Porsche Design x Hodinkee Chapter 2: The Return of a Legendary Movement

Hodinkee, the world’s premier destination for watch retail and editorial content, and Porsche Design, the lifestyle brand founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, today announce their latest exclusive collaboration: the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition for Hodinkee. Limited to 350 pieces worldwide, this watch marks the second chapter of the successful partnership between Porsche Design and Hodinkee. This new limited edition brings a pure and clear instrument-first philosophy back to the modern wrist, reviving the legendary utility and functionality of the iconic movement that powered the original Porsche Design Chronograph 1 military watches.
 
The collaboration traces its DNA directly to the legendary Porsche Design military chronographs of the late 1970s and 1980s. During this time, a number of air and naval forces approached Porsche Design directly, asking for a Chronograph 1 built to their own operational specifications: these “Military” variants were designed to be legible in all conditions, dependable under duress, serviceable in the field, with no room for exceptions. Going back to F. A. Porsche’s roots, Hodinkee and Porsche Design have reinterpreted that exact standard for the modern collector — not the uniform, but the same uncompromising commitment to utility, function, and simplicity, with performance as the ultimate aesthetic.
 
 
The Revival of an Icon: WERK 01.340
For over two decades, one of the most revered layouts in horological history was locked under patent. The legendary Lemania 5100 automatic movement – famed for its central chronograph minutes hand, running sub-seconds at 9, 12-hour totalizer at 6, and a 24-hour AM/PM indicator at 12 – outlived its own discontinuation to become a holy grail for collectors of utilitarian design.
 
Following the lifting of that patent, Porsche Design’s watch engineers in Grenchen, Switzerland, immediately set to work, updating this iconic movement to modern-day standards, which in turn meant bringing the military chronograph back to its original form. The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition for Hodinkee features the debut of WERK 01.340, a new complication built upon Porsche Design’s proven automatic chronograph platform. Engineered with modern tolerances and improved accuracy and performance, the WERK 01.340 marks the return of the central-minute chronograph function, 24-hour indicator at 12 o’clock, and quick-set date setting for the first time in over twenty years. The movement is COSC-certified and offers a 60-hour power reserve – notably more runway than the movement it pays tribute to.
 
 
Built with Absolute Restraint
Every detail of the Chronograph 1 Utility has been evaluated against its purpose, following F. A. Porsche’s design theory of form equals function. The case is constructed from uncoated titanium. The unmatched durability and lightness of titanium make perfect sense for a watch defined by purpose. Always keeping functionality in mind, the choice pays homage to Porsche Design’s earliest titanium chronographs and to the lightweight construction philosophy of the 911 that inspired the Chronograph 1 in the first place.
 
Key design elements of the watch include targeted legibility, a defining feature of the Chronograph 1 Utility. The chronograph’s stop-minute hand is mounted centrally and measures up to 60 minutes. Its central position, deep-black finish with a red fighter-jet-shaped tip, and jumping-minute mechanism work together to optimize legibility against the black dial. The central chronograph seconds hand now carries a dose of Super-LumiNova® for high-contrast visibility in dark conditions, while the 12-hour counter remains in red, true to the original watch’s restraint.
 
Another essential feature is the 24-hour function. A 24-hour counter synced with the hour and minute hands replaces the minute counter at 12 o’clock — a direct descendant of the 5100’s original AM/PM indicator, rebuilt for how the watch is worn today. When the time is set in standard 12-hour format, the counter instantly shows whether it is morning or night.
 
The chapter ring also follows the functional character of the original references. Rather than a tachymeter, it runs a 12-hour scale, built to track elapsed time rather than speed. The dial itself takes a retrospective approach: As the name suggests, this new model features the Utility lettering at 3 o’clock. It maintains the historic Porsche Design logo, the period-correct typeface, and the same instrument-first proportions as the earliest references. In place of an invented flourish, the text below the date window reads “Porsche Design for Hodinkee” – a direct reference to the way “by Orfina” once appeared on original manufacturer-credited dials of the Porsche Design Chronograph I.
 
A “Ti” indicator, the chemical symbol for titanium, sits toward the top of the dial – a direct nod to the vintage pieces that once marked their military-spec tritium lume with a “3H” or “T” badge. Completing the design is the dual-language date: The date window shows both English and German days of the week, a small nod to the partnership with Porsche Design.
 
 
The Partnership – A Trilogy
In 2024 Hodinkee and Porsche Design first teamed up to launch the Chronograph 1 – Hodinkee 2024 Edition. The partnership now continues with the second chapter of a three-part collaboration. Equally enamored with the legacy of the Lemania 5100, it was a natural fit for Hodinkee to partner with Porsche Design to bring this icon back to life in 2026.
 
“There are few people in the world who share this level of passion about this movement as Hodinkee. When we knew the patent was becoming available, Hodinkee was the clear partner to help tell this story,” said Rolf Bergmann, CEO of Porsche Design Timepieces Manufaktur.
 
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the next chapter of our partnership with Hodinkee by giving rebirth to one of our brand’s iconic heritage timepieces and its unique functionality. Paying tribute to Porsche Design’s military chronographs by launching a newly developed COSC-certified Chronograph caliber proves our commitment to high-end Swiss watchmaking.” adds Gerhard Novak, Director Business Unit Porsche Design Timepieces.
 
“When we started this partnership, we didn’t just want to tell the story of the Porsche Design military chronographs – we wanted to find a way to actually bring back what makes those watches so compelling to collectors in the first place: the Lemania 5100’s dial layout. That architecture was built around a single idea – read this watch in a glance, under any condition, without a second of hesitation – and it’s a combination that remains rare in watches, even today. The fact that it disappeared for twenty years because of a patent, and not because anyone actually improved on it, always felt like a loss to us. So there’s something fitting about Porsche Design being the ones to bring it back, this time with a brand-new movement built on the same values that produced the original military watches in the ’70s. And getting to be a part of that, two chapters into a partnership we’re genuinely proud of, makes it mean even more.” – Benjamin Clymer, Founder of Hodinkee.
 
 
Complete Package & Availability
In an uncompromising nod to versatility, the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition for Hodinkee will be presented on a matching titanium bracelet. Included in the watch box is a classic Bund strap in Agave Green made from leather used in the interior of Porsche sports cars with stitching in GT Silver. The bund insert is made from the same leather with a tone-in-tone stitching. The quick-change mechanism allows collectors to seamlessly transition the piece back to its historic field silhouette within seconds and with no tools needed. The laser-engraving of the limited edition number (xxx/350) on the titanium case back makes each piece a unique collector’s item.
 
The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition for Hodinkee is limited to 350 pieces worldwide and will be available from October 1, 2026, at 05:00 p.m. CEST for 8,950 Euros. In Europe, the edition will be available at porsche.com, Porsche Design Stores, selected Porsche Centers, and selected retailers. In the U.S., the timepiece will be available exclusively via Hodinkee and Watches of Switzerland.