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| Porsche Design Watches |
The greatest thing that can happen to a designer is to have complete control of the production of his idea, from the beginning sketch to the finished product, the master of German product design Ferdinand Alexander Porsche is on record as saying. "But it can quickly turn into a nightmare."
To have complete responsibility for material, production quality, marketing, distribution, and after-sale service does require a few virtues foreign to most designers, and actually even goes against the grain in most cases. It entails compromising at the right time and the right place, not only accepting the hated red pencil but even using it oneself, exercising a measure of discipline and objectivity unheard-of in artistic circles, and the ability to let a head of produc¬tion or distribution have a say.
With this in mind, it is easy to see that Porsche Design AG's takeover of the established watch company Eterna was a very professional move, and the quality of the new products sporting the label Porsche Design speaks a very lucid language.
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Unusual, though first-class and excellently work¬ed, materials, classic yet modern cases, and clean design completely resisting superficial decoration constitute the characteristics of watches by Porsche Design. These are products that homogeneously fit into the line of other items created by F. A. Porsche's design studio.
A model policy that vigilantly takes care that things do not get out of hand is a part of FA Porsche's philosophy. If the watch line is extended by a new product, then the collection is reduced by at least one of its existing products. At the moment there are about thirty model variations, and this is the number that should remain.
In Switzerland's little watch city Grenchen, where the Porsche Design watches are produced by Eterna, the realization has obviously matured of late that modern, puristic design and the use of classic case metals for the manufac¬ture of watches do not form a contradiction.One of the most attractive results of this obviously slightly altered product strategy is the PGC (Porsche Gold Chronograph). Despite its con¬ventional dial, it constitutes one of the most outstanding new products by Porsche Design. This is certainly because the company has remained loyal to its adopted design path despite the production of this new chronograph in rose and white gold.
Nonetheless, or possibly because of the use of conventional materials, the PGC model is a cut above the rest, despite its discreet appearance influenced only by nuances. Polishing the front of the strap lugs while sandblasting the rest of the case is just one of the ideas that make this classic chronograph into an unusual watch. The surface structure of the chronograph buttons with an easy-to-grip cut cross, certainly motivat¬ed by more practical considerations, is but another.
Yet another good example of this is the PAT., a chronograph that doesn't even weigh 60 grams (not quite 2 ounces). Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was just as consistent in the design of this watch as he was with the slimming action of the Porsche 911. That automobile became the Carrera RS, the most successful race car of all time. And the new automatic version of the chronograph, only available in quartz until now, also possesses a rotor hub with a separately attached oscillating weight that is designed like the wheel rim of a sports car.
The uncompromising lightweight construction is manifested in both the watch and the car in the use of technical metals still considered rather exotic in watch construction. While the bezel, dial, and case back are made of a thin titanium, the case body is made of feather-light duralumin, an especially dense alloy of light metal that is highly shock-resistant and retains its shape well in spite of its light weight. The somewhat problematic mechanical sensitivity of the surface is concealed by anodizing it matte black. This technical beauty, which relinquishes all design frivolity, is in away the trademark of each Porsche creation, and not only in the area of automobiles. It's no wonder then that the entire charm of the watch can be compared to the spartan interior of a race car. This is the engi¬neering behind the design.
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Porsche Design
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