Comments:
More than just function:
The Porsche Design P’6612 Chronograph
by Marcus Hanke
February 2008
Part 1
In earlier times, I was amused when reading the reports of fellow watch enthusiasts, who spent a lot of time searching for “the definite” watch, “the perfect” watch, or simply: the “exit-watch”, that would render needless all wishes or the urge for collecting watches, since it incorporates all a lover of mechanical watches wishes to see realised in a timepiece. The “exit-watch” permits exiting the watch collecting hobby.
Of course, nobody ever really found that watch. Normally, some time after they excitedly announced to finally have found their definite “exit-watch”, these poor, haunted souls were caught acquiring yet another watch, or selling the marvellous exit-watch.
Yes, I used to smile at these people, and yet I am a victim of a very similar illness, the quest for the “perfect holiday watch”.
The typical vacation spent by my family and me is travelling around in an offroad vehicle, to visit another place every day, to sleep in a tent, and spend a lot of time hiking in all weather conditions. Consequently, a perfect travel watch has to fulfil several criteria, and yet it seems impossible for me to find it.
The main criteria for a good travel watch are:
1) watertightness
2) easy to read even under adverse lighting conditions, or in darkness
3) comfortable to wear, even in high humidity, high aridity, high and low temperatures, and with a lot of sand between case and skin
4) date display
5) some provision to measure time spans, either by rotating bezel, or by chronograph function
6) in case of a complete loss, the watch must not be so expensive or unique that it is impossible to replace
Some will miss the accessory that is commonly considered the sine qua non of a travel watch: the second time zone. However, our type of vacations does not need such an ability. Travel speed is slow enough that we spend most of our time in one time zone, and this can be set by adjusting the normal time display.
Building on that list of necessities, I already had many different vacation watches, and experience brought some other important conclusions:
The case diameter should not be too large, certainly not more than 42mm.
If possible, there should be no sharp edges, neither my wife nor my dog love it to be wounded by razor-sharp lugs or bezel edges.
For those metal parts coming into direct contact with the skin, titanium is very good, since it is not affected by sweat and does not cause any allergic reactions.
A rubber bracelet with simple tang buckle is the best and most solid attachment to the wrist. In sandy conditions, any folding clasps will suffer and eventually get fully stuck.
After some more or less disastrous failures, this year’s vacation watch was expected to meet most of the criteria outlined. So let’s see how it performed:
A) General impression:
Traditionally, Porsche Design watches feature convincing care for design details, but in all their utilitarian perfection, they often lack these little senseless extras that transform a tool for measuring time into a fashion accessory. This chronograph from the so-called “Dashboard Series” is different, it is chic, looks cool. Especially the olive drab background of the chronograph subdials, with the matching pigmented SuperLuminova on hands and the stylish numerals immediately make it noticed by watch enthusiasts. These olive drab elements were what made me pick that particular watch from a collection of various PD chronographs in the shop’s window; they would make a nice match with the typical outdoor clothes I am wearing when not in the office - well, sometimes even when I’m in the office.
B) Case, crystal and crown/pushers:
The Porsche Design P’6612 chronograph is manufactured by Eterna, this company having been acquired by Porsche Design in 1995. It has a full titanium case, that follows the classic Porsche Design outlines by avoiding any sharp edges. The case’s main body appears to flow into the lugs, and also the fully threaded display back is nicely blending into the curved outlines. The production of such a case needs is costly, but the effort is rewarded by a wearing comfort that is hardly met by any other wristwatch of comparable size on the market.
A water tightness rating of 100 meters makes the chronograph suited for all sports and outdoor activities, including swimming. For diving deeper than snorkel depth, I would use a true diving watch, though. Yet with regular gasket replacements and pressure checkups, I am sure the Porsche chronograph would perform well under water.
I was surprised to measure a case diameter of only 40 millimetres. The large crystal and the black rubber-coated bezel make the watch appear considerably larger. The thickness of 12 millimetres, including the domed crystal, is appropriate for the compact dimensions of the movement used. Another factor responsible for the good wearing comfort is the watch’s weight, or better: its lack of weight. Including the rubber strap, the chronograph does not weigh more than 99 grams. However, this advantage is also a handicap: Since the consumer’s perception of luxury and solidity is directly connected to the item’s weight felt, this lightweight watch will never be accepted by non-watch knowledgeables as valuable than one made from steel - even if the latter is considerably cheaper.
In the beginning, I was skeptical about the durability of the rubberised bezel, but my original concerns were unjustified, since until now, the bezel does not show even the slightest traces of wear; it appears as immaculate as it was when I unpacked the watch from its box. Even the needle-sharp, gnawing teeth of our puppy are not able to do any harm to the bezel. Not much worse in this respect is the performance of the bead blasted titanium finish on the case. I know that the titanium oxide surface is prone to scratches, but after more than six months, it is still difficult to notice any scratches on the case sides. I assume the clever design helps to keep the case sides out of the range of harmfully sharp objects.
Unfortunately, this positive impression does not include the sapphire crystal on the top. This crystal is slightly domed, but starts with a noticeable step from the bezel; a better blending of the shapes would have been more Porsche-like. This small design flaw, however, is less than negligible compared with a serious quality problem: Already after a short time, not more than a few weeks since the watch was in my possession, I noticed small spots on the crystal. At first they appeared to be dirt, but a close inspection revealed that the antireflective coating was starting to flake off at these places. As if it was suffering from an infection, the coating first showed massive scratches, then completely came off in an ever increasing area.
Meanwhile, after eight months, about a fifth of the crystal surface is without coating, which of course is very noticeable, since the domed crystal is featuring very strong reflections where it is uncoated. I am using several watches with an antireflective coating on the outer surface, some of them since many years, and very frequently, even under rough conditions. But never before I have encountered such a massive degradation of the coating. It looks as if it is eaten away by an aggressive fungus.
Apparently, this is not a result of normal wear, but an inherent flaw of the coating’s composition. It is impossible that only my individual watch is affected by the problem, since at least one complete production batch must have received the problematic coating. An information I got from a Porsche Design dealer, indicating that he knows about the issue, seems to confirm my assumption. There would be the option to completely polish off the damaged coating. However, the high contrast of the black dial with the white hands, and the clarity of the view on the dial are important design features of the watch, that would be lost, due to the many reflections caught by the domed crystal. Since there is still open warranty, therefore the factory will have to deal with the issue.
To return to the other, more positive aspects of the watch: The chronograph pushers are not screwed down, what is appreciated, since it is counter-productive for a chronograph if it can be used only after releasing any securing screws. The pushers’ surfaces are finished with a rough hobnail pattern that makes sure finger tips don’t slip. Pusher operation itself is a bit rough, and needs quite some pressure, typical for the ETA 2894 movement used.
The crown is screwed down, showing a black “P”-logo that is protected by a sapphire inset. Both, the pushers and the crown, look very nice and well finished, matching well the watch’s overall style.
I am astonished to find the displayback’s sapphire crystal also being treated with an anti-reflective coating, albeit on the inner side only. The sense of this effort is beyond my understanding, other than raising the component cost, it is rather fruitless.
Please click here to read Part 2
Those who are familiar with the history of Porsche Design timepieces will have noticed immediately the departure from earlier design principles, that incorporated dials reduced to clearly legible hour markers, but did not employ numerals. This changed some years ago, when part of the “Dashboard”-series watches received a new styling, with Arabian numerals, adopted from the dashboard instruments of the famous Porsche 911 sports car. Consequently, the chronograph reviewed is featuring these uniquely styled numerals, which are thankfully not mixed with other font styles, with the exception of the date window. What makes this version so particular are the subdials being coloured in olive drab, and the SuperLuminova of the numerals, tinted with the same colour. This looks very outdoor-ish, and certainly is more fashionable that the classic and sober Porsche Design dials.
The hands are bright white, using the same olive drab coloured SuperLuminova as on the dial. Why all the chronograph subdial hands are luminous, but not the chronograph second hand, is very strange, but the Porsche is sharing this mystery with many other chronographs on the market. The contrast over the dark dial is very good, at least where the crystal’s anti-reflective coating is still in place and working. A nice detail is that the minute and the chronograph’s second hand have their tips bent downward, which helps avoiding parallax errors when reading the time. However, the minute hand and the subdial hands are too short, compromising the legibility.
The finish of dial and hands is first rate, all printing is sharp and clean, the luminous mass used is of fine grain structure, without any apparent flaws in application, and the lacquer on the hands is regular and smooth.
The P’6612 chronograph uses an ETA 2894-2 modular chronograph movement. Based on the tried and reliable 2892A2, it is not exactly an attractive sight: The chronograph complication is located under the dial, and the base movement has a tiny balance wheel, that is barely visible aside the huge automatic winding bridge and the large rotor ball bearing.
Yet Porsche Design invested some effort to give it an attractive appearance, with perlage on the bridges and some (chemically) blued screws. What is really noteworthy, though, is the rotor, that is truly a small work of art: Its body is made from titanium, copying the shape of a Porsche’s rims. The outer segment is a heavy metal, and attached to the titanium body by what appears to be chrome-plated inbus screws. This looks absolutely gorgeous!
On the performance side, the movement is rather average. As indicated earlier already, the chronograph pusher operation is far from smooth, but not as rough as is common for most 2894 used in cheaper watches. At least, the chronograph second hand does not stutter, and the also familiar jumpback on starting is not visible at all. Causing more problems is the massive, and also unpredictable play of the minute hand, due to the movement’s modular construction. When setting the time, the exact synchronising of the small second and the minute hands (with the minute hand pointing to a an index when the small second is at 60) is an issue of sheer luck. In fact, the play of the minute hand can be somewhere between 30 seconds and more than one and a half minutes. That means, when the crown is pushed back to restart the movement following a reference time signal, the small second hand is passing between 30 and about 90 seconds, before the minute hand starts moving. An accurate time display is thus barely possible at all.
When I compare the small second with a reference time signal, the movement’s accuracy is quite good, with the watch gaining an average of four seconds per day - but only as the watch is worn every day. On the winder, it lost about 20 seconds per day.
Without doubt, the Porsche Design rubber strap is another highlight of the watch. It is stiff and smooth at the same time, and has absolutely no sharp edges that could dig into the skin. Its underside is featuring a profile reminding of sports car tires, that also helps achieving a good ventilation of the skin even in very hot and humid climates. The only disadvantage of that design is that it is not easy to keep clean the delicate structure on the underside, but a soft toothbrush works well.
The double folding clasp made from titanium unfortunately does not match the strap’s quality and comfort. It is rather large, with its surfaces attracting scratches very quickly. While the operation of the two release pushers is satisfactory, the clasp altogether leaves a wobbly impression.
The clasp is attached to the rubber strap by means of two tiny screws on each side, making a quick adjustment of the length impossible. Tiny claws are gripping the strap in holes prepared for that purpose. This appears to be a rather secure construction, but nowadays, modern bracelet and clasp designs should offer a quick adjustment opportunity for the length. Since ergonomics always was Porsche Design’s most important selling argument, I am missing such a provision from a PD watch.
What is nice, but probably not intended by the designers, is the fact that the two halves of the clasp are locked independently, so it is possible to leave one side open as a “diving suit extension”, permitting to wear the watch over the clothes, which is sometimes quite practical.
Are Porsche Design watches boring? I have to admit that this is the impression I get when asking people around me - watch enthusiasts and “ignorants” alike - about their opinion on my tiny collection of PD watches. It is interesting, that - with the exception of the Ocean 2000, that has an own and avid community of fans - practically all Porsche Design watches are accepted as highly legible, practical, functional - but not exciting or fashionable.
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the famous designer, tried to establish his dogma of the “reduction to the pure function”. Regarding watches, this reduction always meant clean lines, without any superfluous edges and ‘features’, like decorative screw heads or oversized crown protectors; and without numerals. For F.A. Porsche, people in our civilised world are confronted with watch dials already in early development stages of their childhood. To read a clock is one of the most important lessons we all had to learn. The result of this is an almost instinctive recognition of the time when we see the position of two hands, which is the reason why analogue watch displays still are more popular than digital ones. Porsche concluded that numerals, be them Arabian or Roman, are needless and superfluous, since with twelve markers, everybody is perfectly able to read the time; and the watch display can be kept uncluttered and clean, with high contrast.
Therefore, we won’t find a Porsche Design watch with numerals on the main dial (but of course on subdials) that was designed while Ferdinand Alexander was in charge of his studio. However, the reduction to pure function has a big disadvantage: Once successfully established, it is impossible to develop or innovate the design. Therefore, for decades, all Porsche Design watches more or less looked alike.
A typical Porsche Design watch from the P10 series
This changed when the design studio’s founder retired and the formerly independent company came under a common roof together with the Porsche car manufacturer. Now, the purpose of design was less interpreted as a pure ‘slave of function’, but something that was subjected to changes in contemporary tastes and fashions.
The difference is apparent at first sight: The ‘classic’ Porsche Design watch is highly legible. Its main purpose, to present the time, is immediately apparent. The lack of Arabian numerals results in a large and empty area on the dial, that permits the hands a very good contrast with the background. But, and this is my longtime experience, this design is met with a disinterested “uh...”, whenever I presented that watch to others. This is not a good starting point if you want to sell lots of watches.
Therefore, the new design line, as represented by the P’6612 chronograph reviewed here, is very different: The numerals borrowed from the Porsche 911 dashboard might be good to read on a speedometer, but they are not very legible at small sizes, like they are used on watch dials. That the 12 got a larger size than the other numerals, is a bit confusing, too. Overall, the numerals make the dial appear more cluttered as one of the traditional watches.
A more serious problem is the poor legibility of the subdials. First, the numeral printing there is black on olive drab, which is very difficult to read. As pointed out already, the small hands are too short and a bit stubby, and together with the black markers on the subdials, an intuitive reading of the measured values is impossible; one has to concentrate on that task.
Second, it would have been better to use different colours in order to group the hands according to their function. Since all the hands are bright white, it is difficult to quickly recognise the difference between the permanent second and the chronograph counters.
Finally, the nighttime legibility is rather poor, due to the colour pigments in the SuperLuminova, which reduce the substance’s luminosity. Also here, function had to stand behind the aspect of fashion.
But: it looks so good! This is what justifies all the compromises regarding ergonomics and function. Compared with ‘classic’ Porsche Design watches, the newer lines really are able to attract the attention of people, and that is what the business of a watch manufacturer is all about. So additionally to fulfilling the function demanded from a vacation watch, the P’6612 chronograph also offers me the luxury of good looks, which is why I wear it so often, even outside the vacation time.
Click here to read Part 1
And a funny thing is that while reading your post, I was thinking of the Ocean 2000, 3 H or not, and was saying to myself that it was and still is a great watch.
IMHO, the nicest PD.
As for this one, theb one of yor review, I mean, I'm not very excited by it.
I much more appreciated your work.
Best.
Nicolas
. . . immersion in running water and sand . . . "maelstroms can be harmful to the AR coating, and are not recommended", or words to that effect . . . ;-) . . . cordially, Art
Experience Report: Porsche Design Chronograph P'6612 - Part 1
More than just function:
The Porsche Design P’6612 Chronograph
by Marcus Hanke
February 2008
Part 1
The perfect travel watch: quest for the “Holy Grail”?
In earlier times, I was amused when reading the reports of fellow watch enthusiasts, who spent a lot of time searching for “the definite” watch, “the perfect” watch, or simply: the “exit-watch”, that would render needless all wishes or the urge for collecting watches, since it incorporates all a lover of mechanical watches wishes to see realised in a timepiece. The “exit-watch” permits exiting the watch collecting hobby.
Of course, nobody ever really found that watch. Normally, some time after they excitedly announced to finally have found their definite “exit-watch”, these poor, haunted souls were caught acquiring yet another watch, or selling the marvellous exit-watch.
Yes, I used to smile at these people, and yet I am a victim of a very similar illness, the quest for the “perfect holiday watch”.
The typical vacation spent by my family and me is travelling around in an offroad vehicle, to visit another place every day, to sleep in a tent, and spend a lot of time hiking in all weather conditions. Consequently, a perfect travel watch has to fulfil several criteria, and yet it seems impossible for me to find it.
The main criteria for a good travel watch are:
1) watertightness
2) easy to read even under adverse lighting conditions, or in darkness
3) comfortable to wear, even in high humidity, high aridity, high and low temperatures, and with a lot of sand between case and skin
4) date display
5) some provision to measure time spans, either by rotating bezel, or by chronograph function
6) in case of a complete loss, the watch must not be so expensive or unique that it is impossible to replace
Some will miss the accessory that is commonly considered the sine qua non of a travel watch: the second time zone. However, our type of vacations does not need such an ability. Travel speed is slow enough that we spend most of our time in one time zone, and this can be set by adjusting the normal time display.
Building on that list of necessities, I already had many different vacation watches, and experience brought some other important conclusions:
The case diameter should not be too large, certainly not more than 42mm.
If possible, there should be no sharp edges, neither my wife nor my dog love it to be wounded by razor-sharp lugs or bezel edges.
For those metal parts coming into direct contact with the skin, titanium is very good, since it is not affected by sweat and does not cause any allergic reactions.
A rubber bracelet with simple tang buckle is the best and most solid attachment to the wrist. In sandy conditions, any folding clasps will suffer and eventually get fully stuck.
After some more or less disastrous failures, this year’s vacation watch was expected to meet most of the criteria outlined. So let’s see how it performed:
A) General impression:
Traditionally, Porsche Design watches feature convincing care for design details, but in all their utilitarian perfection, they often lack these little senseless extras that transform a tool for measuring time into a fashion accessory. This chronograph from the so-called “Dashboard Series” is different, it is chic, looks cool. Especially the olive drab background of the chronograph subdials, with the matching pigmented SuperLuminova on hands and the stylish numerals immediately make it noticed by watch enthusiasts. These olive drab elements were what made me pick that particular watch from a collection of various PD chronographs in the shop’s window; they would make a nice match with the typical outdoor clothes I am wearing when not in the office - well, sometimes even when I’m in the office.
B) Case, crystal and crown/pushers:
The Porsche Design P’6612 chronograph is manufactured by Eterna, this company having been acquired by Porsche Design in 1995. It has a full titanium case, that follows the classic Porsche Design outlines by avoiding any sharp edges. The case’s main body appears to flow into the lugs, and also the fully threaded display back is nicely blending into the curved outlines. The production of such a case needs is costly, but the effort is rewarded by a wearing comfort that is hardly met by any other wristwatch of comparable size on the market.
A water tightness rating of 100 meters makes the chronograph suited for all sports and outdoor activities, including swimming. For diving deeper than snorkel depth, I would use a true diving watch, though. Yet with regular gasket replacements and pressure checkups, I am sure the Porsche chronograph would perform well under water.
I was surprised to measure a case diameter of only 40 millimetres. The large crystal and the black rubber-coated bezel make the watch appear considerably larger. The thickness of 12 millimetres, including the domed crystal, is appropriate for the compact dimensions of the movement used. Another factor responsible for the good wearing comfort is the watch’s weight, or better: its lack of weight. Including the rubber strap, the chronograph does not weigh more than 99 grams. However, this advantage is also a handicap: Since the consumer’s perception of luxury and solidity is directly connected to the item’s weight felt, this lightweight watch will never be accepted by non-watch knowledgeables as valuable than one made from steel - even if the latter is considerably cheaper.
In the beginning, I was skeptical about the durability of the rubberised bezel, but my original concerns were unjustified, since until now, the bezel does not show even the slightest traces of wear; it appears as immaculate as it was when I unpacked the watch from its box. Even the needle-sharp, gnawing teeth of our puppy are not able to do any harm to the bezel. Not much worse in this respect is the performance of the bead blasted titanium finish on the case. I know that the titanium oxide surface is prone to scratches, but after more than six months, it is still difficult to notice any scratches on the case sides. I assume the clever design helps to keep the case sides out of the range of harmfully sharp objects.
Unfortunately, this positive impression does not include the sapphire crystal on the top. This crystal is slightly domed, but starts with a noticeable step from the bezel; a better blending of the shapes would have been more Porsche-like. This small design flaw, however, is less than negligible compared with a serious quality problem: Already after a short time, not more than a few weeks since the watch was in my possession, I noticed small spots on the crystal. At first they appeared to be dirt, but a close inspection revealed that the antireflective coating was starting to flake off at these places. As if it was suffering from an infection, the coating first showed massive scratches, then completely came off in an ever increasing area.
Meanwhile, after eight months, about a fifth of the crystal surface is without coating, which of course is very noticeable, since the domed crystal is featuring very strong reflections where it is uncoated. I am using several watches with an antireflective coating on the outer surface, some of them since many years, and very frequently, even under rough conditions. But never before I have encountered such a massive degradation of the coating. It looks as if it is eaten away by an aggressive fungus.
Apparently, this is not a result of normal wear, but an inherent flaw of the coating’s composition. It is impossible that only my individual watch is affected by the problem, since at least one complete production batch must have received the problematic coating. An information I got from a Porsche Design dealer, indicating that he knows about the issue, seems to confirm my assumption. There would be the option to completely polish off the damaged coating. However, the high contrast of the black dial with the white hands, and the clarity of the view on the dial are important design features of the watch, that would be lost, due to the many reflections caught by the domed crystal. Since there is still open warranty, therefore the factory will have to deal with the issue.
To return to the other, more positive aspects of the watch: The chronograph pushers are not screwed down, what is appreciated, since it is counter-productive for a chronograph if it can be used only after releasing any securing screws. The pushers’ surfaces are finished with a rough hobnail pattern that makes sure finger tips don’t slip. Pusher operation itself is a bit rough, and needs quite some pressure, typical for the ETA 2894 movement used.
The crown is screwed down, showing a black “P”-logo that is protected by a sapphire inset. Both, the pushers and the crown, look very nice and well finished, matching well the watch’s overall style.
I am astonished to find the displayback’s sapphire crystal also being treated with an anti-reflective coating, albeit on the inner side only. The sense of this effort is beyond my understanding, other than raising the component cost, it is rather fruitless.
Please click here to read Part 2
Copyright February 2008 - Marcus Hanke & PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved
PuristSPro Homepage | ThePuristS Homepage
Comments, suggestions, and corrections to this article are welcome.
Experience Report: Porsche Design Chronograph P'6612 - Part 2
More than just function:
The Porsche Design P’6612 Chronograph
by Marcus Hanke
February 2008
Part 2
The Porsche Design P’6612 Chronograph
by Marcus Hanke
February 2008
Part 2
C) Dial and hands:
Those who are familiar with the history of Porsche Design timepieces will have noticed immediately the departure from earlier design principles, that incorporated dials reduced to clearly legible hour markers, but did not employ numerals. This changed some years ago, when part of the “Dashboard”-series watches received a new styling, with Arabian numerals, adopted from the dashboard instruments of the famous Porsche 911 sports car. Consequently, the chronograph reviewed is featuring these uniquely styled numerals, which are thankfully not mixed with other font styles, with the exception of the date window. What makes this version so particular are the subdials being coloured in olive drab, and the SuperLuminova of the numerals, tinted with the same colour. This looks very outdoor-ish, and certainly is more fashionable that the classic and sober Porsche Design dials.
The hands are bright white, using the same olive drab coloured SuperLuminova as on the dial. Why all the chronograph subdial hands are luminous, but not the chronograph second hand, is very strange, but the Porsche is sharing this mystery with many other chronographs on the market. The contrast over the dark dial is very good, at least where the crystal’s anti-reflective coating is still in place and working. A nice detail is that the minute and the chronograph’s second hand have their tips bent downward, which helps avoiding parallax errors when reading the time. However, the minute hand and the subdial hands are too short, compromising the legibility.
The finish of dial and hands is first rate, all printing is sharp and clean, the luminous mass used is of fine grain structure, without any apparent flaws in application, and the lacquer on the hands is regular and smooth.
D) Movement:
The P’6612 chronograph uses an ETA 2894-2 modular chronograph movement. Based on the tried and reliable 2892A2, it is not exactly an attractive sight: The chronograph complication is located under the dial, and the base movement has a tiny balance wheel, that is barely visible aside the huge automatic winding bridge and the large rotor ball bearing.
Yet Porsche Design invested some effort to give it an attractive appearance, with perlage on the bridges and some (chemically) blued screws. What is really noteworthy, though, is the rotor, that is truly a small work of art: Its body is made from titanium, copying the shape of a Porsche’s rims. The outer segment is a heavy metal, and attached to the titanium body by what appears to be chrome-plated inbus screws. This looks absolutely gorgeous!
On the performance side, the movement is rather average. As indicated earlier already, the chronograph pusher operation is far from smooth, but not as rough as is common for most 2894 used in cheaper watches. At least, the chronograph second hand does not stutter, and the also familiar jumpback on starting is not visible at all. Causing more problems is the massive, and also unpredictable play of the minute hand, due to the movement’s modular construction. When setting the time, the exact synchronising of the small second and the minute hands (with the minute hand pointing to a an index when the small second is at 60) is an issue of sheer luck. In fact, the play of the minute hand can be somewhere between 30 seconds and more than one and a half minutes. That means, when the crown is pushed back to restart the movement following a reference time signal, the small second hand is passing between 30 and about 90 seconds, before the minute hand starts moving. An accurate time display is thus barely possible at all.
When I compare the small second with a reference time signal, the movement’s accuracy is quite good, with the watch gaining an average of four seconds per day - but only as the watch is worn every day. On the winder, it lost about 20 seconds per day.
E) Strap and clasp:
Without doubt, the Porsche Design rubber strap is another highlight of the watch. It is stiff and smooth at the same time, and has absolutely no sharp edges that could dig into the skin. Its underside is featuring a profile reminding of sports car tires, that also helps achieving a good ventilation of the skin even in very hot and humid climates. The only disadvantage of that design is that it is not easy to keep clean the delicate structure on the underside, but a soft toothbrush works well.
The double folding clasp made from titanium unfortunately does not match the strap’s quality and comfort. It is rather large, with its surfaces attracting scratches very quickly. While the operation of the two release pushers is satisfactory, the clasp altogether leaves a wobbly impression.
The clasp is attached to the rubber strap by means of two tiny screws on each side, making a quick adjustment of the length impossible. Tiny claws are gripping the strap in holes prepared for that purpose. This appears to be a rather secure construction, but nowadays, modern bracelet and clasp designs should offer a quick adjustment opportunity for the length. Since ergonomics always was Porsche Design’s most important selling argument, I am missing such a provision from a PD watch.
What is nice, but probably not intended by the designers, is the fact that the two halves of the clasp are locked independently, so it is possible to leave one side open as a “diving suit extension”, permitting to wear the watch over the clothes, which is sometimes quite practical.
F) Ergonomics and legibility:
Are Porsche Design watches boring? I have to admit that this is the impression I get when asking people around me - watch enthusiasts and “ignorants” alike - about their opinion on my tiny collection of PD watches. It is interesting, that - with the exception of the Ocean 2000, that has an own and avid community of fans - practically all Porsche Design watches are accepted as highly legible, practical, functional - but not exciting or fashionable.
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the famous designer, tried to establish his dogma of the “reduction to the pure function”. Regarding watches, this reduction always meant clean lines, without any superfluous edges and ‘features’, like decorative screw heads or oversized crown protectors; and without numerals. For F.A. Porsche, people in our civilised world are confronted with watch dials already in early development stages of their childhood. To read a clock is one of the most important lessons we all had to learn. The result of this is an almost instinctive recognition of the time when we see the position of two hands, which is the reason why analogue watch displays still are more popular than digital ones. Porsche concluded that numerals, be them Arabian or Roman, are needless and superfluous, since with twelve markers, everybody is perfectly able to read the time; and the watch display can be kept uncluttered and clean, with high contrast.
Therefore, we won’t find a Porsche Design watch with numerals on the main dial (but of course on subdials) that was designed while Ferdinand Alexander was in charge of his studio. However, the reduction to pure function has a big disadvantage: Once successfully established, it is impossible to develop or innovate the design. Therefore, for decades, all Porsche Design watches more or less looked alike.
A typical Porsche Design watch from the P10 series
This changed when the design studio’s founder retired and the formerly independent company came under a common roof together with the Porsche car manufacturer. Now, the purpose of design was less interpreted as a pure ‘slave of function’, but something that was subjected to changes in contemporary tastes and fashions.
The difference is apparent at first sight: The ‘classic’ Porsche Design watch is highly legible. Its main purpose, to present the time, is immediately apparent. The lack of Arabian numerals results in a large and empty area on the dial, that permits the hands a very good contrast with the background. But, and this is my longtime experience, this design is met with a disinterested “uh...”, whenever I presented that watch to others. This is not a good starting point if you want to sell lots of watches.
Therefore, the new design line, as represented by the P’6612 chronograph reviewed here, is very different: The numerals borrowed from the Porsche 911 dashboard might be good to read on a speedometer, but they are not very legible at small sizes, like they are used on watch dials. That the 12 got a larger size than the other numerals, is a bit confusing, too. Overall, the numerals make the dial appear more cluttered as one of the traditional watches.
A more serious problem is the poor legibility of the subdials. First, the numeral printing there is black on olive drab, which is very difficult to read. As pointed out already, the small hands are too short and a bit stubby, and together with the black markers on the subdials, an intuitive reading of the measured values is impossible; one has to concentrate on that task.
Second, it would have been better to use different colours in order to group the hands according to their function. Since all the hands are bright white, it is difficult to quickly recognise the difference between the permanent second and the chronograph counters.
Finally, the nighttime legibility is rather poor, due to the colour pigments in the SuperLuminova, which reduce the substance’s luminosity. Also here, function had to stand behind the aspect of fashion.
But: it looks so good! This is what justifies all the compromises regarding ergonomics and function. Compared with ‘classic’ Porsche Design watches, the newer lines really are able to attract the attention of people, and that is what the business of a watch manufacturer is all about. So additionally to fulfilling the function demanded from a vacation watch, the P’6612 chronograph also offers me the luxury of good looks, which is why I wear it so often, even outside the vacation time.
Click here to read Part 1
Copyright February 2008 - Marcus Hanke & PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved
PuristSPro Homepage | ThePuristS Homepage
Comments, suggestions, and corrections to this article are welcome.
Porsche Design
Marcus,
I'm delighted to see a serious review of a Porsche Design chronograph in these august pages. I was busily collecting Porsche Design chronos from the Orfina, IWC, and Eterna years when I first discovered the PuristS and got hooked on AP. PD may not receive much attention from the haute horology crowd, but for simple visual appeal to anyone with industrial, modern, or Bauhaus tastes, they're hard to beat. The MIH watch, Sinn, Tutima, and Xemex share some of the same aesthetic, but PD did it first.
Park
I appreciate the candid evaluation
Thanks Marcus for pointing out the flaws as well as the bright spots of the watch.
So often we gloss over those in our haste to point out the beauty of our newest toy.
And even when there are flaws as you have noted, a watch can still be our favorite.
I too have had multiple PD models but like your mythical friends also felt "uh ... what the ...?" when I looked at some of them.
And that was after I bought them! This IWC/PD is the only one I have left.
Cheers
Mike
So often we gloss over those in our haste to point out the beauty of our newest toy.
And even when there are flaws as you have noted, a watch can still be our favorite.
I too have had multiple PD models but like your mythical friends also felt "uh ... what the ...?" when I looked at some of them.
And that was after I bought them! This IWC/PD is the only one I have left.
Cheers
Mike
Thanks Marcus for a wonderful review!
Thanks Marcus for a wonderful review! I have always been a fan of PD watches but reviews of these watches are indeed rare.
I think your observation of these watches as traveler's watches is right on. For many years, I find them to be the most versatile of watches--for example, the earlier sportivo02 in demospan or titanium links could well function as a dress watch for the wearer with a futuristic yet classy taste. In many ways, I also agree with your assessment about the influence of FA Porsche. He was formerly trained at Ulm school of design in Germany, which inherited a Bauhaus culture for design in its inception. His departure is often seen as a good thing--when one wishes to depart from that industrial craftsmanship, simple yet complex Bauhaus ideal--but also could be seen as rendering the studio directionless now with designers going in all directions. Personally, I wish he was still involved in some ways with the designs of the studio.
In a similar vein, the design direction of Eterna on Porsche watches often has a parallel with the design direction of IWC. If we observe the latest directions in both of these reputable firms, we see more graphically emphasized designs than the more 'constructive' (for cases, bracelets, manufacturing process) approach adopted by the much more formal Bauhaus disciples.
Right now, I am wearing the Ocean 2000, which is simply just a very comfortable to wear watch to say the least. I marvel at the number of small details throughout the watch and particularly, how smooth every curvature is pleasing to the touch and the sight. If there is a design that converges the tactile and the visual, then it is really in this watch.
Ocean
Thanks a lot, Marcus for this Huge Review
And a funny thing is that while reading your post, I was thinking of the Ocean 2000, 3 H or not, and was saying to myself that it was and still is a great watch.
IMHO, the nicest PD.
As for this one, theb one of yor review, I mean, I'm not very excited by it.
I much more appreciated your work.
Best.
Nicolas
I love that watch!
I just met some friends over the weekend and one of them was wearing the Ocean 2000. It is amazing!
- SJX
This message has been edited by SJX on 2008-02-11 08:32:00Excellent review!
Thanx for this excellent review. Porsche Design is not in the haute horlogerie game, but when it comes to design i think they're in the major league! I love the so called Flat Six... so who knows... 
Cheers,
Frank
Changes after the Crash Test Dummy Sings
Marcus,
First, I must stress that I am NOT calling you a Crash Test Dummy. I am merely hunting for a catchy automotive-based operatic headline.....as in "It's only over after the Fat Lady sings." 
I like your crash test reviews though because you winkle out the longer-term flaws during real-world usage.
I wonder if Eterna will take note and make improvements because it looks like they have the 'technology' but we don't know if they have the 'will'. The change list is not long and could result in a "more perfect" watch...to coin an oxymoron:
- If they can coat the inner surface of the caseback with anti-reflective material, surely they can do the same with the front crystal? They could even use the production cost saved by NOT coating the caseback in the first place to offset the extra costs.
- The Porsche dashboard fonts can probably stay (they are not THAT legible in the car either) but the choice of contrasting colour palette could be improved with minimal cost-effort.
- The chronograph function hands could have a different colour from the regular time hands....that is a basic need of a stop-timing display. The Porsche cars' dashboard can be supplied with an optional stop-watch that has 2 displays, so that concept is not alien to Porsche.
- The wobbly deployant strap clasp 'scratch magnet' can be sorted out with a bead-blasted finish on a more substantial clasp OR changing to bead-blasted tang buckle.
Ta-daaah! Perfect Sporty Holiday Watch......no?
Regards,
MTF
Well, the first change might be an advisory regarding . . .
. . . immersion in running water and sand . . . "maelstroms can be harmful to the AR coating, and are not recommended", or words to that effect . . . ;-) . . . cordially, Art
Ha! I was waiting for this!!! ...
However, the AR coating's disintegration was noticed already BEFORE I used the watch in vacation and made that picture series. After the series, there was no noticeable difference regarding the defect.
Best regards,
Marcus
Best regards,
Marcus
Excellent Review!
Well balanced review with proven strengths and areas of improvements.
Thanks!
Thanks Markus!!
Fantastic essay and sensational pics.
I have been enamored of PD, the new designs, for a while. I could not finally bring myself to spend the money on them, but nevertheless still admired the designs, and still do.
Thanks~!
I have been enamored of PD, the new designs, for a while. I could not finally bring myself to spend the money on them, but nevertheless still admired the designs, and still do.
Thanks~!
Wondeful review Marcus!
Finally had a chance to finally sit down and read your review. A thorough review and felt as if I was there in the room with you examining the watch!
I wonder what Porsche Design thinks of your pictures with the salt water and sand LOL! I love it!
Cheers,
Anthony
Unfortunately, they seem to think nothing ...
... since I received no reply after notifying the review to them. However, I am used to this, I rarely get an answer from them.
But I am very glad you liked the review!
Best regards,
Marcus
But I am very glad you liked the review!
Best regards,
Marcus