By Jovan Krstevski
In 1948, a legendary car brand was born, the Porsche that we all want to drive. I still remember the earliest model of Porsche, the 356. It was the design that led to the final development of the 911 that is very much in production today. For a bit of a trivia, the Porsche name does not refer exclusively to the carmaker but also to the design wing of the brand. When looking at the products of the car brand though, make no mistake of associating it directly to the Porsche Design, the 2 are pretty much world’s apart. Nevertheless, the Porsche Design has been involved in the timepiece business since 1972. So it is just right for the carmaker to revisit this partnership. The resulting watch is of course the 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition which is a special edition limited to 1948 pieces.
The 1919 collection is also the successor of Porsche Design’s earliest watches, designed by Butzi Porsche himself. It is pretty easy to see the Porsche signatures on the watch. The shape of the Porsche watch focuses on fluidity much like the aerodynamics on a car. This gives the watch a very unique distinction among the lot. No doubt, its design is the result of a complex design process, sounds like Porsche right? In this manner, the case is no more than a central container with a round shape and held by two lug modules that are hollowed to give advantage over its mass. Thus the design enables the watch to fit the wrist comfortably while at the same time, creating a cool visual spectacle. The total design of the watch is minimalist but surprisingly bold and original. It is in fact, very sporty and extremely functional.
Moving on, the 42mm titanium case of the new Porsche Design 1919 Datetimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition is finished with black titanium carbide resulting to a matte surface. This stealthy look is completed with an integrated black calfskin strap with black stitching and black folding clasp. The watch is a true sports watch given its diameter and its 100m water resistance. Under the hood is a Swiss Sellita SW 200–1 automatic featuring 38h power reserve.
On the dial is a silhouette of the iconic Porsche 356 and the year 1948 as tribute to Porsche and its 70th anniversary. The signature tachometer rings used on the dashboard of the legendary Porsche 356 is also present along with the hands in white and the three-dimensional ceramic numbers and indices inserted onto the dial’s milled recesses.
At the back is a special “70 years” logo engraving, the 1948–2018 dates and the unique number of the watch – xxxx/1948. Buyers can also ask for certain customizations from the brand which is a cool factor for this collectible. For more info, visit Porsche Design online.
