Porsche Design P´6612 Dashboard Le Mans 1970 Limited Edition Watch

While it has nothing to do with the actual theme of the watch, when I first laid eyes on this new limited edition Porsche Design P'6612 Dashboard Le Mans 1970 timepiece, I thought of something a bit kinky. You know, those lace-up on the sides leather pants, corsets, and other lingerie/bondage outfits? You know, because of that cross-stitching in red thread on the black leather strap. Then I toned it back a bit, and thought to myself "this isn't a watch that people are going to wear with those types of outfits. The watch also reminds me of hip shoes - which are something that someone might easily choose to wear the watch with. So below, you'll find a few Nike's with matching color schemes and red laces.

In 1970, the Porsche 917 (pictured above) was the first Porsche to ever win at the Le Mans race. Funny how modern the car still looks. 40 years later, Porsche Design is celebrating the historic victory with this limited edition watch of... 917 pieces (why not 1,970 pieces Porsche Design?!). The watch is based on the current Porsche Design P'6612 (P6612) mechanical automatic watch. I say that last part because there are plenty of quartz Porsche Design timepieces as well. Th Le Mans 1970 limited edition watch has a restyled dial, special strap, and comes in a collector's box with a small model of the Porsche 917 car.

The majority of Porsche Design watches looked a bit ordinary to me, until I was actually able to handle them. They then make a very good case for themselves. I guess there really is something to the popularity of the this whole "Porsche Design" thing (you sense my sarcasm right?). The P6612 is a great example. The colors and design of the watch make such a good visual case for themselves when you see them. The design of the dial makes it so that it integrates seamlessly with the bezel, and the use of contrasting colors is impressive in execution. When it comes down to it, it is the quality in construction of Eterna (that makes all Porsche Design watches) that is much to thank.

You'll notice the large "23" in the subsidiary seconds dial on the watch in black and white. This was the car's number in the race (seen on the hood). The chronograph subdials are in red against the bold black face. Porsche Design knows that the best hands for legibility are white on black... so they haven't messed with this formula. As a racing chronograph watch, it does have a tachymeter scale, but one that is pleasantly understated around the periphery of the dial. Up a bit from that is a minute and hour scale.

In sating finished and polished titanium, the case is 42mm wide, and wears a bit large. It is water resistant to 100 meters, and has front and rear sapphire crystals. Movement is a Swiss ETA 2894-2 automatic, with a special signature Porsche Design rotor. The chronograph pushers and crown have grated surfaces for traction and ease of use (as well as design). Luminant is applied to the hands and I believe the hour indicators as well.

That cool looking strap is in calf leather, and meant to look like the steering wheel from the 917 car - complete with red stitching. Though the portholes are unique to the watch strap (well, I guess they could be on the car as well). Overall a nice limited edition piece from Porsche Design and rendition on the P6612 watch. Price for each of the piece is 5,917 Swiss Francs (4,517 euros).