Porsche Design’s military chronographs of the late 1970s and 1980s built their reputation on immediate legibility rather than decoration. The Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition for Hodinkee revisits that instrument-first logic, restoring a defining piece of the originals’ functionality instead of merely borrowing their silhouette.
Its new COSC-certified WERK 01.340 automatic movement recreates the architecture associated with the Lemania 5100. Developed over four years, it places elapsed minutes on a central hand, making chronograph readings faster than on a conventional subdial. A 12-hour counter, 24-hour display, bilingual day-date indication, and more than 60 hours of power reserve round out the package.
The 40.8mm case and matching 22mm bracelet are made from bead-blasted, uncoated titanium, paired with a matte-black dial and 100 meters of water resistance.
A leather bund strap made from original Porsche vehicle leather is also included. That emphasis on titanium and functional finishing echoes material-driven watches such as the G-Shock MRG-B2000KT, though the Porsche Design remains resolutely analog.
Production is limited to 350 pieces worldwide. The first 100 are available now through Hodinkee and Watches of Switzerland, priced at $9,650.
