While countless iconic watches have gone through their fair share of evolutions over the decades, the Chronograph 1 from Porsche Design has remained largely redolent of its original design. Initially intended to be a practical timepiece upon its launch in 1972, the Chronograph 1 eventually became a go-to for not just auto fans but the U.S. Air Force and the West German Bundeswehr. Since then, however, the watch has become a mark of elegance in the watch world, with newer model releases coinciding with new vehicle debuts — often as exclusives for the car’s owners.
Porsche, who now owns the F.A.T. International name, mostly for promoting racing events, has tapped its design firm for a new version of its Chronograph 1 with a white dial to coincide with the 2025 F.A.T. Ice Race this past weekend… and it has a fully-lumed dial, too!
What Is the F.A.T. Ice Race?
When French logistics company F.A.T. International had a dream of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it went to the right automaker for help. By the 1990s, Porsche had already secured twelve overall victories at Le Mans, including an unprecedented 7-peat in the ‘80s. But F.A.T. already had history with Porsche, holding the Zell am See ice race in Austria in honor of founder Ferdinand Porsche.
Running from 1952 to 1973, the ice race consisted of skiers, tethered to motorbikes and automobiles, dragged around a circuit in the snow. Pretty wild! In 2019, the F.A.T. Ice Race (originally the GP Ice Race) was resurrected and has been gaining steam ever since, other than a three-year hiatus for the pandemic.
Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition
If you’ve got any familiarity with the Chronograph 1, you’ll surely know it for its blacked-out design, extending to both its dial and usually-titanium case. Following up the 2023 F.A.T. Edition, which gave the watch a raw titanium case and flyback chronograph function, the 2025 version switches back to black for the case — over glass-bead-blasted titanium — but does something quite “cool” to the dial.
As opposed to the black dial with contrasting white for the indices and hands, this F.A.T. 2025 Edition goes all-white on the dial, achieved with a full coat of Super-LumiNova that gives this watch a glowing teal color at nighttime, revealing a phantom (9)6(2) at the bottom of the hour register. The Porsche 962 was the vehicle that won the Le Mans race in 1994, and its visage is also depicted on the subdial at night. The F.A.T. International logo also appears at night under the day-date display.
In daylight, however, the white is paired with black indices and hands, save for the red second hand and a “F.A.T.” display replacing “SAT” and “SUN” in the day-date window. The F.A.T. International logo also shows up on the closed caseback.
Utilizing the same 40.8mm case size, the watch is powered by the same in-house COSC-certified WERK 01.240 automatic flyback chronograph movement, a high-beat 4Hz caliber with 48 hours of power reserve. Lastly, the watch is adorned with a black titanium carbide-coated bracelet and two extra textile straps — one in white with the F.A.T. Ice Race badge and one in purple with leather on the outside.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 40.8mm
Case Thickness: 14.15mm
Case Material: Black-coated titanium
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: In-house WERK 01.240 automatic chronograph
Band: Black titanium bracelet, white textile strap, and purple textile strap with leather
Limited Edition?: Yes, 136
Pricing & Availability
Unlike the previous 2023 Edition, which was limited to 500 pieces, the F.A.T. 2025 Edition of the Chronograph 1 will only see 136 production pieces. Priced at $11,500, the timepiece is now available from Porsche Design’s website.
Recap
Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition
Porsche Design gave the 2025 F.A.T. Edition of its Chronograph 1 a white, fully-lumed dial to coincide with this years F.A.T. Ice Race.
