Love of watches, love of design. Dad was an architect, mum an art teacher, me an only child who must have absorbed numerous architecture and art destinations as I travelled through my childhood with them. The first watch they gave me was a Tissot Two Time with both analogue and digital displays along with a skeleton dial exposing two cool orange coil thingies! From memory, you could reset the stopwatch and all the hands would spin around, so cool, and such a unique design.

Fast forward 30 years with numerous vintage and new watches in my collection, last year I was in a position to buy what may be my only classic car, and if it was to be my one and only, it could only be a 911. There are many similarities between cars and watches; form and function, design and engineering, new or old, budget, the marque. For me, design is king. Of course it has to function, quality engineering is a given, but how does it make me feel when I look at something, a watch on my wrist, a car on the street.

Watches and cars, new or old. There were newer options that I could possibly afford, but I now drive my white 1978 Targa almost every day. I mention this because for me, it’s the same with watches, I’m all in if I love the design. It could be old or new, quartz, manual or auto, a well-known brand or an unknown. Of course it took me about five minutes to start thinking of the watches I would wear while driving, but my collection was missing perhaps the best match for the 70s Black Anodised Trim of a 911, and that is a 70s Black PVD Chronograph! But which one?

Finding the right watch (version, condition, budget) was going to take a while, so the first thing I did was to impulse buy a relatively inexpensive quartz version of it, The Dan Henry 1972 Top Gun Chronograph. This watch has all the original look and feel, with modern additions such as an alarm all for USD $350. I was right, it was the perfect match for the car. But my hunt for the original continued, and I had decided on the Porsche Design version with their ‘pd’ logo on the dial and crown.

My decision absolutely included the historic link between Porsche and Porsche Design that can be read about here at Hodinkee and may I just say, I am a Hodinkee fan! I’ve always loved their website and especially their photography. They are marketing masters who can sell $1M of watches in less than an hour. When I’m not listening to Fifth Wrist Radio, I’m listening to Hodinkee podcasts and videos.

Before I begin my review of the Porsche Design Chronograph and as previously stated, I definitely preference design and assume function as a given. In line with this, while I absolutely appreciate movements (Minerva yeah-baby!), I am hopeless at calibres and references etc and am very happy to be informed by others who have far greater knowledge than me. I am also not a watch snob. I do not own a Rolex currently, love vintage or new, any movement type, date, no date, size preference is 39-40mm but own 36-43mm and I have a thing for Milanese bracelets.

Given my little brain, lets discuss the hunt, as opposed to all the different years and references etc. My first call out was via Facebook Watch Groups which discovered only a couple of collectors who had a few beautiful examples that were definitely not for sale. So, to Chrono24 where results included less than ten chronographs of which maybe half were PVD and maybe three on bracelet. Hmm, ok, AUD $3800-4800, wow. Next stop, old faithful, the wild west, username tk0012 for more than 20 years, eBay.

I love eBay, whole days can be spent searching for your current obsession, best bit is all the different search possibilities, misspellings etc. Not that many more results here, but a greater variety of price and condition, frankenwatch to New Old Stock. At this stage of the hunt, I was open to both the Orfina signed (Lemania) movement, and the straight unsigned Lemania movement version. Given that my priority was the ‘pd’ dial, both housed the legendary workhorse chronograph calibre 5100, which can also be found in Heuer, Sinn, Tutima, Hamilton, Eberhard, Bucherer and many other awesome brands.

I wanted that ‘pd’ logo on the dial, so what condition could I afford? I love NOS just as much as I love re-editions of old watches (yeh I said it). I can search eBay for hours looking for NOS Milanese bracelets or NOS Nylon straps to combine with vintage or new watches. Adds so much character! However a whole NOS watch when it is already in low supply was well over budget, but more importantly, my old car is in no way New Old Stock. Don’t get me wrong, she is still beautiful, but let’s just say she shows all of the character gained over 42 years, and I wanted my watch to match.

Magnus Walker agrees with me. AKA Urban Outlaw, this guy customises Porsche cars out of LA and sells them for a lot more than I could afford. Another master of marketing and with a strong online presence, his Orfina dial version is pretty banged up, too much for me but suits him. The point is, condition is another variable factor, and one which I am flexible. Some of my watches are new, some old, some I have scratched up a little, some still in great condition, some came with decades of character before me. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I found a pretty nice example that was definitely a Lemania movement but the colour of the chronograph second hand was also important. I’m not sure why but listings showed different colours from red to orange to yellow, even white (which I’m not sure is even correct), but I wanted orange to match the hands on the 911’s awesome five-analogue-dial dashboard. This particular Lemania version had a yellow hand and that was not for me. So I kept checking every day and see if anything new popped up. Months later, Bingo!

A new listing in the UK (where a mate who was visiting for Christmas happens to live) with a ‘pd’ dial and orange chrono second hand, in pretty good condition for AUD $2500. The only unknown, was it an Orfina movement or straight Lemania? Given the price was reflective of the straight Lemania, I thought if it turns out to be an Orfina then bonus. Hit that BUY IT NOW button! Posted to my mate in London, delivered by him over dinner in Sydney for Christmas, doesn’t get any better than that. Or does it? When I got back to Melbourne and my (basic) watch tools, I took the caseback off to discover Orfina written on the rotor weight, gold.

As with all eBay purchases, having it turn up is the first hurdle, then is it as described, that is, working, chronograph actually functions and resets etc. All good so far. Give her a wind, set the time, good. Adjust the bracelet to my puny wrist with the assistance of basic tools again, DEPLOYANT clasp is a little scratched up but still in keeping especially with ‘pd’ logo there also, loving it. Put it on, grab the car keys, time to take it for a test drive. Such a perfect match. If anyone else would have noticed (which they would not), they would totally agree with me.

Side by side against the modern Dan Henry version, the original Porsche Design sits higher due to its thinker automatic movement (versus the thinner movement of the quartz). Both work however due to being on bracelets, which is why a lot of my watches are either on their original bracelet or an aftermarket Milanese. I feel this adds form overall to the watch and helps it sit comfortably. Nothing annoys me more than a new, thick, stiff leather strap on a case where the lug length is wider than my wrist already. The strap looks ridiculous and feels uncomfortable.

No surprise that the Porsche Design is more legible, especially the awesome white lollipop chronograph minute hand! The Porsche Design has a day window, the Dan Henry has a very handy alarm function. The only “gotcha” with the (vintage) Porsche Design as mentioned by Alex at the Fifth Wrist, was not having the watch tested prior to purchasing. I had noticed that the watch was gaining significant time over a day and Alex discovered that its amplitude was “alarmingly low” (to be said in his charming Scottish accent, haha) and suggested a service. Given what I’d paid for it, an extra $500 is within budget also.

But don’t tell anyone, I’m just going to keep wearing it as it is. Who cares about the time anyway.