The launch of the new Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition also marks the start of a partnership with luxury watch specialist Watches of Switzerland.
It’s worth noting that the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition is available for purchase without restrictions, aside from its limited run of 350 pieces. That sets it apart from many other watches produced by the Porsche subsidiary, which typically require ownership of a Porsche sports car with its prancing horse emblem to qualify for purchase. Until now, this also applied to the legendary Chronograph 1 in its uncoated titanium version – but the path has now been cleared for non-Porsche owners to add it to their watch collections.
Ferdinand Porsche, legendary automobile designer, engineer, and founder of the Porsche company, always attached great importance not only to technically sophisticated design, but also to external appearance. His grandson, Prof. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, transferred this philosophy to all kinds of products with the founding of the Porsche Design Studio in 1972. His premise had always been to harmonise practical functionality with attractive yet purist design: ‘When you think about the function of something, the form sometimes emerges by itself.’
The first object to be honoured with this ‘engineered passion’ was a timepiece that was to become an icon: the Chronograph 1. As the world’s first black chronograph, it set a trend in its time and endures as a pioneering design icon. The stainless steel watch also celebrated the transformation of automotive aesthetics into another product world for the first time.
In 2022, Porsche brought the classic 1972 design back onto the market with the release of the Chronograph 1 – All Black Numbered Edition and has since released several variants. However, a version made of uncoated titanium was reserved exclusively for owners of a motorised Porsche. Until now.
The new Chronograph 1 is – as the name suggests – a tribute to its predecessor from 1975, crafted entirely from stainless steel. The Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition from 2025, on the other hand, is made of uncoated titanium.
It is thus reminiscent of Porsche Design’s first titanium timepiece, which was launched in 1981 and caused a sensation at Baselworld. At that time, the lightweight element with the atomic number 22 was rarely used in watchmaking due to processing difficulties. This is despite the fact that the shiny white metal has almost perfect properties: low density, high ductility, corrosion and temperature resistance, and it is non-magnetic and hypoallergenic. No wonder that all Porsche watches are made of titanium or titanium carbide today.
They also share the same place of origin in the company’s own factory in Solothurn, Switzerland. As part of its growing involvement in the watch sector, the former Eterna building in Grenchen is currently being transformed into a modern Porsche watch manufacture. The aim is to increase production capacity and optimise processes.
‘As the creator of the Porsche 911 and the Porsche Design Chronograph 1, F. A. Porsche pushed boundaries and redefined aesthetics in two significant industries – automotive engineering and watchmaking. We are proud to continue his legacy and reaffirm our commitment to exceptional watchmaking with the introduction of the new Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition in titanium,’ emphasises Stefan Buescher, CEO of the Porsche Lifestyle Group.
For the dial, Porsche Design stays true to its signature black aesthetic. As usual, the displays of the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition are inspired by the dashboard of the Porsche 911. Meanwhile, white numerals and indices under the sapphire crystal ensure unimpeded readability on a matt background. This is supported by the red stop second hand, the new tip on the minute hand, and Super-LumiNova on the hour markers and hands. The dial is framed by the tachymeter scale on the rehaut. In addition to the time display and chronograph subdials, the bilingual day and date display rounds off the range of functions and the functional look. True Porsche enthusiasts will also enjoy seeing two logos: the current one in the present font and the historic icon.
The new edition’s case is made of glass-bead blasted and matted titanium, which is a defining feature of Porsche watches, and is presented in its purest form. It measures a comfortable 40.8 millimetres in diameter and 14.5 millimetres in height. The crown, pushers, and closed caseback are screw-fastened, ensuring water resistance of up to ten bar, in accordance with the specifications.
The view from the caseback reveals the historic Porsche logo, the lettering ‘Porsche Design 1975 Chronograph 1 Limited Edition’, information about the limited edition number and the technical capabilities of its movement. The bracelet is the material counterpart to the case and is equipped with a folding clasp with fine adjustment for a perfect fit on the wrist at all times.
The titanium case houses the automatic Porsche Design chronograph calibre WERK 01.240, which operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of 48 hours. COSC certification confirms its high-precision performance, which also includes the recording of consecutive time intervals. Thanks to this flyback function, starting, stopping, and resetting to zero are possible in a single operation. The movement of the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition measures 30 millimetres in diameter and 7.9 millimetres in height.
The launch of the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition marks the beginning of a retail partnership with the luxury watch retailer Watches of Switzerland Group (WoSG), operating worldwide. The timepiece was unveiled and presented to the public at the SoHo flagship store in New York for the first time.
‘Together with our new partner, the Watches of Switzerland Group, we look forward to celebrating the heritage of Porsche Design with this unique timepiece and writing the next chapter in our watchmaking history,’ said Stefan Buescher at the launch event.
The Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition is available in selected stores in the United States and via the WoSG website as part of the specialist retail partnership with WoSG, and costs 8,950 euros.
Following the limited edition, there will be a numbered edition with slight modifications, which will be available as a permanent part of the collection in Porsche Stores, at shop.porsche.com, in selected Porsche centres, and from authorised retailers.
