Porsche Design Timepieces - F. A.’s Legacy

A man sits alone at a workbench. Before him lies an array of tweezers and miniature screwdrivers. Gazing through a jeweler’s loupe, he assembles a watch movement and sets it into a casing. This is the classic image of watchmaking that has etched itself into our minds. And this is in fact exactly what happens in many places.

At #porsche Design Timepieces, specialists also meticulously give watches their final touches. But before reaching that point, the company’s approach differs from that of a traditional workshop. Since opening in the Swiss town of Solothurn in 2014, its model has been #porsche AG—both the Development Center in Weissach and the production facilities in Zuffenhausen. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, some of the key people at #porsche Design Timepieces have the #porsche philosophy running through their veins, like managing director Rolf Bergmann. After earning a degree in production engineering, he worked as a production manager in Zuffenhausen for many years.

Flexibility in production plays a key role in Zuffenhausen. Carreras, Turbos, coupes, Targas, or convertibles may be moving along the assembly line in no particular sequence—and the requisite parts are always ready for assembly at the right time and in the right place. Bergmann has adopted this system for use in watch manufacturing as well. And furthermore, because he works with flexible suppliers who also operate on a just-in-time basis, limited-edition series can easily be produced—including personalized, one-of-a-kind pieces. The first #porsche Club orders for limited-edition watch series have already been placed.

The Solothurn-based company might still be young, but #porsche Design has a long tradition of making watches. The latter was founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander #porsche, who gave the 911 the unmistakable lines that mark it to this day. After starting his design studio in Stuttgart in 1972, he presented his first self-designed watch the very next year. It was entirely matte black except for the hands and indexes. “My intention was to create a timepiece that would match the car. Black, like the speedometer and tachometer of the 911, because that would eliminate the glare.” Another milestone was the titanium chronograph from the 1980s. It has a legendary design with pushers sunk into the casing, but it’s especially famous for being the first chronograph to be made out of titanium. #porsche Design Timepieces continues in this tradition: its watches are made of the same material.