The Latest Version of This Iconic Chronograph Is a 1980s Dream Come True

It’s a brand-new look for one of the most legendary tool watches ever.

a closeup of a porsche design chronograph watch dial in the snow

Published February 3, 2025

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There aren’t a whole lot of chronograph watches that rank as more iconic than the Porsche Design Chronograph 1.

The watch from Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche, the designer of the Porsche 911, was the first watch to boast an all-black case, paving the way for every other murdered-out watch to follow.

The watch also rose to fame on the wrist of Tom Cruise in the hit 1986 film Top Gun. When Cruise reprised his high-flying role in 2022’s $1.5 billion smash Top Gun: Maverick, he brought the Chronograph 1 along with him.

tom cruise wears a porsche design chronograph watch in the movie top gun — Tom Cruise helped make the Chronograph 1 famous by wearing it in *Top Gun*.

If you had to pick one defining feature of the Chronograph 1, it would be the watch’s stealthy appearance. The black case, the black bracelet, the black dial: It has a very distinct look.

But as we’ve seen before, sometimes all an iconic watch needs to reach new levels of fascination is a simple color change. It happened last year with the launch of the white-dialed Omega Speedmaster, and now we’re seeing the same situation play out with the latest Porsche Design Chronograph 1.

The ’80s Called, They’re Jealous

For the first time, there is a Porsche Design Chronograph 1 with a white dial.

a porsche design chronograph watch — This is the first time a Chronograph 1 has been produced with a white dial.

Arguably the most iconic all-black watch ever made has received a striking makeover in honor of motoring enthusiast group F.A.T. International’s annual Ice Race. The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition maintains the usual matte-black PVD titanium case and bracelet, along with the signature bold red chronograph seconds hand.

But the traditional matte-black dial has been swapped out for one that’s bright white, matching the wintry vibes of the F.A.T. Ice Race while simultaneously increasing the watch’s legibility thanks to the high-contrast black dial markings.

Just having a white dial on a Chronograph 1 would be news enough, but this isn’t an ordinary white dial. The dial is fully coated in white Super-LumiNova, meaning the entire thing glows in low light. Porsche Design says this helps with visibility during endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which I suppose is true, but it also just looks awesome.

a porsche design chronograph watch glows in the dark — The fully lumed dial contains several Easter eggs pointing to the F.A.T. International collab.

Powering the watch is the in-house, COSC-certified Porsche Design WERK 01.240 automatic flyback chronograph calibre, and the watch includes an all-black titanium bracelet along with two straps — a white Ice Race textile strap and the “F.A.T. Mankei Strap,” which is made from leather and textile in “Mankei Purple.” Both straps and the bracelet are all equipped with a quick-change system.

This seems to me like the ultimate 1980s tool watch. You’ve got one ’80s action movie icon in the Chronograph 1 seemingly merging with another — the blacked-out, lume-dialed TAG Heuer Night Diver worn by James Bond in 1987’s The Living Daylights — to create the ultimate badass ’80s action hero watch.

a porsche design chronograph watch on a persons wrist over a winter coat — The badass ’80s vibes are strong with this one.

An Extra-Special Special Edition

Porsche Design has added a few Easter eggs to this new Chronograph 1 to make the watch even more fun and desirable.

In the day complication window, both Saturday and Sunday have been replaced with the letters F.A.T. in red, which to me signifies that it’s OK to take a break from one’s diet on the weekend (jk).

a porsche design chronograph watch in the snow — Two straps are included with the watch in addition to the blacked-out titanium bracelet.

There are also a few details that appear only when the lume dial is activated. The F.A.T. International logo appears below the day/date window, while a silhouette of a Porsche 962 shows up inside the chronograph hour counter. Additionally, the “6” of the hour counter is joined by a 9 and 2 on either side, spelling out the model name of the iconic ’80s race car with which F.A.T. International won at Le Mans in 1994.

Both the 962 silhouette and the F.A.T. International logo also appear engraved on the titanium caseback, along with the limited-edition number, as just 136 examples are being produced. The watch is priced at $11,500 and is available now directly from Porsche Design’s online store.