Even if the term »icon« is sometimes used in an inflationary manner, there is no way around it when it comes to this masterpiece of automotive design: Since 1963 – and thus for exactly 60 years – the Porsche 911 has shaped automotive history and is considered the epitome of first-class design and engineering. Porsche Design is now celebrating this 60th anniversary with a special edition of the equally legendary Chronograph 1 – in a limited edition and reserved exclusively for owners of the new Porsche 911 S/T.
Originally designed by young Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the look of the 911 has evolved over the past 60 years, but its unmistakable features and characteristic lines remain to this day. This consistent evolution, which preserves the original design of the first 911 model with its characteristic front end, iconic round headlights, gently sloping roofline and clear design language, while at the same time regularly incorporating modern elements that give the vehicle a constantly contemporary feel, is certainly part of the success recipe of this automotive cult and object of desire.
60 years of timeless elegance, which Porsche Design is now celebrating with elegant timekeeping: the strictly limited Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T, a tribute to the legendary 911 S/T 2.4 sports car from 1970. The handmade chronograph from Porsche’s own watch manufactory in Solothurn, Switzerland, is based on the 1972 Chronograph 1, which was also designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. »My aim was to create a watch to match the car«, F.A. Porsche explained at the time, and to this day that design philosophy remains unchanged in the development of Porsche Design: It is about the aspiration to create a symbiosis between the two worlds that combine the characteristic design aesthetic with optimum functionality as well as manual precision.
In this spirit, the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T also picks up on the characteristic features of its motorized counterpart with numerous details. The chronograph’s case, for example, is made of lightweight titanium, uncoated for weight reasons and blasted, thus quoting the lightweight construction concept of the Porsche 911 S/T. The dial and the rehaut of the timepiece in black reflect the historic display instruments of the 911 S/T. Here, the minute scale has a heritage tachometer look and the number »60« is highlighted in red to mark the anniversary. Numbers, day and date are in phosphor green, while the white stop-seconds hand picks up the color of the tachometer. A printed switching scheme in silver for the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T and in gold for the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T Heritage underscores the close connection to the hand-operated special edition. Also derived directly from the switching scheme is the font of the letters H, M and S for hours, minutes and seconds in the totalizers.
The movement is presented behind the sevenfold anti-reflective sapphire crystal back and is driven by a rotor that picks up on the design of the magnesium wheel of the 911 S/T and is available in a choice of brilliant silver, dark silver (semi-gloss) or black (semi-gloss). The Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T Heritage offers a choice of Ceramica (silk gloss) and Brilliant Silver colors. Another key highlight is the rotor cap, which is designed to match the vehicle, either with a printed »S/T« graphic in brilliant silver for the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T or with the historic Porsche emblem for the Heritage version. A limitation number of the vehicle, in the form of a laser engraving on the back of the case, also underscores the exclusivity of the chronograph.
All now issued 1963 examples of the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T are available as of now, but exclusively reserved for owners of the new Porsche 911 S/T. Two design icons, quite obviously with an actual inseparable close link. [RED]
Porsche 911 S/T
