Nico Bandl 29 September 2018

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 70^th 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 7^th 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 8^th 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.