Grab the Year’s Coolest Chronograph Before It Sells Out

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If you’re in the market for a good-looking sports chronograph, the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 should be at the top of your list.

Conceived by none other than Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche — designer of the famed Porsche 911 — this 1972 chronograph is notable for being the world’s first blacked-out watch. Originally partnering with watchmaker Orfina and selecting a case style from that brand’s catalog, Butzi used an early form of PVD (physical vapor deposition) to give it a black coating. Meant to reduce glare, this coating also extended to the watch’s bracelet, making for a highly technical and futuristic aesthetic that, while commonplace today, was revolutionary in the early 1970s. Powered first by the Valjoux 7750 and later by the Lemania 5100 automatic chronograph movements, the dial featured a triple-register display as well as a day-date display. A base-1,000 tachymeter scale on the rehaut and yellow and orange accents helped drive home the dashboard gauge-inspired look.

Since 1972, Porsche Design has reissued the Chronograph 1 in several forms, including the All Black Numbered Edition that looks strikingly similar to the original. A new take on the blacked-out chronograph, however, has added a surprise twist to the tried-and-true formula, all the while making for one of the coolest-looking watches of 2025 thus far: the new Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition.

Launched at the annual F.A.T. Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria — where intrepid drivers come together each winter to whip around a track of snow and ice — the fresh take on the Chronograph 1 is the brainchild of Ferdi Porsche, nephew of Butzi. And what is “F.A.T,” you might ask? Originally a German logistics company and sponsor of Porsche racing teams, F.A.T. was behind the modified Porsche 962 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994. Since being acquired by Ferdi Porsche, it now serves as a promotional vehicle for events such as the ice race.

Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition watch lume details — Some of the details only make themselves known in the dark.

Porsche Design

The glaring difference between the new F.A.T. 2025 Edition and past versions of the Chronograph 1 will no doubt be obvious: While the black case and bracelet have been maintained, this one features a white dial entirely coated in Super-LumiNova — which means the entire thing glows green in the dark. But there’s more to the dial than just the icy coloration: The English/German day-of-the-week indicator’s “SAT” and “SUN” positions have been replaced by “F.A.T,” while the F.A.T. logo is also subtly incorporated in white-on-white below the Porsche Design wordmark. Meanwhile, within the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock — but only in the dark — is the silhouette of a Porsche 962, with the “6” in the hour counter forming the “6” in the model name. A bright orange seconds hand matches the font color on the F.A.T. logo within the day window, giving the dial a sharp pop of color.

Housing this striking dial is a 40.8mm titanium case with a bead-blasted, black titanium carbide coating and a matching H-link bracelet. Measuring 14.15mm thick, the case is packed with the Porsche Design WERK 01.240 automatic chronograph movement. Its flyback capability means that the chronograph doesn’t need to be stopped before being reset, allowing the wearer to instantly and easily time intervals on the track or elsewhere. Featuring 12-hour, 30-minute and running registers — plus the aforementioned day and date displays — it’s COSC-certified and has a 48-hour power reserve. If you’re not so keen on the black bracelet, you can swap it out using the brand’s toolless system for one of two alternatives: a supremely cool white Ice Race textile strap or a textile/leather strap in Mankei Purple.

Snow Drifts and Sacred Porsches at Aspen’s Inaugural F.A.T. Ice Race

Our correspondent spent the weekend among automotive and mechanical royalty at the first U.S. edition of Ferdi Porsche’s ice-racing spectacle

Boasting 100m of water resistance, multiple bracelet options, a flyback chronograph and a fully lumed dial, the Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition is a serious tool watch, to be sure. The watch’s original 1972 inspiration, however — Porsche dashboard gauges and the desire for a non-reflective surface treatment — mean that this longstanding classic chronograph is also a distinct, visually compelling timepiece. The all-black case, bright white dial and white Ice Race textile strap, in particular, make for a killer combination.

At $11,500 and limited to just 136 pieces, it’s certainly a niche product. But for a 911 owner who prefers his toys to be of the mechanical variety? We dare you to find a more appropriate bit of wristwear.