IWC Porsche Design Chronograph, c. mid 1990s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

1972’s Chronograph 1 — strikingly cool as it is — is far from Porsche Design’s only notable wristwatch. In fact, we’d argue that there’s another that’s just as important, though for different reasons. That watch is the Ocean 2000. Designed by none other than Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche himself — the man behind the iconic 911 — the Ocean 2000 was a 42.5mm titanium diver with an usual integrated bracelet, a non-conventional (and non-ISO compliant) dial devoid of numerical indices, and an impressive-as-hell 2000-meter water resistance rating. And it was released all the way back in 1982, and was in production until 1998! Despite its unconventional design, this unusual watch — which was produced by none other than the International Watch Company — was adopted by Germany’s elite combat swimmers as their official timepiece. Not bad for a design-focused timepiece from a firm helmed by the scion of an automotive legacy! The Ocean 2000 also spawned a number of additional timepieces, all retaining a similar design language, while adding a bit of variety to size, complications, etc. The piece that we have here, a chronograph, dates to circa the mid 1990s and comes in at 36mm in diameter with a fantastic integrated flat-link bracelet with a signed clasp — both of which are constructed out of titanium, much like the Ocean 2000. It features a screw-down crown a sapphire crystal, very cool pushers that are seamlessly integrated into the case, a matte black Tritium black dial with a three-register chronograph layout, a date at 4 o'clock, a matching handset with an orange chronograph hand, and an outer tachymeter scale. Powering this piece is the very interesting and cool Calibre 631 'mecha-quartz' chronograph movement by Jaeger-LeCoultre. These IWC x Porsche Design pieces from the 1980s-early 1990s looks just as futuristic today as it did upon its release and make for a fantastic, not commonly seen neo-vintage daily driver. Snag it before someone else has the same idea!