The history of wholesale Porsche Design is full of innovations in the watchmaking industry, including the first all-black watch and the first all-titanium watch ever produced.
Thanks to the unique cooperation with Porsche Motorsport, Porsche Design is often able to integrate the latest knowledge and technology of the racing industry into the development of products and timepieces.
This is also the case with the latest series launched by Porsche Design at Baselworld 2017: monolithic actuators.
Through this series, Porsche Design brings a whole new approach to the operation of chronographs, which is the most popular complication among watch lovers.
Inspired by the high-performance concept used in the new Porsche 911 RSR engine, Porsche Design transferred the principle of valve control technology through the rocker arm for high-revving racing engines to an innovative control mechanism for the Monobloc Actuator’s timing function.
Unlike the two buttons that trigger the stopwatch function of a traditional chronograph, the chronograph function of the Monobloc Actuator activates the entire mechanism by a single pressure-operated dual-load rocker switch integrated on the right side of the case.
To develop this new technology, watchmakers at Porsche Design Timepieces AG in Solothurn, Switzerland, collaborated with designers at the F. A. Porsche studio in Zell am See, Austria, and engineers at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach, Germany.
With this new solution, the buttons of the Monobloc Actuator chronograph are seamlessly integrated into the case, and the multi-loaded rocker switch alternately starts and stops the chronograph mechanism.
Like the valves in the 911 RSR racing engine, this mechanism provides absolute precision, reliability and continuous and reliable protection against moisture penetration during the entire operation. In fact, the stopwatch function of this chronograph can withstand a pressure of 10 bar (100 meters/330 feet) and can be used underwater.
The selected movement is the automatic movement ETA Valjoux 7754, which beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) and provides a 48-hour power reserve. Equipped with Porsche Design Icon rotor, the movement can be seen through the screw-in colored sapphire crystal glass.
The Monobloc Actuator GMT-Chronotimer model uses a 45.5 mm x 15.60 mm asymmetrical case and is made of titanium, a material that has been automatically associated with the brand since its innovation in 1980. These watches have a matte black or dark blue sunburst-dial, rubber strap or all-titanium bracelet, and use a folding clasp with an integrated fine-tuning mechanism to ensure a perfect fit.
It also offers an all black version-Monobloc Actuator 24H-Chronotimer-Titanium case with black titanium carbide coating, matte black dial, 9 o’clock position with checkered flag design function indicator, especially useful is its most Good readability. This model is only equipped with a rubber strap with an unfolding buckle. replica watches price