Porsche Design Chronograph 911 GT3 — The Watch To The Car

Porsche Design’s Chronograph 911 GT3 can be configured in many details to perfectly match an owner’s car. Every watch is an individual piece made to order, and it is exclusively available to owners of a Porsche 911 GT3.

In the past, when there have been discussions on the relevance of a luxury watch, one argument was that you can wear a watch in a bar to underline your personality. Your precious car parked anywhere outside just didn’t have any effect while you were inside. With Porsche Design‘s Chronograph 911 GT3 this changes because your watch shows which car you drive!

This watch has some characteristics which distinguish it from other Porsche Design models, and you can only buy it if you are an owner of the corresponding racing car. So, if you see someone wearing this watch, you know his car. Moreover, the owner can configure the watch like the car. After you have customized your new Porsche car in the online configurator, you can directly switch to a similar configurator for the watch. All characteristics you have selected for the car are automatically transferred to the watch. You can alter these, but with a few clicks, you already get a watch that is as individual as your car and matches it perfectly. That’s exclusivity in a watch at a completely new level.

Let’s face the face

What catches your eye when looking at the silk-mat black dial is a colored ring that surrounds it. In the online configurator [], you can choose various colors for this ring. For the watch depicted in the images of this article, the color Shark Blue, a new offering in Porsche’s color palette, has been selected.

All indexes are printed. The hour indexes and hour and minute hands are coated with white luminous material that glows blue in the dark. Only the silver Porsche Design logo at 2:30 is applied. A date window is almost hidden at 4 o’clock. The slanted outer edges of the totalizers lend a subtle depth to the dial.

What distinguishes the Chronograph 911 GT3 from similar watches in Porsche Design’s collection are the yellow accents at the hands of the chronograph counters, in the minute and hour totalizers at 12 and 6 o’clock, and in the minute scale along the rehaut. Also, the going indicator at 9 o’clock is exclusive to this watch. It shows the 911 moniker, the GT3 logo, and a racing flag.

A light but sturdy case

Porsche Design uses titanium as case material for all its recent watches. The case of the watch we look at in this article is black coated. But you can also configure this watch to have an uncoated bead-blasted case in natural titanium.

On the wrist, the Chronograph 911 GT3 appears a bit smaller than the diameter of 42mm would suggest. I think this appearance would persist even if the watch did not come in a stealthy black color scheme. The watch head sits a bit high on the wrist. The case’s thickness of 14.6mm has its effect here. But this didn’t feel uncomfortable to me. The light titanium case prevents the watch from being top-heavy. The lugs are relatively short, which should make the watch quite wearable also for medium-sized wrists.

The flat bezel carries a tachymeter scale in a contrasting color, matching the motorsports theme of this watch. A big knurled crown and straight chronograph pushers that remind you of a car engine’s pistons underline the strong, sportive appearance.

The driving force

A sapphire window in the bottom reveals the watch’s movement. It is Porsche Design’s proprietary WERK 01.200, a COSC certified flyback chronograph whose design is based on the ETA 7750. Concepto manufactures this movement exclusively for Porsche Design. As I already wrote in my review of another watch with this caliber, you feel that it is no ETA 7750 when you press the chronograph pushers. The WERK 01.200 responds much more sensitive.

In the Chronograph 911 GT3, a cute design detail slightly obstructs the view on the movement. The winding rotor has the shape of a car wheel. But this doesn’t resemble any arbitrary car wheel. It is an exact representation of the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3, and you can even configure the color of this rotor to precisely match the wheels of your car. The rim in Shark Blue that you can see in the images also exists in the corresponding car wheels. A GT3 logo adorns the center of the rotor.

A Porsche seat wrapped around your wrist

The Chronograph 911 GT3 comes on a black calf leather strap made of the same leather as the car’s interior. You can even choose the color of the strap’s lining to match the car interior’s lining. By default, this strap carries a subtle embossing in the shape of the GT3 logo. This way also the strap fits the car perfectly. A watch strap can hardly be more exclusive.

Even though the leather for this strap originally is car interior material, it wears remarkably comfortable. The strap is closed by a titanium double folding clasp matching the watch’s case color. On the outside of the closed clasp, you see a restrained branded buckle.

I have written before that I’m no fan of Porsche Design’s folding clasps. They function without objection. But they are thick, and the inside of the clasp tends to squeeze into your wrist. Thanks to the very comfortable strap of the Chronograph 911 GT3, I had much fewer problems with the clasp on this watch.

A smart strap changing mechanism

Porsche Design has developed a rather smart strap changing mechanism. There is a metal push button in the strap’s end that is placed between the lugs at the bottom side of the case when the strap is attached. Pressing that button retracts the spring bars so that you can easily detach the strap. The first remarkable aspect of this solution is that it operates quite comfortably and reliably. What I like even more about this design is that it is compatible with any standard strap. You can attach every third-party strap with conventional spring bars. Porsche Design’s main intention here is to enable you to quickly and easily change the strap. You can order up to 4 different straps with the watch to suit all possible outfits and occasions. Porsche Design manufactures all original straps from interior leather of the Porsche 911 GT3.

Conclusion

If you own the car, the 911 GT3 watch is a perfect match. If not, you don’t need to worry because you can’t buy the watch anyway. The online configurator allows you to adapt your watch to your car in an impressive level of detail. You could also configure your watch to look entirely different. However, there still would be some design cues that identify this watch as the very exclusive special edition.

The price for the Chronograph 911 GT3 starts at €7,750 ($8,100). Compared to other Porsche Design watches with similar amenities, this price is high. But for those who can afford such a car, this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

Discover a wide selection of other Porsche Design products on the brand’s website.