Since its establishment in 1972, Porsche Design’s watch collection has been steadily growing. The 1919 Collection, which was first introduced in 2015, is dedicated to the Porsche car series. This year, the new collection is inspired by the famous 911 series that Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche designed 54 years ago! The design and technology of these timepieces strives to be as close to the purist and functional aesthetic of the sports cars as possible.
Porsche 911 Carrera
Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was fascinated by the Bauhaus style which was developed in 1919 – hence the name of the collection. It demonstrated a timeless design which he adopted into the design of his cars, including the world famous 911 series. To quickly take a look into the different Porsche Design watch collections, the Chronotimer Collection and the Monobloc Actuator Collection (introduced at the start of this year) are much more orientated by state-of-the-art technology and a sporty design, whereas the 1919 collection embodies aesthetics and functionality.
Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer
There are three new watches within the 1919 Collection: 1919 Datetimer, 1919 Chronotimer and 1919 Globetimer. These three are available in pure or blackened titanium with a titanium bracelet or rubber strap. The 1919 Globetimer offers a second time zone and displays all 24 worldtime zones on its caseback. For Porsche Design, it was important to focus on the dial as this is the place where all functionality of a watch takes place. Therefore, the case of the 1919 collection is as small as possible, so that the watch is able to dedicate all space to the dial, its digits and the hands.
Porsche Design 1919 Datetimer (left)
Porsche Design 1919 Chronotimer (middle)
Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer (right)
A special piece within the new collection is the 1919 Datetimer One Millionth 911, which will be available this autumn – dedicated to the production jubilee of the millionth Porsche 911 which was in May this year. We are not talking about smartphones or shoes – we are talking about one million 911 luxury cars that have been sold, which is incredible in itself. Meanwhile, the watch differs little from the other ; the second hand shines in the same ‘Irish-green’ as the car body. The golden Porsche emblem is displayed on the dial and the wristband is made of the same leather as the seats of the cars – even the seams are made with the same yarn. The watch is limited to 130 pieces, in a nod to the 130 horse power of the first 911 model.
Porsche Design 1919 Datetimer One Millionth 911
The 1919 Collection watches are developed from the Swiss Porsche Design Timepieces AG in Solothurn in close collaboration with the Studio F.A. Porsche, their own design studio from Weltruf in Zell am See. This makes the watches something special; designed in Austria, yet proudly Swiss made.
Swisswatches Magazine is always on the go. But in August we started an adventurous journey which took us 17 days, over 7.000 Kilometres through 17 places across Europe. Our luggage: some shorts and some watches! Departure: Munich. Destination: surfers paradise spot Ericeira – just by car and through the beautiful landscapes of Lugano, Portofino and…
Some anniversaries are celebrated with confetti and champagne. Others mark their place in history with an event that redefines their own work. Vacheron Constantin chose the latter for its 270th birthday: the presentation of Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grande Complication – La Première. A unique piece, a supernova of watchmaking, a new world record for the…
The Radiomir, a watch classic that was originally designed for functional use, has since established itself as a style element in the everyday life of many fashionable men. It is a model that is directly linked to the brand Panerai: the cushion-shaped case, the sandwich design of the dial and typical looped lugs that were used…
It’s been another extraordinary year for us all, and the watch world is no exception. That is why the Swisswatches team sat down once more to comprise a list of our top watches of 2023. From anniversary models to world firsts, we are presenting you 24 special highlights to emerge from the ever-surprising Swiss watch…
It's safe to say that the watch community knows Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak pretty well. From its octagonal bezel, exposed hexagonal screws, and diver's helmet inspiration to the tapisserie dial, we know the design code inside out. Except the latter element is nowhere in sight on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in…
Amidst the sound of birds chattering and water splashing comes the sound of soft chimes, sounding repeatedly – almost as though someone was soulfully playing percussion, while wandering through tranquil surroundings. But it's not a musical instrument we can hear – it’s acoustic watches. Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, is playing us a video via…
As any watch enthusiast will know, it is often not just the aesthetic of a watch that enamours us: it's the story behind it. Cue the Reverso Travelling Collection, which is currently making a stop at Jaeger-LeCoultre's boutique on the prestigious shopping street Maximilianstrasse in Munich. The story behind the Reverso is a tale well-told,…
At the time when Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born in 1721, the golden age for automatons just started. The engineer Jacques de Vaucanson enchanted the people with his ‘mechanical duck’, made of more than 400 moving components and able to move its wings, chatter and sip water. The young watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz was fascinated by this…
What we spotted on YouTube this morning, is a great example of how self-ironic and contemporary the watch industry can be. It is probably the most amusing idea on demonstrating the merits of a mechanical watch, that a brand published in a long time: An elderly smart dressed gent seeks advice about a smartwatch in a…
At the British Museum in London, not too far along from hallowed halls housing Egyptian mummies and Ancient Greek amphoras, there is a Clocks and Watches Room, with artefacts dating from 1300 AD to the present. From decorative domestic clocks to marine chronometers, curators strive to chronicle the story of timekeeping within a few square…
With the SP One, MB&F ventures into uncharted territory. Instead of their usual futuristic and radical forms, the manufacture's latest creation prioritises classical elegance for the very first time. This timepiece not only heralds the launch of a new model line called Special Projects, but also begs the question of what "special" truly means for…
Out of the 60 watch brands attending Watches and Wonders, from highly anticipated horological giants like Patek Philippe to independent geniuses like Christiaan van der Klaauw, Van Cleef & Arpels is a booth that journalists and retailers alike particularly look forward to visiting. It’s not just because of the brand’s inevitably enchanting stand design; watchmaker…
A well-trained opera singer is able to cause a tuning fork to vibrate simply by the power of their voice. The tuning fork absorbs the energy, and strives to vibrate at the same frequency. Should the tuning fork be interrupted by an external factor, it always tries to get back in line with its counterpart.…