Porsche Design: Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition Titanium

Last week, Porsche Design unveiled the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition at the Watches of Switzerland SoHo flagship store in New York, celebrating the new partnership with the retailer. This release marks the first time Porsche Design has offered a Chronograph 1 in uncoated titanium outside of its exclusive automotive collaborations, opening a new chapter in the evolution of one of watchmaking’s most storied chronographs. The timepiece pays homage to a stainless steel variant of the Chronograph I launched in 1975, a utilitarian evolution of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche’s groundbreaking all-black chronograph from 1972.

In the 1960s, F. A. Porsche revolutionized automotive design with the creation of the Porsche 911, an enduring symbol of performance, purity, and timeless design. His design ethos–form equals function–still holds true today in all Porsche Design creations. In 1972, F. A. Porsche translated his vision for the 911 into the all-black Chronograph I, a premier in the world of watches. Following the success of the Chronograph I made of black-coated stainless steel, F. A. Porsche further refined its distinctive character, combining the black dial with a brushed, uncoated stainless-steel case in 1975. The result was a utilitarian elegance that would later form the basis for military-issue variants sought-after by elite air force and naval units.

Five decades later, Porsche Design introduces a new Chronograph 1 as a tribute to its storied past. The timepiece is made from titanium, like the first all-titanium wristwatch that Porsche Design introduced in 1980. The Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition features a matte-black dial with bold white accents, designed for immediate legibility in any condition. Super-LumiNova-coated hour markers and baton-style hands ensure optimal readability, while the rectangular minute hand, now tipped for enhanced precision, traces the outer minute track with clarity. A tachymeter scale encircles the dial on the matte-black rehaut, while the dual-language date display (German/English) underscores the functional elegance of these modern instruments. The Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition bears both the current Porsche Design logo rendered in the contemporary brand typeface and the historic Porsche Design icon on its dial. This new edition’s case measures 40.8mm x 14.15mm and is glass bead-blasted to a refined matte finish.

The Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition comes on a glass bead-blasted titanium bracelet, matching the case in both material and finish, and with a titanium folding clasp with fine adjustment that features the historic Porsche Design icon. The minimalist yet robust design echoes the aesthetics of high-performance automotive components. With a solid titanium crown and case back engraved with the historic Porsche Design icon, the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition proudly displays the "Flyback Automatic" engraving on the reverse side, revealing the mechanical prowess of the Porsche Design Caliber WERK 01.240, which bears a C.O.S.C. chronometer certificate. Beating with 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour, the chronograph movement offers a power reserve of 48 hours.

Limited to 350 pieces, the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition Titanium has a retail price of $9,650.

To learn more, visit Porsche Design, here.