In 1972 Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche, the designer of the most iconic and successful sports-super car ever produced, found himself unemployed. Ejected from Porsche AG by his father for in-fighting, yet unwilling to remain idle he founded Porsche Design Studio.
That very same year, Porsche Design collaborated with Swiss manufacturer Orfina to produce one of the most iconic racing Chronographs of the 1970’s: The Porsche Design Chronograph 1. Hailed as the original ‘blacked out watch’, the anti-glare PVD coated chronograph was a world first, and a perfect demonstration of Butzi’s ability to integrate new engineering techniques into the functional and aesthetic aspects of his designs.
To any motoring enthusiast, the Chronograph 1’s dial is immediately reminiscent of Porsche dashboard instrument dials of the period. The balance of crisp white print on a black background meets the almost urgent legibility of the orange chronograph seconds hand at centre. Over the years the luminescent plots on the dial and hands have aged to a wonderful shade of vanilla, with stunning uniformity.
The early Chronograph 1’s were fitted with a Valjoux 7750 movement, a reliable and sturdy unit that’s still seen in watches produced today. This slightly later, semi-transitional example however, houses the venerable Lemania 5100 which is renown for its robustness, and serviceability. Much like the state of the art Physical Vapour Deposition treatment used on the Chronograph 1’s case, the Lemania 5100 demonstrated several cutting edge Swiss movement manufacturing techniques, including the use of Delrin for additional shock resistance, while a vertical clutch chronograph engagement mechanism allowed for a constant running of the chronograph with no undue wear to the train wheels. Automatic winding and quickset date complete the package nicely. Here at P.E.W. we are great fans of the Lemania 5100, as well as its’ Omega derivatives, such as the Omega Cal 1045. It’s this sister movement after all, that powers many of the Speedmaster Mark series as well as the ‘Holy-Grail’ reference.
The watch has recently undergone a full service, courtesy of Orfina themselves, and will ship with the remainder of this service warranty, alongside our own 12 month warranty. Also included is a beautiful period Orfina box, and two bracelets: one new, and the original bracelet. The service & restoration carried out by Orfina was carried out at a cost of almost £2000.
The condition of the watch is superb for the age. The PVD coating is showing some light patination on the hardest edges of the case, while the original bracelet is showing more wear - the newer replacement bracelet is a welcome addition to the package, and gives the new owner the choice of how best to enjoy the watch.
The Chronograph 1’s status as an icon was cemented when motor sport legend Mario Andretti wore his own example during the 1978 Grand Prix season. 8 years later, Tom Cruise would be seen wearing the very same mode in Top Gun, while acting as lead role and pilot ace ‘Maverick’ - a particularly apt inclusion as various militaries across the world also adopted the Chronograph 1, though with slight modifications to the dial and handset.