Introducing the Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator Chronograph

By Kristen Shirley

This story originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Elite Traveler.

One of the most unexpected watches at Baselworld this year came from Porsche Design. True, a watch from Porsche Design that is inspired by a Porsche car is not usually groundbreaking, but this chronograph had everyone buzzing. The exclusive, patented and world-first chronograph movement is completely unique and was four years in the making.

Instead of pressing a pusher to activate the chronograph, it is initiated by moving part of the case using a rocking mechanism. This rocking mechanism is inspired by the part of the car engine responsible for steering, which also uses a rocker arm. Here, the rocker is linked to the movement and when activated, the rocking part of the case actually slides over the sapphire crystal, which is flat and has an extra-hard coating so there’s no scratching from debris when it moves.

Aside from being very cool, and quite satisfying to click, it’s tightly sealed, which means you can activate the chronograph underwater, which is fairly rare. In this limited edition piece, the Porsche 911 RSR is the inspiration for the matte black carbon dial and red details. At nine o’clock there’s a flag disc which shows if the movement is working.