There is design, and then there is Porsche design. The former is universal, and the latter itself is a unique design language.
Porsche design began with iconic cars, but in the world of watches, Porsche is also a name with brilliant achievements. The reason can be summarized in two words: the eternal innovator.
Let’s start with the last word, innovator. Porsche Design was founded in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, aiming to apply his designs to areas other than automobiles. The first watch he designed was Chrono I, which combined a matte black dial with a matte black case and bracelet.
Although common today, this monochromatic color scheme was not common at the time, especially for luxury goods.
In 1980, it launched a new chronograph in cooperation with IWC, providing us with the world’s first titanium case. Interestingly, although many of these watches are more than 30 years old, the vast majority of watches in this iteration of the Porsche Design brand still look refreshing today.
Titanium as a way of life is suitable for Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC
Today, all Porsche Design watches are housed in titanium cases, not only because the metal’s gray tones are very suitable for technical design, but also because it is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, non-allergenic and comfortable to wear.
As revealed by the new Globetimer UTC in 1919, Porsche Design pushed this belief into the distance.
As the name suggests, 1919 Globetimer UTC is a world time watch-Porsche Design has a wealth of experience with this kind of watch, starting with the world time watch with alarm function co-created with IWC in the 1990s.
In 2007, Porsche Design went one step further and introduced a travel time watch that can switch time zones with the push of a button. This concept has now been further refined and became one of the main ingredients that made 1919 Globetimer UTC such a delightful timepiece.
It’s not a problem to travel or not to travel
This may surprise some people, but watching reporters like me spend a lot of time traveling, usually from one continent to another. Therefore, watches with additional time zones will be particularly well tested.
Quite a few two-time zone watches are not as easy to use as you might expect, almost as if they were designed by people who never travel. Some people emphasize that you can change the time zone “conveniently” using only the crown, but what they don’t tell you is that you will also mess up the current settings of other time zones when doing so, and then you need to correct it again.
Others bypass it with the corrector on the side of the case, but once you get up in the air, you will find that you are not carrying anything to push the corrector, so start looking for toothpicks, fine linings, or safety pins.
Porsche Design’s approach is simple: the brand’s engineers added two buttons on the side of the case. The one at the top advances the current time zone in one-hour increments, and the one at the bottom sets the time zone back to its original position in one-hour increments.
The minutes and seconds remain the same, so they are accurate, and the date will automatically change as the time zone changes. The Globetimer UTC of 1919 even included a day/night indicator, visible through a small opening in the dial.
Porsche Design is known for its watch’s outstanding dial legibility, and Globetimer UTC has not disappointed, all instructions are clear at a glance.
As part of the Porsche Design 1919 series, the shape of the “frame” lugs increased wearing comfort. The lightweight titanium case also increases the wearing comfort.
The diameter of the 1919 Globetimer UTC is 42 mm, which is almost the diameter of all dials. It is large—it looks bigger—but it looks like a watch that is about 2 mm smaller.
Porsche Design offers four different versions of the 1919 Globetimer UTC, one of which is the gold-plated version I mentioned earlier. The main difference between the variants is the color of the dial, which is available in brown, black or blue. The calfskin strap is good, but the titanium bracelet is better. Not only does it complement the overall design of the watch, but the structure of the bracelet is also very good, very suitable for the wrist.
Sports based on Sellita: disappointing or common sense?
Calibre Werk 04.110 is based on Sellita SW 200. Although there is nothing wrong with this movement, it is not the movement you would expect to find in a premium watches for sale from Porsche Design.
However, Porsche Design received praise for extensive modifications to the Sellita-based movement, adding its own ball bearings, two-way winding rotor and a patented second time zone module.
The movement is certified by the official COSC Observatory. Although this may not be enough to make everyone change their minds, it makes sense to use a proven and reliable movement rather than just make a movement at a high price just for it.
When it comes to travel watches, the 1919 Globetimer UTC is the best. It looks good, it is practical, and it is comfortable to wear on the wrist.
Globetimer UTC completed the work in 1919 and completed it with an undeniable sense of style, which stems from its unique “DNA”. In this regard, it is not only a valuable successor to the travel watch luxury that Porsche Design has been making since 1995, but it is also a good addition to the current collection.