Porsche Design introduced quite a few of their new designs at Basel World last week, and it appears as though they may be attempting to move their prior, Eterna manufactured, watches through grey market channels at very attractive prices to clear the decks for their new models Their prior chronos, in particular, are attractive: classic designs (PD was Steve Job's favorite watch brand, he would keep a box of them in his office), Eterna manufacturing, typically with Valjoux 7750 movements. PD deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Braun and Nomos as Bauhaus philosophy design houses. I picked up a tasty example from Joma Shop today at a very attractive price. Below is a post of mine from a thread last week on the Public Forum, going into a little more detail on the firm.
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PD severed its ties with Eterna a year ago and just announced a new collection at Baselworld last week: Bauhaus Comes to Basel: The Porsche Design 1919 Eternity Collection › WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine.
I think that they may be trying to flush a lot of inventory through the grey market to clear the shelves as these new watches arrive in stores this spring.
I kind of like the new models, it's as if Panerai, Nomos, and Porsche Design had a three way that resulted in a lovechild-the 1919 collection.
Porsche Design is primarily a high-end lifestyle/fashion brand, but with unique horological and automotive credentials. The founder of PD was Ferdy Porsche's son, and himself designed the iconic Porsche 911 car. The brand has forty years of design excellence in a number of categories. Their manufacturing partners have been first rate (IWC, and more recently Eterna). And they have had real horological milestones: the first all black watch (dial, case, and bracelet), in 1972. In 1978, working with IWC, they introduced the Titan Chronograph, the first mass production all titanium watch. In 1982 they introduced the titanium Ocean 2000 diver, with a then unprecedented 2000 m depth rating, and distinctive integrated bracelet. The Bundeswehr subsequently used the Ocean 2000 for military divers.
For a small design house they have been a remarkable innovative force in the watch industry, and may be as responsible as anyone for the widespread adoption of titanium.
Their best watches, IMO, tend to be all titanium reworkings of their 70's and 80's chronos, which are designs that hold up very well over forty years to my eyes.
So: there may be a short term uptick of PD watches through grey market channels, but a lot of those watches have a distinguished brand pedigree and design chops that may make them worth a look.
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PD severed its ties with Eterna a year ago and just announced a new collection at Baselworld last week: Bauhaus Comes to Basel: The Porsche Design 1919 Eternity Collection › WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine.
I think that they may be trying to flush a lot of inventory through the grey market to clear the shelves as these new watches arrive in stores this spring.
I kind of like the new models, it's as if Panerai, Nomos, and Porsche Design had a three way that resulted in a lovechild-the 1919 collection.
Porsche Design is primarily a high-end lifestyle/fashion brand, but with unique horological and automotive credentials. The founder of PD was Ferdy Porsche's son, and himself designed the iconic Porsche 911 car. The brand has forty years of design excellence in a number of categories. Their manufacturing partners have been first rate (IWC, and more recently Eterna). And they have had real horological milestones: the first all black watch (dial, case, and bracelet), in 1972. In 1978, working with IWC, they introduced the Titan Chronograph, the first mass production all titanium watch. In 1982 they introduced the titanium Ocean 2000 diver, with a then unprecedented 2000 m depth rating, and distinctive integrated bracelet. The Bundeswehr subsequently used the Ocean 2000 for military divers.
For a small design house they have been a remarkable innovative force in the watch industry, and may be as responsible as anyone for the widespread adoption of titanium.
Their best watches, IMO, tend to be all titanium reworkings of their 70's and 80's chronos, which are designs that hold up very well over forty years to my eyes.
So: there may be a short term uptick of PD watches through grey market channels, but a lot of those watches have a distinguished brand pedigree and design chops that may make them worth a look.