The 1972 Targa was restored to its original condition for the anniversary.
His first effort was to design a watch to give to the long-tenured employees of the car company, the Chronograph 1. “He came up with this great idea of a black watch, which nobody had on their radar at the time, but to him, a watch was not jewelry but an instrument of precision,” Heiler said. As inspiration, he looked at the dashboards of race cars and sports cars that feature a completely black background with contrasting white numbers for easy visibility for the drivers.
Jan Becker, chief executive officer of Porsche Design, added: “There was a time when Porsche Design tried to separate itself as far as possible from the car business but because Porsche Design carries Porsche in its brand name, it’s natural that we try to link the two companies and brands when it makes sense.”Although Porsche Design continues to operate independently, “there are various ways to incorporate with the mother company,” Becker said. These include within its retail network.
This customization program has been adapted by the timepiece company too, allowing customers to design their own watch by using Porsche Design’s online configurator, even if they don’t build their own car. The majority of customers are men but women will also buy the luggage, laptops and sunglasses, he said.
Beyond that, Heiler said that two years ago, Porsche Design purchased a 1972 Targa and worked with the Porsche Classic division to restore it to the level of a brand-new car. “We came up with a checkered flag fabric for the seats created especially for this car and a very high-end black paint on the exterior with beautiful chrome accessories.” That car will be auctioned off at the end of the year along with a Chronograph watch. The company is still finalizing specifics on this initiative.