Hands-On: Porsche Design’s New Watch Manufacture Creates A New All-Titanium Chronograph 1

It seems that the point of establishing an official presence at the base of the Jura mountains isn’t to bring manufacturing in-house, at least for now. At this new site, the watchmaking I saw involved assembling already-constructed calibers, cases, and dials in a space that currently houses 10 watchmakers, though sadly, no photos were permitted. So for now, no floors of CNC machines and the like are to be seen, rather a few laser engraving machines for customized plaques and casebacks. Just as Porsche owners travel to Germany to pick up their car at the factory, they can now visit Switzerland to design a bespoke watch that complements that very same vehicle. 

The space open to the public (aside from the assembly and parts storage, most of the building is set for offices) is centered around just that kind of experience. The first floor opens into a Porsche Design museum, focusing, of course, on the watches, and eventually leads to a miniature design studio for customers to customize their next watch (colors, straps, stitching, etc.).