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Porsche Design by Orfina Chronograph 1 ref. 7176 “Top Gun” Lemania 5100, 1970s — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: Bulang & Sons · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Porsche Design by Orfina Chronograph 1 ref. 7176 “Top Gun” Lemania 5100, 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Orfina (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 41 mm
Stock no.
W-2639
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2639)
Catalogue title (original)
Porsche Design by Orfina Chronograph 1 ref. 7176 “Top Gun” Lemania 5100 (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2639), this is a wristwatch by Orfina, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 41 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Bulang & Sons

This is a very cool watch in which Ferdinand Porsche was personally involved in the design. We love the integrated steel bracelet look with the black dial with day and date windows and the awesome 70s PD logo. What a cool chrono! The 41mm case is strong, with good lines. The black dial features three sub dials and date and day windows. The tritium lume has taken on a nice patina over the years. The watch has an internal tachymeter bezel and will come on the original PD branded steel bracelet. The movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. These watches were featured in Top Gun and have become very popular with collectors. We know you’ll love this cool watch, so please get in touch to discuss it some more with us. Specifications: - Porsche Design by Orfina 7176 - 41mm steel case - Serial 410xxx dates to the 1970s - Black dial with day and date windows - Lemania 5100 movement - Porsche Design steel bracelet - Fully serviced by our watchmaker - One-year mechanical warrantee - Includes a handmade leather watch pouch

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Chronographs and split-seconds watches

A chronograph is a watch with an additional seconds hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero independently of the timekeeping. Louis Moinet built an early example in 1816 and Nicolas Rieussec a recording 'chronographe' in 1821; Adolphe Nicole's heart-shaped reset cam (patented 1862) made the modern return-to-zero possible. Split-seconds (rattrapante) chronographs add a second hand that can be stopped for intermediate times; flyback chronographs restart instantly.

Chronographs were essential tools for doctors (pulsometer scales), artillery (telemeter), engineers and sport. In wristwatches, Valjoux, Venus, Lemania and later the automatic chronographs of 1969 (Zenith El Primero, the Chronomatic Calibre 11 group and Seiko 6139) are milestones.

What to look for

  • Push-pieces on the case band or a single button in the crown (monopusher).
  • Subsidiary registers for minutes and hours; tachymeter, telemeter or pulsometer scales.
  • Column wheel versus cam control visible in the movement.
  • Calibre markings of specialist makers (Valjoux, Lemania, Venus, Landeron).

Dating clues

  • Pocket chronographs with heart cam reset: after 1862.
  • Wrist chronographs: from c. 1910; two-button designs from the 1930s.
  • Automatic chronographs: from 1969.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Flyback chronographChronograph

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