Porsche Design - P'6780 Diver
WORLDTEMPUS - March 31st 2010
Hang on. Isn't that...it must be...the Eterna KonTiki Concept Diver? Introduced at Baselworld in 2005...right? But the logo emblazoned across it says...Porsche Design. "The design fit the Porsche Design collection far better," Yolande Perroulaz of Porsche Design and Eterna explained, when Worldtempus asked about the obvious similarity.
Right she was, of course: Porsche Design is a sportier brand compared to Eterna—even if Eterna's impressive horological history does account for a crazy Norwegian and a raft made of Peruvian timber back in the 1950s.
When Ferdinand A. Porsche introduced his first wristwatch back in 1972, it was a black PVD-coated model saluting speed, hence the mechanical chronograph function. Later, in 1980, he introduced the first titanium mechanical chronograph, Ref. 3700. This particular watch—and other models—were produced in collaboration with IWC. This was a fruitful relationship that ended when Porsche Design acquired Eterna in 1995 making the production services of IWC no longer necessary.
The P'6780 Diver is the first Porsche Design diver's watch since 1983's Ocean 2000 and 500 models, both titanium and both designed for divers of the German Navy—and both making headlines for the innovative design studio located in the picturesque Austrian town Zeel am See.
Today the 46.8-millimeter P'6780 Diver powered by an ETA 2892-A2 caliber is the talk of town: water-resistant to 1,000 meters and crafted in a combination of shot-blasted stainless steel and titanium. Securely anchored within a titanium bridge structure is a hinged steel container that can be raised to set the time and securely lock the rotating bezel. This design is no different from the Eterna KonTiki Concept Diver introduced in 2005.
However, the dial layout, hands, position of the date, slightly larger release buttons and other small, but distinctive details, greatly differentiate the P'6780 from the Eterna version, making the Porsche Design version of the innovative "hinged container" watch look more sporty and sturdy. And, yes, it does indeed fit the Porsche Design collection far better than its more traditionally classic sister brand.
The Porsche Design P'6780 is expected to hit retailers' shelves this summer with a suggested retail price of 9,500 Swiss francs.