Porsche Design Celebrates 90 Years of F. A. Porsche With a Limited Edition Chronograph 1

On 11 December 2025, the founder of Porsche Design would have turned 90. In collaboration with his youngest son Mark Porsche, Porsche Design and Porsche have unveiled a limited edition 911 GT3 Touring and matching chronograph to mark the anniversary.

The creator of the 911

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche would have turned ninety on 11 December 2025. The grandson of the company’s founder joined Porsche in 1957, took over the newly established design department in 1961, and created one of the greatest icons in automotive history with the original 911. His credo, ‘Good design must be honest,’ continues to shape the brand to this day. Under his leadership, the 904 Carrera GTS was created, establishing a concept that became the blueprint for all future GTS models.

In 1972, F. A. Porsche and his brother Hans-Peter founded the Porsche Design Studio in Stuttgart. They later moved their headquarters to Zell am See in 1974. Its debut piece, the Chronograph 1, was introduced in the founding year as the world’s first completely black wristwatch, revolutionising the watch industry. Further milestones followed: the P’8478 sunglasses with the first interchangeable lens mechanism, the titanium chronograph from 1980, and the TecFlex ballpoint pen. His designs were meant to be ‘honest and uncompromising, innovative and conceptual, luxurious and purist, timeless and high-quality’.

F. A. Porsche was a man of clear forms. His love of the mountains shaped him as much as his fondness for classic elegance and green 911s. In his private life, he was a devoted family man who explored the forests with his three sons. His life’s work spanned watches, eyewear, and writing instruments, as well as furniture and electronics. F. A. Porsche passed away in 2012, leaving behind a body of work that continues to exert a profound influence today.

A watch just as F. A. would have wanted it

The special editions of the 911 GT3 and Chronograph 1 presented on his anniversary are limited to 90 pieces and are only sold together. Both feature numerous references to the designer. The aim of the project was to build a watch and a car as F. A. Porsche himself would have designed them today.

This is how the designer personalised his Chronograph 1: instead of the Porsche Design logo, he printed his initials, F.A.P., above the calendar window. This detail is repeated in the anniversary edition. The crown and clasp also feature the first Porsche Design logo. In keeping with this, the initials and the old logo can also be found on the dial of the Sport Chrono watch in the anniversary 911. The brand chose beige as the colour for the luminous material, so that the new watch resembles its historic predecessor with its patina.

Fox rim as rotor

In addition to the black titanium bracelet, the watch is supplied with a second strap, which can be swapped effortlessly without tools thanks to the quick-change system. It is made of truffle-brown automotive leather, paired with chalk-beige decorative stitching – a colour combination also found in the accompanying 911 GT3 (90) F.A. Porsche. The same applies to the rotor, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, in the shape of the typical Fuchs rim from the 1970s. Crafted in black satin finish with a central lock and the historic Porsche crest, this miniature work of art faithfully replicates the wheel of the anniversary car.

The rotor supplies the movement with energy for 48 hours. Porsche Design developed the calibre 01.140 in collaboration with Swiss mechanical specialist Concepto. A chronometer certificate from the independent Swiss testing agency COSC confirms the movement’s accuracy. The back of the watch features the individual limited edition number and the engraved signature of F. A. Porsche. In the vehicle, these elements are immortalised together with a historic Porsche crest on a gold plaque on the dashboard.

Black like the original

The 40.8-millimetre case, which is water-resistant to 100 metres, is made of titanium, an important material for Porsche Design, as F. A. Porsche used it for watches as early as 1980. Thanks to its black titanium carbide coating, the watch has the same colour as the first Chronograph 1 from 1972. Porsche Design already manufactures the model at its new factory in Grenchen, Switzerland, where the watchmakers recently moved from their previous location in Solothurn.

GT3 in F. A. Green Metallic

For the 911 GT3 90 F. A. Porsche, the special-request manufacturer teamed up with Mark Porsche to develop a distinctive green: F. A. Green Metallic, reflecting the spectrum of greens in which the designer favoured his 911s. The brown leather interior, wooden gear knob, and Fuchs rims also reflect F. A.’s preferences.

Equipped with a purist manual transmission, the car reaches a top speed of 313 km/h. The high-revving six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine delivers 510 hp. Complementing the car and watch is a matching weekend bag in rich truffle brown leather. The set is limited to 90 pieces and comes with a price tag of 351,211 euros.

porsche.com