No matter which model of Porsche you decide to own, you can be sure the driving experience will be excellent. And now, the iconic company has launched a unique twist to the Porsche experience. It is turning the heads of both car enthusiasts and those passionate about men’s luxury watches. A Porsche Design custom-built watch from its Timepieces collection has just hit the market.
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“No other car manufacturer or watch brand currently offers a customizable program of this kind,” says Jan Becker, CEO of Porsche Design Group. “The colours, types of leather and decorative stitching on these chronographs all originate from automotive production.”
After almost six years of development, the foundation of Porsche Design Timepieces, AG in Solothurn, Switzerland, has launched a one-of-a-kind, car-design-driven watch.
Just like the Porsche 911 range, the watch is digitally visualized down to the smallest of details. That provides enthusiasts with a realistic depiction of their dream timepiece.
“The rendering model is based on CAD data from our designers at Studio F. A. Porsche in Zell am See [Austria] and our engineers in Solothurn,” says Rolf Bergmann, managing director of Porsche Design Timepieces AG.
A basic custom-built Timepiece starts at $6,000 USD. Depending on which options you end up selecting, that price can go up to $12,500. And that includes up to three additional leather straps. Orders for the men’s watch are placed exclusively through Porsche dealers. You’ll have it in your hands in eight to 12 weeks.
Main features:
Men’s luxury watches: The centerpiece
The menu navigation and overall design of the new watch configurator are based on the Porsche car configurator.
Men’s luxury watches: The case
You can choose between a glass bead-blasted natural titanium case or a black titanium case coated in titanium carbide via PVD.
The movement
The watch has a new in-house caliber WERK 01.100 with 48 hours of power reserve. The highlight of this COSC-certified movement is the customizable winding rotor, featuring the wheel designs of the latest-generation Porsche 911.
From the classic 911 Carrera rim, including the two-tone Porsche Crest in the centre of the rotor, you have a choice of six different rotor types. The colour on the rotor edge can also be customized. The rotor on the new watches corresponds to a 1:22 scaled-down version of the original rim. It is crafted with a level of precision down to five thousandths of a millimeter.
The watchbands
Metal and leather watchbands are available in three sizes. Metal bracelets are made of titanium and all versions feature individually screwed-down links. They are available in glass bead-blasted natural titanium or black-coated titanium carbide. You can choose from two different closing mechanisms. There is a butterfly clasp with lateral buttons or seven-step fine adjustment.
The leather straps are directly connected to the car, crafted from the same hides used for the interiors of a Porsche. They come in the 14 official colour options of the Porsche 911. The leather wristbands come with a butterfly clasp as well as side buttons for quick and easy release. For the stitching on the strap, 19 different colours of genuine Porsche yarn are available.
That results in up to 300 different possible configurations. Two additional bracelets can be designed and purchased per order, for those who want that. The configurator’s full range of options remains available for this selection. The new quick-change side button system makes it easy to change them.
Custom-built dial and bezel
The dial is personalized via inlaid coloured rings, featuring minute markers in the style of the design-defining classic speedometer developed by F. A. Porsche. Choose from 27 Porsche 911 exterior and interior colours. Even the hands can be personalized, and you can choose either classic Essence in black or sporty Performance hands in matte-white with red tips.
The watch’s bezel can also feature either traditional minute markers or a tachymeter for tracking speed or distance.
Custom laser engraving
As a final touch, upon request, you can have a laser engraving on the back of the case. This supplementary engraving can also be applied to the watch box. That’s exclusive to the new watches. Additionally, you can request the corresponding car visuals for the emblem on the timepieces’ box. The fonts and lettering featured on the rear of your car can be applied as well. Or, you have the option to select a graphic logo, such as the current 911 Carrera flyline. That’s a lot to like if you are passionate both about men’s luxury watches and sports cars.
The new Porsche Design custom-built Timepieces will be available in the U.S. on Sept. 1, 2020 at all participating Porsche dealerships. They are also launching in Germany and the UK, and then will expand into other markets like Canada after that.
Marlene Eisner is a freelance writer and editor. She is currently the editor of RENO+DÉCOR magazine (National) and New Home + Condo Guide magazine (Vancouver). She also writes, edits and publishes content for websites and edits master’s and PhD theses and memories.
