BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Porsche Design is a company that manufactures a wide variety of high-quality products, which also includes Swiss-made automotive-themed watches that are influenced by, you guessed it right, Porsche sports cars. The latest addition to the brand’s watch collection comes in the form of the Chronograph 911 GT3, a watch that is inspired by the recently launched Porsche 992 GT3.
Let’s begin by talking a little about the new 992 GT3. Based on the latest 911 Carrera, the 992 GT3 is a high-performance sports car that is striking to look at and is designed to give the driver an adrenaline rush. Powering this car is a four-liter, six-cylinder naturally aspirated motor that takes this car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. To achieve these figures the car features an aerodynamic body that has been constructed using lightweight materials to keep the overall weight of the car down to 1418, making it nimble. Finally, the car gets some additional sporty touches that include a blue paint job, the raised rear wing, the dual diffuser, etc. Now, let’s have a quick look at the watch.
One of the things I admire about Porsche design watches is their use of innovative ways to exhibit their design influence, and the 911 GT chronograph is no different. For instance, like the 992 GT3 has a low kerb weight that helps improve its driving dynamics, the 42mm case on this watch has been crafted from lightweight titanium to enhance its wearing comfort. Furthermore, the case has been coated with carbon carbide, making it look sporty and bear a close resemblance to the blacked-out parts on the 992 GT3. The case is water-resistant to 50 meters, which is taken care of by using a screw-down crown. The fixed bezel on top of the case features a tachymeter scale, which is quite fitting for a motorsport-inspired watch and can be used to measure the approximate speed of a vehicle.
Offered in two variations, the dial on this watch has a clean and functional design and is replete with sporty details. The dial gets a tri-register setup with the chronograph counters placed at 12 and 6 and a running second’s register at 9. Interestingly, to track the running seconds, folks at Porsche design have used a disc with a printed racing-inspired chequered flag and 911 GT3 branding instead of a traditional hand. Surrounding the registers are double-digit numerals at intervals of five and a non-obtrusive date window with a black date wheel at 4. Moving outwards, there is a raised chapter ring with luminous hour markers and a white and yellow minute/chronograph seconds hand. On the outermost periphery is a blue or black circular ring, with the former being similar to the paint color of the 992 GT3. The hands are of baton style, the hour and minute hands have been filled with luminous paint for low light visibility, and the chronograph hands have been painted in yellow to bring an additional dash of color.
The rear of the watch features an exhibition case-back that gives way to the mechanical internals. Powering this watch is the Calibre WERK 01.200, which is a heavily modified variation of the trustworthy Valjoux 7750. The movement is COSC certified for better timing accuracy and comes with a flyback function that enables the chronograph hand to reset and start again without being stopped. The most visually arresting detail on the movement side is the oscillating weight that resonates with the alloy wheel design of the 992 GT3.
The new Porsche Design Chronograph 911 GT3 comes attached to a leather strap that uses the same leather as used inside Porsche cars. The watch will retail from USD 8,050. Another point worth mentioning is that this watch is heavily customizable. The buyer can opt for a plain or black titanium case, choose the color of the rotor, and even select the color of stitching on the strap.
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