At first glance, the Source of Life Limited Edition from Oris is a handsome dive watch complete with standard features such as a unidirectional rotating bezel, applied indices filled with Super-LumiNova and water resistance to 300 meters. But beneath its surface, the model—whose caseback is embossed with a map of the 766-mile River Rhine—is described by the Swiss watchmaker as a “philosophical watch,” intended to draw attention to water’s life-sustaining properties.
Oris Aquis Diver Source of Life Limited Edition
$2,200 on rubber strap, $2,400 on stainless-steel bracelet; oris.ch
Around the turn of the last century, Ulysse Nardin began supplying deck chronometers to the U.S. Navy. This 50-piece limited edition wristwatch featuring a stars-and-stripes dial decoration in red, white, and blue pays tribute to that little-known relationship, which continued until the early 1950s. Appealing to fans of Ulysse Nardin and patriotic watch lovers alike, the skeletonized timepiece was introduced on—you guessed it—Independence Day.
Hand painted “Stars & Stripes” making watch dials great again. Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon “Stars & Stripes”
Porsche enthusiasts are a lot like other car enthusiasts. They’ve got lingo (“slant nose,” “Moby Dick,” “PDK”), icons (Bruce Canepa) and iconoclasts (Magnus Walker), a pedantic hierarchy (964 Carrera 911 RS trumps 996 911 GT3 RS, but both lose to 911 Carrera 2.7 RS). What makes Porsche enthusiasts unique is the degree of clubbiness, the vaguely secretive vibe. The ferocity of the mystique.
You can see how they got there. At their best, cars from Stuttgart are as involving and gratifying as any on the planet. The brand, as its devotees will remind you, has a long tradition of building innovative racing prototypes, ballsy street-legal sports cars, and exclusive special-edition models that blend the best elements of each. But the rarest Porsches tend to be kept under wraps. The company’s own museum meters out public appearances; private collectors are, understandably, hesitant to run irreplaceable, multimillion-dollar machines at the racetrack.
One RS Spyder? Big deal. A whole troupe of them? Woah.
Held every third year (or thereabouts) since 2001, this vintage racing event is billed as the world’s largest gathering of Porsches. Derek Bell and Bruce Canepa and Magnus Walker are there, along with nearly 60,000 other zealots, letting their freak flag fly. So are the 964 RS, 996 GT3 RS, and 2.7 RS, plus virtually every significant Porsche racing car from the past seven decades, including Le Mans winners, like the 917 and 962.
All told, some 330 cars take to the circuit, the location of which varies depending on the year. Past venues include historic Lime Rock Park, in Connecticut, and Daytona Speedway. Rennsport Reunion VI (September 27-30, 2018) is scheduled to take place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California.
The new Porsche Design Chronotimer Rennsport Reunion VI Limited Edition.
To mark the occasion, Porsche Design has created a new timepiece, the Chronotimer Rennsport Reunion VI Limited Edition. It pays homage to event, but also to the original Chronograph I, released in 1972. That piece helped put Porsche Design on the map; the company reportedly sold some 50,000 examples, more than a few of which wound up on the wrists of pro drivers.
Like the Chronograph I, the Chronotimer Rennsport Reunion VI Limited Edition has a distinctive matte-black finish, a nod to the instrument panels in the cockpits of racing cars. The 42mm carbide-coated titanium case is black, as is the dial; the sapphire crystal backing allows for a clear view of the automatic Valjoux movement. It all hangs on a black calfskin strap made from “original Porsche interiors,” replete with red contrast stitching. Each watch features a unique numbered engraving.
The Chronograph I from 1972, one of the inspirations behind the new Chronotimer Rennsport.
Each Rennsport Reunion feels like a rare and special thing, and this new Porsche Design watch aims to capture that sentiment. Accordingly, it’s limited to a scant 70 pieces, distributed only within the U.S. Other car enthusiasts might not see the appeal. But Porsche fanatics? The want for this one will be downright ferocious.
Products need only last as long as a glimpse at Instagram, so what does good design mean now? For Dieter Rams, it has always been about purity, ever since he started his industrial design career during the mid-1950s. Rams, who recently turned 86, served as the Chief Design Officer of Braun from 1961 until 1995; his famed “Ten Principals of Good Design,” and its influence on everyday objects, especially technology and electronics, remains unparalleled. An upcoming auction at Wright in Chicago (July 12th) celebrates the German’s prolific career and continued legacy, sending more than 130 of seminal products by Rams’ and his Braun colleagues across the block.
Nearly everything in this collection, sourced from Los Angeles connoisseur-and-dealer JF Chen, is fascinating. Here, Watch Journal narrows the scoping, picking out a few favorite lots to illustrate Rams’s “Ten Principals.”
Dieter Rams: The JF Chen Collection, Chicago, July 12, 2018; wright20.com
Good design is innovative
Lot 105 – Chronotimer Rennsport Reunion VI Limited Edition by Dietrich Lubs, 1987. Estimate $100-$150
Good design makes a product useful
Lot 142 – Phase 2 alarm clock by Dietrich Lubs, 1972. Estimate $75-$100Lot 110 – AB 314 Voice Memo alarm clock by Dietrich Lubs, 1995. Estimate $75-$100
Good design is aesthetic
Lot 168 – DW 30 digital wristwatch by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs, 1978. Estimate $200-$300
Good design makes a product understandable
Lot 156 – ET 22 Control calculator by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs, 1976. Estimate $100-$150
Good design is unobtrusive
Lot 178 – AW 10 wristwatch by Dietrich Lubs, 1989, Estimate $300-$500
Good design is honest
Lot 185 – SK 5 Phonosuper radiogram by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot, 1958. Estimate $1,000-$1,500
Good design is long-lasting
Lot 202 – AW 10 wristwatch by Dietrich Lubs, 1989. Estimate $300-$500
Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Lot 118 – Nizo 4056 Super 8 camera by Dieter Rams, Robert Oberheim, and Han Gulgelot, 1978. Estimate $150-$200
Good design is environmentally friendly
Lot 114 – ABW 21 clock and barometer by Dietrich Lubs, 1980. Estimate $300-$500
Good design is as little design as possible
Lot 138 – PC 3 SV turntable by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Dieter Rams, and Gerd Alfred Müller, 1956. Estimate $200-300
About the photographer:Junichi Ito was born and raised in Tokyo. Based in New York since 2005, he has photographed major commercial campaigns for Armani, Barneys, Estée Lauder, Moët & Chandon, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret. He has also shot original editorial content for Allure, Fast Company, Real Simple, Vogue Japan, and Wallpaper. His Instagram is a must-follow.
