Wild story of how Porsche watches ended up going head-to-head with the Swiss icons
Published on Jan 31, 2026 at 7:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jan 29, 2026 at 8:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Porsche is one of the most recognizable names in cars, which is why seeing it on a luxury watch still feels slightly out of place.
It reads like brand overreach, until you realize this wasn’t a licensing deal or a lifestyle afterthought.
Instead, it started as a deeply personal project led by the man who shaped Porsche’s most famous car.
And somehow, it grew into a challenge to Swiss watchmaking’s old rules.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
How Porsche watches came to be
The story centers on Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, usually called FA Porsche.
He was the guy who designed the Porsche 911 in his 20s, which is already an overachiever move.
But in 1972, Porsche became a public company, and family members no longer held any operational management positions.
So the man behind the 911 was suddenly out.
FA didn’t fade into obscurity.
He started Porsche Design.
One of his first projects came from Porsche itself.
They wanted a premium gift for long-serving employees, and the idea of a luxury watch made sense.
The brief was blunt.
It had to be precise, easy to read, and completely free of decoration.
FA treated the watch like a car dashboard.
From years of racing, he knew glare was the enemy.
White dials reflected light, and shiny metal distracted the eye.
So he did the opposite.
He made everything black, flipped the numbers to white, and added a red hand so your eye could find it instantly.
In the early 1970s, this was groundbreaking.
Luxury watches were silver or gold. Never black.
The Chronograph 1 became the world’s first all-black watch, coated using early PVD technology, and powered by a modern automatic movement built with Swiss partner Orfina.
It looked like it belonged in a cockpit, not a jewelry store.
Then Hollywood got involved.
Jerry Bruckheimer tracked one down for Top Gun, and Tom Cruise wore it on screen.
Suddenly, Porsche watches were all the rage.
Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology
Why these automotive watches rattled the Swiss industry
Porsche watches didn’t arrive as a direct challenge to Swiss watchmaking, but their commitment to not following the rules definitely ruffled some feathers.
At the time, most Swiss brands were focused on tradition.
Visual luxury mattered as much as the mechanics inside.
But Porsche Design took a different route and treated a watch like equipment.
If something didn’t improve readability or performance, it didn’t belong.
That difference became clearer when Porsche Design partnered with IWC Schaffhausen.
Together, they pushed materials and ideas that weren’t common yet, including early titanium cases and purpose-built tool watches that prioritized function over ornament.
The result wasn’t a takeover or a trend shift, but a clear alternative.
Porsche showed that mechanical watches didn’t have to look traditional to be taken seriously.
They could feel modern, technical, and automotive in spirit.
Porsche never tried to redefine Swiss watchmaking.
It simply proved there was another way to do it.
The evolution of Porsche Design watches
1972: Ferdinand Alexander Porsche founds Porsche Design in Stuttgart, extending Porsche’s functional design philosophy beyond cars
1972: Porsche Design launches the Chronograph I, the world’s first all-black wristwatch, developed with Swiss manufacturer Orfina
Late 1970s: Porsche Design watches gain cult status among drivers and pilots but face resistance from traditional Swiss watch brands
1980: Porsche Design pioneers the use of titanium in wristwatches, challenging Swiss norms around materials
1990s: Porsche Design’s watch presence quietens as production partnerships shift and Swiss brands dominate the luxury watch boom
2004: Porsche Design partners with Swiss manufacturer Eterna, restoring technical credibility and access to in-house movements
2011: Porsche Design announces plans to bring watchmaking fully in-house
2014: Porsche Design Timepieces AG opens a dedicated Swiss manufacture in Solothurn
2017: Porsche Design unveils the Monobloc Actuator chronograph with integrated rocker-style pushers inspired by Porsche engines
2020s: Porsche Design watches compete head-to-head with Swiss icons using in-house calibres, advanced materials, and authentic automotive engineering
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
