When it comes to finding the right birthday present, it is not uncommon to make a mistake, much to the chagrin of the person receiving the gift. Often the birthday boy or girl finds themselves deposited with a pile of rather unimaginative presents. Porsche, on the other hand, is taking a different approach and has come up with a very appropriate gift for the milestone anniversary of its icon. To mark 60 years of the Porsche 911, Porsche is introducing the 911 S/T, a particularly purist model that teaches us that less can sometimes be more.
Porsche 911 S/T and Porsche 911 S/T with Heritage Design Package
But that’s not all: Porsche Design is accompanying the 911 with an exclusive anniversary edition of the Chronograph 1, of which there will be 1,963 pieces available and which is reserved solely for buyers of the sports car.
Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T
The new 911 S/T picks up on the spirit of an old, particularly performance-oriented version of the first–generation 911 from 1969. This special racing version of the 911 S was known internally as the 911 ST and did entirely away with large spoilers and other aerodynamic aids. The new model thus follows its ancestor and combines elements of the 911 GT3 RS with the body of the 911 GT3 with Touring package, supplemented with lightweight components specially developed for the 911 S/T. In the rear sits the 521 hp 4-litre boxer engine from the GT3 RS, which offers the ultimate interaction between driver and machine with the short-ratio manual transmission.
The special model embodies a purist blueprint like almost no other and defines itself as much by what it does not possess as by what it does possess. Unlike a GT3 RS, it is free of any ostentation and strives for functionality. This is particularly noticeable in its lightweight construction: the bonnet, wings, roof, boot and – familiar from the GT3 RS – the doors are all made of carbon fibre.
Further lightweight construction measures, such as the roll cage and the standard equipment with magnesium lightweight rims, make the anniversary model the lightest production 911 with a DIN empty weight of only 1,380 kg. But when it comes to selling, Porsche seems to be rather inspired by maximalism: with the Design Heritage Package, the model limited to 1,963 units (in honour of the year in which the 911 was launched) costs a hefty 309,692 euros, placing it at the top of the 911 price range.
Porsche Design is celebrating the anniversary of the Porsche 911, aka the epitome of German design and engineering for 60 years, in its very own way: with the anniversary editions of the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T and Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T with Heritage Edition. The watches pay homage to the 911 S/T 2.4, which was specially developed for racing with motorsport-proven lightweight components that made the hearts of many a Porsche enthusiast beat faster back in 1970.
Alexander Porsche, the creator of the first Porsche 911, not only designed the iconic car, but was also responsible for the conception of the first all-black watch as well as the first commercially produced titanium watch. In 1972, the founder of Porsche Design pursued a clear goal: “My aim was to create a watch to match the car.” This vision is equally followed by the new Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T, featuring a case made of lightweight titanium, which has been uncoated and blasted for weight optimisation reasons to echo the lightweight design concept of the Porsche 911 S/T. The diameter is a reasonable 40.5 mm, while the height is pretty hefty at 15.15 mm. The limitation number of the owner’s vehicle is laser-engraved onto the watch’s caseback.
Like the regular Chronograph 1, the dial of the 911 S/T (as well as the Heritage Edition) still has a matte-black appearance, but now it is adorned with white and green phosphorescent indices and markers. The hands shine in a classic black and white combination and are easy to read, even in low-light environments, thanks to a Super-LumiNova coating. Furthermore, the heritage-style 60-minute/second scale on the outer rim is in white, green and red; reminiscent of the revolution counter (tachometer) in a car. In addition, the bright green colour also makes an appearance on the date disc at 3 o’clock.
Other fine details round off the overall appearance: subdials are provided with H/M/S markings to signal the respective functions more clearly. A imitation gearshift print occupies the spot between 1 and 2 o’clock – in a silver version on the 911 S/T and in a golden version on the 911 S/T Heritage. Last but not least, a 911 S/Tbadge sits above the day/date window.
If we turn the two editions over, we catch sight of the Porsche Design WERK 01.240 through the open sapphire crystal caseback. The rotor picks up on the design of the magnesium wheel of the 911 S/T and is available in the colours Brilliant Silver, Dark Silver or Black. The Heritage Edition also offers the colours Ceramica and Brilliant Silver. The movement offers a frequency of 28,800 vph, a power reserve of 38 hours and is a COSC-certified chronometer.
In addition to an uncoated titanium bracelet with a folding clasp, the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T is available on leather straps in black or Classic Cognac, which are made of genuine vehicle leather. However, only owners of the new Porsche 911 S/T will be able to enjoy the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T, which is limited to 1,963 pieces – only they will be able to purchase the anniversary watch from 2 August 2023, at a price of 11,950 Euro (RRP) at Porsche Centres.
Porsche 911 S/T: Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 13.8 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 313 g/km
