Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC All Black Review
I’m a big fan of challenging my own preconceptions about what I like about watches. I think that’s the only way to really grow this hobby and prevent it from becoming stale. Because I’m open to just about anything, I have a wide variety of watches in my collection at any given time. Dress watches, tool
replica luxury watches, big watches, small watches, and watches made in Switzerland, Japan, Germany, and the United States have all made an appearance in my personal collection at various times. I thought at one point or another that each of these little categories would lead to the end of my “collecting journey,” which, of course, never really ends. However, as you might expect, each time, I was completely wrong.
There was a time when a watch like the Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC All Black would have been high on my “must have” list. It’s from an interesting brand, has a fascinating history, is closely tied to a car manufacturer that I personally love, and has a sleek, ultra-modern look that I also admire. It also offers a new take on the GMT complication, with a pusher on the side of the case that isn’t a chronograph, but instead jumps the hour hand forward and backward, allowing the weary traveler to switch time zones with a single tap, rather than the laborious unscrewing, twisting, and re-twisting. I went through a phase of focusing on tool and sports watches, only now fading from the limelight. In its prime, a watch like this would have been a hit with many.
But our tastes evolve, and in the process we learn what we like and, more importantly, what we don’t like. Something I’ve come to understand over the years as I’ve been switching watches is that big, oversized watches just don’t wear well for me, both literally and figuratively. I’ve grown a bit tired of black watches – they’re not very versatile in my opinion, and I rarely feel like they complement anything I do or wear. And then there’s the butterfly clasp. Gosh, there’s nothing I hate more about watch band clasps than a butterfly clasp, especially when the band is integrated into the case, making it impossible to switch to something more elegant. I’ve also discovered that a traditional “tool watch” in the strictest sense of the word might not be as suitable for me as I once thought. After selling my Tudor Pelagos (probably the most tool-like watch I’ve ever owned), I’ve been wearing some decidedly more refined (but still pretty rugged) watches on a daily basis, which has changed my definition of an ideal watch to fit my lifestyle. Which, let’s be honest, doesn’t involve spending a lot of time underwater, next to a rock face, or in a tent somewhere in the New Hampshire wilderness.
replica Porsche Design 1919 watchesThis is a pretty long windup, I just wanted to say that the Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC (just the Globetimer from now on) is a watch that is far beyond my personal preferences, and you need to consider that when considering my personal reaction to it. However, any form of criticism is more than just a personal reaction, but should be an assessment of how well something succeeds in achieving the goals it was originally set out to achieve. For example, if you don’t like a particular type of horror movie, you might think that Malignant Terror is complete garbage. But even if you don’t personally like it, you have to admit that it evokes memories of Italian giallo films from the 1970s in a unique and modern way, right? Right!
In that spirit, let’s take a look at the latest creation from Porsche Design, a watch that doesn’t sit well with me in every way, but it certainly lives up to its name in terms of functionality, a truly clever party trick that anyone who considers themselves a fan of travel watches will really enjoy.
The case design is naturally the highlight, and its exquisite construction is breathtaking. You must have heard someone compare a watch to a hockey puck, right? Well, this is perhaps the most hockey-like design I can remember, even the color is the same. The Globetimer watch is cylindrical in shape, with a diameter of about 42mm and a thickness of about 15.4mm (including the sapphire crystal). It is made of titanium, and although it doesn’t feel heavy on the wrist, its weight is felt by every millimeter (or even more, as we will explain later).
replica Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59The uniqueness of the case lies in its open lug design - the cylinder is essentially suspended in a slim titanium frame. The thin lugs extend out from where they are expected, but are connected by another strip of titanium to which the strap is attached. I quite like the look of it – it feels modern and looks great in photos, but unfortunately it has some wearability issues, which we’ll get to later.
While this open space is pleasing to the eye, it makes the lug-to-lug distance of the watch 50.8mm. Unlike most lug-to-lug distances (where the strap attaches), the lug-to-lug distance of the Globetimer refers to the titanium bezel or case itself. As a result, it feels long on the wrist. Think of other integrated strap/bracelet sports watches, which often have shorter lug-to-lug distances than watches with traditional lug designs. This watch is the opposite, and feels like it was made for aesthetics without considering ergonomics.
The Globetimer case has a simple satin-brushed finish with no polished edges, which goes well with the overall style of this watch as a hardy tool. While the finish itself is not complex, it is very well made and feels good to hold. It’s worth mentioning that the caseback has a UTC scale laser engraved showing the offsets for the 24 time zones, which may be handy for some users, and the scale is legible against a black background, which is a nice touch (usually such engravings are hard to read unless you have near-superhuman eyesight or use a magnifying glass, but that seems to defeat the purpose of the scale to some extent).
My favorite element of the Globetimer is the dial. It’s complex, but it does a great job of presenting a lot of information in a way that’s easy to understand and (mostly) intuitive, a difficult task. It also cleverly incorporates small details that add a touch of elegance to an otherwise lacking sense of refinement.
Designing a watch with multiple time zones is no easy task, and there are many ways that watch designers can communicate the time in different parts of the world. This design solution, with a long 24-hour hand that always points to the home time on the outer scale, and traditional minute and hour hands indicating the local time, is, in my opinion, preferable to other solutions, including hard-to-read subdials or additional windows showing additional time zones. I should also add here that I think Porsche Design was right to ditch the rotating bezel on this watch. It’s much simpler and more intuitive, and unless you’re operating in the cockpit of a transcontinental aircraft, you’d never believe that tracking a third time zone is necessary. The layout here, at least as far as the GMT function is concerned, is simple and easy to understand.
replica swiss watchesThe downside to this dial is that it adds a date ring inside the dial, which requires another hand. To be honest, this does get a little confusing at first, as both the 24-hour hand and the date indicator are tipped with arrows, which can be easily confused at first glance. Perhaps a more effective approach would have been to simply use a traditional date window somewhere on the dial, or to incorporate the date into a smaller sub-register at 6 o’clock. This is a relatively minor complaint, though, as I think most people who regularly wear this watch will quickly adapt and easily find the blue-tipped hand to indicate their home time.
One nice thing about the date ring, though, is that it looks like it’s made of a real ring, that is, it’s a separate piece that’s set into the bottom of the dial. This gives the dial a hint of unexpected depth, as does the luminescent material of the hour markers. The dial has a subtle circular brushing effect on the inside, which is easily discernible with a magnifying glass, but the naked eye only sees a slightly different tone and sheen to the rest of the dial. On a watch where almost every other design element is extremely elaborate, these small details are slightly intrusive but are also appreciated.
The Globetimer watch is powered by a completely reworked Sellita SW200 movement. This movement is the heart of this watch and the most important reason for its existence. I imagine it will be the driving force behind every watch that many people buy simply because they love the function of the movement more than they hate the other parts. There is no doubt about this logic, as this movement performs excellently and is unique at this price point.
What Porsche Design has done here is to move the actual GMT function from the crown to a button on the side of the case, which will mistake it for a basic chronograph button for those who don't know. The button above the crown is engraved with a "+" symbol, and when pressed, the hour hand advances to the next hour, while the button below the crown (with a "-" symbol) moves the hour hand back, all without stopping the balance wheel. It's simple, intuitive, and very satisfying. The mechanical "click" sound is more like the start-up sound of a fine chronograph, and in my testing, both buttons worked perfectly, never missing a request to move the hour hand forward or backward.
replica Richard Mille Rafael NadalPorsche Design's marketing materials for the Globetimer watch claim that its simple and elegant mechanism is an ideal solution for busy travelers in the real world, and I think this idea is worth exploring. As with other GMT watches, the Globetimer's functions can only really be used by those who travel frequently. That said, it's frankly hard to imagine this watch making an ideal travel companion due to its size and difficulty in wearing it for long periods of time. But if you are Dwayne Johnson, your wrist is really up to the task. I can't help but wonder if those who own premium GMT watches like Rolex and Grand Seiko, which allow the local hour hand to jump independently via the crown, crave some more convenient functionality. I've owned a Rolex with this feature, and I never found it too cumbersome. It just felt like asking for trouble.
That being said, as a solution it's excellent, and very well implemented, but I think it's little more than a fidget spinner for most people. And it's an expensive fidget spinner. I guess it depends on how you value these buttons, whether you think they're overpriced compared to a new GMT Master II, or overpriced compared to a base Sellita chronograph (which, it's worth noting, is chronometer-certified, so it should keep superb time). After using it for a while, my impression is that this watch is ultimately designed for electronics and complications enthusiasts, rather than people who really want to improve their travel experience by using a new device.
However, this functionality would be very attractive if presented in a more wearable form, and the popularity and collectibility of the push-piece travel watches that Patek Philippe has produced over the years is largely a testament to this (this article by James Stacey for Hodinkee is a great primer on this complication). Of course, Porsche Design is not Patek Philippe, so it would be unfair to completely dismiss the achievement this movement represents simply because of the size of the watch, which is the inevitable result of adding a module to a standard movement. This seems particularly apt considering that the case itself (the cylindrical part that houses the movement) is not what ultimately makes the watch difficult to wear.
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