geeks, 1972 would also see the brand-new Porsche Design Studio introduce the Chronograph 1, produced by Orfina and completely blacked out – the first watch to market to do so. Its success soon spawned other design variants, which also included the hero that’s tributed by today’s new release.
In 1975, the Chronograph 1 would be rendered in uncoated stainless steel, with the new Chronograph 1 Limited Edition celebrating 50 years since that release, offering an all-media-blasted titanium finish in a run of 350 pieces. For those familiar with Porsche Design’s modus operandi, this might also be especially interesting, as the brand has before only offered this configuration to owners of specific Porsche models, which changes today.
While the brand’s website will clue you in to the many customisation options to perfectly match your Porsche, this particular Chronograph 1 takes it back to basics. The dial is simple and unadorned, the only highlight being the brick-red central chrono hand. The white-on-black printing means excellent legibility, and the same sort of pared-back design you might expect to find on the dashboard of your 911 2.4 S, say. In fact, it’s eerily similar.
That, however, does not mean that Porsche Design didn’t pay attention to the details. For one, the day and date discs are colour-matched, and the depth of the dial has been maximised to make the most of the simple design. The sub-dials sit on a lower plane than the rest, with very subtle circular brushing for the angled step, with the steep, wide rehaut offering the feel of an external timing bezel, but protecting it under a layer of sapphire. My favourite design element is the hands, which are painted with white lume about three-quarters of the way through, with a small gap left black towards the pinion, giving them this cool, floating look.
On the wrist, you can expect the dimensions to be very similar to those of the original, which is really refreshing, given how many reissues tend to bloat. At 40.8mm in diameter and 14.15mm in height, it’s about what you’d expect from an automatic chronograph, but it wears its size well thanks to essentially non-existent lugs. Just like the dial, expect an austere affair in terms of case design and finish, with uniform, glass bead-blasted surfaces all around. It’s simple, but it works for a watch with such a tooltastic approach to design, kind of like semi-gloss paint on a car. It’s just the right amount of sheen not to completely hide the lines of the stepped bezel and curvy flanks, but enough to make you glance twice.
The integrated bracelet is attached via a button-release system which means toolless changes, and continues the overall theme introduced by the case. The H-links are rounded and articulate well judging from the brand’s other bracelets of the same design, finished with a push-button-operated clasp with on-the-fly micro-adjustment.
Unlike many of its other watches, Porsche Design chose to keep the caseback of the Chronograph 1 1975 closed. That means you won’t be seeing a Fuchs wheel-shaped rotor of the Werk 01.240 calibre spinning away, but it’s something I’m inclined to forgive. Much like the movement supply story of the Chronograph 1 throughout its history, this one is also quite interesting. Rather than opting for an off-the-shelf calibre, Porsche Design went to Concepto and had the movement makers build them their own chronograph movement based on the ubiquitous Valjoux 7750, which coincidentally powered the watches back in the ’70s.
With some modifications, it’s specced with 48 hours of power reserve and adjusted to COSC standards, so timing your laps precisely should be very accurate. That said, I envision this one sitting opposite a wooden-rimmed steering wheel, gently winding along some B-road.
Porsche Design Chronograph 1 1975 Limited Edition Titanium pricing and availability
The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 1975 Limited Edition in titanium will be available starting July 23rd through an exclusive retail partnership with Watches of Switzerland, as well as Porsche’s online store. The 350-piece limited edition will be followed by a different, uncoated titanium variant as part of Porsche Design’s standard production offering. Price: US$9,650
| Brand | Porsche Design |
| Model | Chronograph 1 1975 Limited Edition Titanium |
| Reference Number | 6041.8.02.002.10.2 |
| Case Dimensions | 40.8mm (D) x 14.15mm (T) |
| Case Material | Titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Black |
| Strap | Titanium, case-matching bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement |
Werk 01.240, Concepto-made based on Valjoux 7750, automatic, COSC
|
| Power Reserve | 48 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, day, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Limited to 350 pieces |
| Price | US$9,650 |