BACK IN BLACK

The luxury watch world can be complex if you don’t know your Rolexes from your Patek Philippes, and if sports car company Porsche has its way, things are about to get even more complicated. The German marque has swapped its hometown of Stuttgart for Switzerland, where it’s opening a state-of-the-art watchmaking facility on the doorstep of horology’s household names – something it’s relishing. 

“Yes, no problem,” a bullish Rolf Bergmann, Managing Director of Porsche Design Timepieces, tells Cloud when asked if it can compete with the most sought-after watch brands. “Look at the leather. Rolex is not offering leather to customers officially, but we can, and we have the highest quality of leather in our cars,” he adds. “The sapphire crystal is anti-reflect coated and additionally hard-coated. Normally, an anti-reflect coating can disappear over time, but because ours is hard-coated, it cannot disappear from the crystal. Rolex is not doing that.” 

It’s fighting talk, but you’d be confident too if you’d just signed up Hollywood heartthrob and Porsche fanboy, Orlando Bloom, as your new ambassador. “Orlando is a watch guy, and he’s a car guy… Oh no, he’s a Porsche guy,” says Gerhard Novak, General Manager of Porsche Design Timepieces. “He owns eight or nine, and he drove his first, I think it was a ’73 911 S 20 years ago, and it’s still in his possession. We more or less ran into each other at Monterey Car Week while he was there with his son. He couldn’t believe how crazy the Porsche watch story was, and five months later, we signed the contract.” 

The watch story Novak refers to is indeed ‘crazy’, involving legendary Formula 1 icons, NATO and the movie that catapulted Tom Cruise to global stardom. First, we need to wind the clock back to 1972. 

A HOROLOGICAL MILESTONE 

Almost a decade on from debuting the original 911 in 1964, its designer, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, decided he wanted to make a watch with a motorsport mindset. Having revolutionised the dials of its 24-hour racing cars to mitigate the distractions of low-lying sun, sideways rain, headlights and circuits lit by candles – all while doing 300km/h – he realised this recipe could be replicated on a watch face. 

The Porsche family had been involved with watches before. Customers in the 1950s were gifted golden timepieces when they reached 100,000 kilometres. When this became a regular occurrence, they were replaced with golden hands, but by the 1960s, the watches were no more. 

Ferdinand eventually created the Chronograph 1, the first ever all-black matte watch with a special anti-glare coating. “The initial idea was to create a watch for employees who had reached 25 years with Porsche,” says Novak. “Then we learned the watch wasn't kept on all employees’ wrists. It was given to race drivers. It became so popular Porsche owners approached dealerships asking if they could order it.” 

Its exceptional readability – matte black dial, white detailing, red second hand – caught the eye of Formula 1 drivers like Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti. “Even Niki Lauda, who was known for not purchasing a lot of things, went for one,” adds Novak. Perhaps most strikingly, Ferrari boss Gianni Agnelli was pictured sporting a Chronograph 1 on his private jet, worn on the outside of his shirt cuff as was the fashion. Made all the more surprising as Ferrari was sponsored by luxury watch brand Longines at the time.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

The Chronograph 1’s legend grew through military affiliations. NATO, Britain’s Royal Navy and US Air Force pilots all adopted it. Nobody knew at the time, but it would soon appear in movie theatres. 

“The first Porsche Design store outside Germany was in Beverly Hills, and this guy came in and said, ‘I’m Jerry Bruckheimer, we’re doing a military film, and I’m looking for equipment for a movie,’” says Novak. “He didn’t mention the name of the film and asked to be lent a Chronograph 1 because the US Air Force ‘Top Gun’ guys wore them. As there was no marketing guy around, it was decided, well, why not? And the watch was lent to him. When he brought it back a year and a half later, Top Gun was famous.” 

Worn by Tom Cruise’s character, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, the Chronograph 1 features in several scenes but wasn’t the only Porsche in the film. Kelly McGillis’ intelligent and uncompromising flight instructor, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood, famously drives a classic 356 A Speedster, and Novak is quick to point out that Porsche didn’t miss its message with the female audience. Its watches, like its cars, are very much for women, too. 

Cruise tried to buy the Chronograph 1 he wore in the film, but Porsche politely declined and the watch went into storage. “Nearly 40 years later, Bruckheimer approached us at the Rennsport Reunion in Laguna Seca in California, once again, when he was preparing the tools for Top Gun: Maverick,” says Novak. “We lent him the original watch and asked him to bring it back. It’s still in our possession. Maybe there will be a third edition, and let’s see if we hand it over again.” 

Once again, Cruise tried to buy the watch, but no dice. “He approached us and said he would like to go for that watch, because for him it’s an important tool. And we said, no, we keep it,” adds Novak playfully. Again, the watch makes it into key scenes, while love interest Penelope ‘Penny’ Benjamin, played by Jennifer Connelly, drives a 1973 911 S coupe – funnily enough, the same model as Orlando Bloom’s first Porsche. 

THE CAR COMES WITH IT 

As with its cars, Porsche has a proud history of innovation with its watches. In 1980, the Chronograph 1 switched to an all-titanium build. Porsche’s engineers had already swapped steel for lightweight, anti-corrosive titanium on its race engine crankshafts when Ferdinand remembered mechanics reported doing away with gloves because it was also hypoallergenic. All Porsche watches are still made from titanium today. 

While a vintage Chronograph 1 might be tempting – watches more than 50 years old are exempt from Capital Gains Tax in the UK – Porsche brought back the Chronograph 1 in 2022, alongside a range of special edition models. Its watch configurator mirrors its car customisation process: customers can match their watch to their 911, selecting from more than 140 colours for the dial ring, leather straps from the same hide used in the interior and winding rotors inspired by 911 wheels. As one Porsche Design executive put it, “The car comes with it.” 

The prestigious “Swiss Made” label also applies to Porsche Design’s exclusive chronograph movement, the calibre WERK 01.100, which builds on the proven Valjoux design and is crafted by Sellita, a renowned Swiss manufacturer. 

IN BLOOM 

With Orlando Bloom leading a new chapter in Porsche history, the brand recently revealed the Chronograph 911 – Spirit 70 watch, a heritage design exclusively for 911 Spirit 70 owners. Limited to 1,500 units, no word on whether an Elf of the Woodland Realm could source one. 

With demand outpacing supply, Porsche plans to double production capacity, not least because, in some cases, cars are being delivered before watches. Should you prefer a smartwatch, Porsche’s partnership with adventure brand Garmin is still very much alive, although according to Novak, it’s much less a watch and much more a functional tool that interacts with your lifestyle. “As Swiss watch manufacturers, we don’t do that.” It’s good to know that despite crossing borders, some things still feel distinctly German.