A dedicated home for bespoke watches
Porsche Design's watchmaking operation has moved into a specially renovated manufactory in Grenchen, Switzerland. The building dates from 1955 and has been redesigned to connect the company's expertise in personalised sports cars with the precise processes used for mechanical watches.
The facility occupies about 3,600 square metres, with production arranged around a compact workflow. It replaces a smaller Solothurn operation that had reached the limits of its capacity.
The factory has a history of watchmaking
The Grenchen building was used by Eterna to produce Porsche Design watches under licence between 1998 and 2014. Nearby, F. A. Porsche's first watch was produced in 1972, connecting the new facility to the original Chronograph 1.
This history gives the chosen location more significance than a conventional industrial address. It also reinforces the association between car-inspired design and Swiss mechanical craftsmanship.
A workflow borrowed from sports-car production
Porsche Design executive Ralf Bergmann previously worked on integrating personalisation into Porsche's automotive production operations. In Switzerland, he is applying similar logistical principles to the manufacture of individually configured watches.
Component selection follows a planned route through a parts area into specialised assembly and inspection. The facility's ten watchmaker workstations are located within an ISO-certified clean room designed to protect delicate mechanical parts.
Materials and personal specification
Customer-configured timepieces require a wide choice of colours, straps, materials and small finishing details. Managing that variety without compromising precision involves careful stock handling and checks at each stage of assembly.
The new arrangement is intended to support those individual orders rather than merely turning out identical watches in greater volume. Owners considering a customised watch should nevertheless confirm the choices available for the particular reference they intend to order.
An intersection of design and craftsmanship
Porsche Design's original Chronograph 1 helped establish the brand's design language for watches. Its production heritage is different from the engineering of cars, but both disciplines value clear function, precise tolerances and carefully controlled materials.
The Christophorus report offers a view inside the company's new operation, not an investment recommendation about collectible watches. Provenance, serviceability and personal enjoyment remain more dependable criteria than assumptions about future resale values.
