Award-Winning Design – As Current As 50 Years Ago

In 2022, the Chronograph I was successfully relaunched in the form of the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition to mark the 50th anniversary of Porsche Design. The timeless and groundbreaking design of this timepiece has now been recognized with the coveted Red Dot Design Award 2023 in the Product Design category. Designed by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972, this special wristwatch has lost none of its currency even after 50 years and continues to impress with its perfect symbiosis of form and function.

The Chronograph I was the world’s first all-black wristwatch and simultaneously marked the genesis of Porsche Design. With this watch, F. A. Porsche succeeded in consistently transferring his idea of the design, aesthetics, and functionality of a sports car to a watch. The result was the “sports car for the wrist” in which the readability of the dial was derived from the dashboard in the cockpit of the legendary Porsche 911. “We are proud and happy to receive the prestigious Red Dot Award for the new edition of the Chronograph 1. The timepiece embodies what Porsche Design has stood for for 50 years as it follows the maxim of optimizing function and reducing form to the essentials. F. A. Porsche designed the Chronograph I at a time when watches had a decorative character, but he focused on function as a measuring instrument and therefore precise readability,” says Carsten Monnerjan, Head of Design at the Porsche Lifestyle Group, who personally accepted the award at the Red Dot Gala held at the Aalto Theater in Essen.

“Best of the Best” – Design and Innovation in Perfection

The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s most prestigious design awards and has been presented since 1955. It is divided into three disciplines: Product Design, Brand & Communication Design, and Design Concept. The “Best of the Best” award received by the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition is the top award in the competition. An international jury chose the timepiece for this award, emphasizing in particular its design quality and degree of innovation. The chronograph, which is limited to 500 watches, is almost entirely inspired by the original from 1972, but is technically state-of-the-art. Crafted by hand at Porsche’s own watch factory in Solothurn, Switzerland, the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition pays homage to the iconic original and embodies the essence of Porsche Design. The dial, crown, clasp, and case back bear the historic Porsche Design logo. The tachymeter scale around the dial and the day and date display are based on the 1972 typography. As with the original, the hands are designed as stick hands. “We asked ourselves how F. A. Porsche would design ‘his’ chronograph using the means available today. The color scheme, form, and proportions of the Original Chronograph I still reflect our ideal of functional, purist design. We therefore stayed true to this and focused on technical advancement,” explains Rolf Bergmann, Managing Director of Porsche Design Timepieces AG. Optimum readability is ensured by luminescent hour indices with luminous material made from Super-LumiNova® and the seven-fold antireflective sapphire crystal glass with hardened coating on both sides. The anniversary edition features a newly developed Porsche Design automatic movement with COSC certification, the WERK 01.140 caliber, which guarantees maximum precision. It also features a bilingual date display that works with a quick-action switch. The material is new: the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition is not made from stainless steel like the original. Instead, the case, strap, and clasp are made from high-quality titanium. This material tested in motorsport was used by F. A. Porsche in the watchmaking industry for the first time to produce a chronograph in 1980.

Red Dot Exhibition and Yearbook

If you want to take a closer look at the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition, which sold out in a matter of days, you should plan a visit to the Red Dot exhibition in the Red Dot Design Museum at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen. All the products selected for an award by the Red Dot jury are presented here on an area of over 4,000 square meters. The Red Dot Design yearbook will be published in August, offering an overview of the state-of-the-art and trends in product design. It contains a detailed product presentation and an interview with Carsten Monnerjan.

Chronograph 1 – All Black Numbered Edition

The iconic design of the Chronograph I went into series production with the Chronograph 1 – All Black Numbered Edition. As the “successor” to the limited and sold-out anniversary edition, the Chronograph 1 – All Black Numbered Edition is being released as an exclusive limited edition of a maximum of 1,000 watches a year. It takes up the historic design of the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition and transfers it into the present – for example, by using the current Porsche font and the modern Porsche Design logo. The consecutive numbering on the back of the case makes each piece unique. The Chronograph 1 – All Black Numbered Edition can be ordered at porsche-design.de, in Porsche Design stores around the world, and from selected specialist watch retailers.