While the automobile industry is trying to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, sports car aficionados will soon be able to custom-build their own Porsche wristwatches.
Founded in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche to apply the principles of luxury automobile design to other products, Porsche Design has now launched a new Custom-Built Timepiece program.
Although Porsche Design has been selling special timepieces tied to matching cars since 2016, the new digital custom configurator and the new timepieces will be available to anyone, whether they already own a Porsche or not.
The program is based on the same production principles used in the manufacturing of Porsche sports cars, offering customers the opportunity to create a custom-built wristwatch, choosing from 1.5 million configurations.
These timepieces are all built around a 42-mm case, either glass bead-blasted natural titanium or black-coated titanium.
"Titanium and black-coated titanium cases are what Porsche Design timepieces have become known for. This originated with the designer of the Porsche 911, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and we will never change anything about it," Rolf Bergmann, Managing Director of Porsche Design Timepieces AG, said in a statement.
Buyers can also customize the signature element of the self-winding WERK 01.100 movement, certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. A total of six design variants are available for the winding rotor of the mechanical, emulating wheel designs from the newest Porsche 911.
Porsche also offers up to 300 different configurations for the metal and leather watchbands.
While the metal bracelets are made of titanium, the leather straps are crafted from the same hides used for Porsche automobile interiors and come in the 14 official interior color options of the Porsche 911.
Once customers have made their selections, the Custom-Built Timepiece configurator generates a custom code necessary to place an order through any Porsche car dealership.
The personalized watch is then produced in the Porsche Design manufacturing center in Solothurn, Switzerland, and delivered within eight to 12 weeks.
The Porsche Design custom-built timepieces start at $6,000 and go up to $12,650, depending on options.
While German watch enthusiasts had the opportunity to check out Porsche Design's new Custom-Built Timepiece program back in July, customers in the UK and the US will have to wait until September 1.