At an exclusive Watches of Switzerland event in New York, Porsche Design unveiled the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition, a titanium tribute to a rarely seen vintage variant of its iconic 1970s chronograph. It arrives in a campaign spotlighted by brand ambassador Orlando Bloom, and celebrates the brand’s new retail partnership with Watches of Switzerland Group – now its exclusive third-party US retailer.
First launched in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche – the renowned designer of the Porsche 911 – the all-black Chronograph 1 is credited with revolutionizing watch design courtesy of its signature black coating. In 1975, Porsche Design followed it with an uncoated stainless-steel version – this new edition follows in its tracks, steering away from the original black finish and updating it with a 40.8mm glass bead-blasted titanium case and bracelet.
This isn’t the first time the Chronograph 1 has got dressed up in titanium. 2023’s 911 S/T edition arrived in the same metal, but to get your hands on it required a new 992-gen Porsche 911 S/T to be sat in your garage. This new version (thankfully to most) doesn’t require extra cash to be splashed on a car, too.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be easier to secure, as the timepiece is a limited run of only 350. Here, each model’s individual number is engraved on its closed caseback.
Inside, the watch houses the COSC-certified Porsche Design Caliber WERK 01.240, a flyback automatic chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve and, in a subtle tip of the hat, an English and German day-date complication.
Retaining the original matte black dial and crisp white numerals, it features Super-LumiNova® hour markers, and baton-style hands for high legibility, along with a red chronograph seconds hand and a tachymeter scale on the rehaut. The sapphire crystal is scratch-resistant and features sevenfold anti-reflective coating on both sides.
With a water resistance of 100 meters, a height of 14.15mm, and rugged construction, this is a chronograph built for real-world performance as much as historical appreciation.
Priced at $9,650, the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition is now available through Watches of Switzerland locations in SoHo, Hudson Yards, Las Vegas, Mayors in Orlando and Tampa, and online.