Porsche Design's New Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition Pays Homage to Material Innovation

In 1972, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (F.A.)—the designer of the Porsche 911 and the grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche—debuted the first-ever watch from the product design studio he founded, aptly named Porsche Design. Known as the Chronograph 1, the black-coated stainless-steel piece channeled the dashboard design of the 911 (making it an ideal pairing, especially for durational racing). Three years later, F.A. introduced an uncoated stainless-steel version of the Chronograph 1. It’s the enduring legacy of both models, and the fiftieth anniversary of the latter, that has led to the brand new Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition.

Limited to 350 pieces, the new Chronograph 1 is crafted from uncoated, glass-bead blasted titanium, another historic Porsche Design material. “We started with titanium in 1980. That year, we were the first to introduce a watch completely made from titanium,” Gerhard Novak, Porsche Design’s General Manager of Timepieces, shares with Surface. “For the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition, we asked two questions. What’s the next step? What would F.A. do today? This is what led us to scratch-proof titanium.”

The 40.8mm automatic timepiece—powered by the Porsche Design Caliber WERK 01.240 flyback chronograph movement—updates the cherished aesthetic introduced by F.A. “The design of the dial was clearly derived from the dashboard of the 911 in the 1970s. You can easily recognize that,” Novak continues. “It’s all about readability—max contrast and legibility. The red is traffic red, or Indischrot in German. It’s the color of the hand on the dash. It was a detail that got lost but we brought it back for this release.”

For Ferdi Porsche, the nephew of F.A., it’s a remarkably personal release. “The Chronograph 1 was the watch that introduced me to wearing watches. It was the first watch that made it onto my wrist and stayed there. I loved that it was understated and that it had a family connection,” he says. He also sees so many similarities between the automotive brand and the design firm—they’re engineering first, material focused, and lightweight.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first Chronograph 1 with this titanium case and finish—the previous version, however, was only available for purchase if an individual owned a 992-gen Porsche 911 S/T. This thread between automotive and horology runs deeper. F.A. brought titanium to the wristwatch world after integrating it into the crank shaft of vehicles. There, he observed that it was durable, anticorrosive, and half the weight of steel. Soon after, he noticed that it was also hypoallergenic.

“When you look at all the properties and all the benefits, it is by far the best material for watches,” Novak says. “The only reason all manufacturers do not use titanium is because it’s twice as expensive as stainless steel.” It also lends the watch a sleek sensibility—one that’s certainly a fit for the 911.