Masters of their Craft: Porsche Design 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition
It looks almost that the greatest density of magnum wine bottles is based in the southern part of Styria. They like to think big. An area, near the Slovenian border, where viniculture forms the landscape and which is famous for one of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. At Porsche they have always, and still today been thinking big. Hence it was not surprising that this delicate spot has been chosen to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first sports car of the brand and on this occasion introduced the limited anniversary-watch from Porsche Design. But Austria also bears another significant meaning for Porsche. Founder Ferry Porsche was Austrian and produced his first sports cars in Gmünd.
Head to head – two sports cars exploring the idyllic southern part of Styria (Photo by Juergen Tap)
As always, everything starts small. As well at Porsche, as also at our journey to the southern part of Styria. To be specific at the tranquil town of Ehrenhausen, approximately 45 Kilometres from Graz. A peaceful area where you let your soul dangle, go cycling, hiking or explore the hilly landscape by car. On this sunny day we had the choice of a few new and historical Porsche cars. From the powerful GT3 RS to the bright orange 911 Carrera 2.7 from 1973. And on the wrist wearing the new 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition, which has been created especially for this 7th anniversary and introduced in very good company of the brands own cars.
Porsche Design anniversary watch 1919 Datetime 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition (Photo by Juergen Tap)
On June 8th 1948 the first Porsche prototype with the chassis number 356-001 received its operating permit. The Porsche 356 “Nr. 1” Roadster remained a unique piece followed by a small series of 356 sports cars with a rear-mounted engine. By now the Porsche 911 has been built over a million times and surely marks an important chapter in the brands history. In 2019, Porsche will open a new chapter with its ‘Mission E’ car and takes on the field of electric sports cars.
Generations meet – the new Mission E faces the bright orange 911 Carrera 2.7 from 1973 (Photo by Juergen Tap)
As they already work meticulously on the future electric engine on the one side, there is now still a focus on the mechanicals aspect on the other side. The 1948 pieces limited 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition is a tribute to the 356 from 1948 – hence the limitation to this odd number – with a few characteristics from that vintage sports car, but also with a highly modern ‘body’. It’s made from a matte titanium carbide-coating and therefore extremely light. Like with all Porsche Design watches the focus lies on the dial and clean lines.
The anniversary watch is limited to 1948 pieces
At the 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition the dial shows the silhouette of the Porsche 356 and the year 1948. There used to be an instrument cluster in the sports car that showed the speedometer and tachometer. The rings on the dial are inspired by the typical rings of the original tachometers. The hands are kept white to guarantee a good readability – another important feature for Porsche Design when it comes to watch conception. The black wristband is made from the same quality leather as the seats of the sports cars.
Clear lines just like the Porsche sportscars
While walking the tracks of the brands history in one of the most well known wine regions in Europe, Porsche has also created its own wine celebrating this special occasion. In cooperation with the renowned winemaker Tement they have made a ‘Cuvée 356’. 30 years ago Manfred Tement was one of the first winemakers in this area to recognize the potential of the Sauvignon Blanc grape in this region. Three masters of their craft have found themselves, thinking big to create something big.
The anniversary Cuvée made by winemaker Tement – an original Porsche 356 poses between wooden casks in the background (Photo by Juergen Tap)
The beauty of traditional watch manufactures is, that on the one hand production methods that once made them strong are still being emphasized today, and on the other hand this unbroken innovation spirit from past times still generates modern and exciting new techniques. The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367 that has been introduced at the beginning…
Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. Ibn Battuta The premiere of the Richard Mille Rally A'Shira from 16 to 21 October in Saudi Arabia can hardly be put into words. Echoing the description by 14th-century Muslim scholar Ibn Battuta, I was struck speechless by the vast expanse of the…
The world of hypercars is characterised by superlatives disguised as numbers. The McLaren Speedtail is no exception: from 1,050 over 403 and 1,430 to 2.37. In other words, from 1,050 horsepower over 403 km/h top speed and 1,430 kilograms weight to a unit price of 2.37 million euros – plus extras. In this world, as…
During our last conversation about six months ago, Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué surprised us with his ambitious intention to launch a 100 percent recycled mechanical watch. Now, shortly prior to the unveiling of the brand's latest pieces at Watches & Wonders 2021, we caught up with him once again. There was one key question to…
Beauty, as the saying goes, is always in the eye of the beholder. On the other hand, there are fixed parameters for the quality of a timepiece. In the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition, both come together: The not-so-subjective refinement of a timeless design, as well as a watchmaking excellence that has impressed…
TUDOR is introducing an array of novelties at this year's Watches & Wonders. One very important piece is an outgoing watch christened the Black Bay Pro. Other new models come in the form of a bicolour Black Bay GMT and Black Bay Chrono with new colour schemes, as well as Black Bay S&G watches with…
The Rolex Certified Pre-Owned programme at Bucherer offers a high-quality and trustworthy alternative to buying pre-owned Rolex luxury watches. But how does the buying, selling, authentication and certification of pre-owned watches actually work? Rolex Certified Pre-Owned at Bucherer In 2019, luxury watch and jewellery retailer Bucherer ventured into the pre-owned luxury watch trade and opened…
The watchmaking company Vacheron Constantin is celebrating its 270th anniversary this year – and is kicking off the anniversary with something of a sensation. The highly coveted reference 222 from 1977, which enjoyed a revival in yellow gold almost three years ago, is now being released as a steel version. Forerunner of the Overseas When…
For the 6th anniversary of the young independent watchmaking atelier AkriviA, founder and master watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi wished to present something completely new. So far, most of his watches are from the inside and outside wholly complex. Tourbillon complications became his passion. The Chronomètre Contemporain, inspired by officers watches is a long-awaited dream come true for…
Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacture to be in continuous production, celebrates its 267th anniversary in 2022 – and its Traditionnelle collection is the embodiment of the company's long-standing tradition. The Traditionnelle line skilfully expresses the sophisticated principles of 18th-century Geneva Haute Horlogerie and finds the right balance between perseverance and contemporary design. The signature…
Something of a curse within the Swiss watches industry is that almost every horology house lays claim to being the first of their kind: a record-breaker, an inventor, a pioneer. The same applies to the field of chronograph watches, aka a timepiece that offers precision timekeeping and measurement. And no wonder: it’s an extraordinarily vast…
Louis Vuitton and Geneva-based watchmaker Akrivia surprised the watch world with their recently announced collaboration that resulted in the majestic LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. You can find a detailed report on the timepiece and the collaboration between the two brands here. In the run-up to the event, we had the opportunity to speak personally with…
We don’t know which fancy name drew more attention to us first: “Rexhep Rexhepi” or “AkriviA”. The former is the name of a young and very ambitious watchmaker. The latter is the unmistakable name of his 2012-founded watch brand AkriviA, which is based in Geneva and describes its core philosophy as “to present the finest…