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Porsche Design returns chronograph minutes to the centre with Hodinkee

The 350-piece Chronograph 1 Utility debuts WERK 01.340, combining a jumping central minute counter, titanium construction and two supplied wearing options.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 4 min read · 2 October 2026

• Porsche Design and Hodinkee’s second collaboration introduces WERK 01.340, returning a jumping central chronograph minute indication to the military-inspired Chronograph 1 layout.
• The 40.8mm uncoated titanium case measures 15.41mm thick, pairing a COSC-certified automatic movement and 60-hour reserve with a bracelet and Bund strap.
• Limited to 350 pieces worldwide, the edition costs US$9,650 excluding tax or €8,950; Porsche’s US listing currently shows it as out of stock.

A chronograph minute hand at the centre changes the way a watch presents elapsed time. It gives that information a full dial to occupy, with the same visual priority as the seconds being counted beside it. Porsche Design and Hodinkee have made that arrangement the reason for their second collaboration, announced on 1 October. The familiar military-inspired dial carries a newly developed automatic calibre beneath it, bringing a useful older display into a contemporary watch: the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility Limited Edition for Hodinkee.

The minutes get the whole dial

The central stop-minute hand counts up to 60 minutes, using a black body and red, fighter-jet-shaped tip to separate its indication from the other hands. Its minute indication jumps, giving the elapsed-minute reading a definite position. The central chronograph seconds hand carries Super-LumiNova, while the red 12-hour totaliser sits at six o’clock. Reading a longer interval involves two different scales: minutes across the main dial, then hours on the lower counter. That hierarchy supplies the article’s strongest reason to look beyond the historical styling.

Porsche Design places running seconds at nine and a 24-hour indicator at twelve. The latter moves with the ordinary hour and minute hands, distinguishing morning from evening when setting or reading the watch. Day and date occupy three o’clock, with English and German weekday options. Around the perimeter, a 12-hour chapter-ring scale keeps the design centred on elapsed time. It is a busy collection of indications, but each has a specific position and job. The colours give the chronograph counters their own visual thread through it.

A new calibre with a familiar arrangement

The WERK 01.340 makes its debut here. Porsche Design describes it as a new complication built on its established automatic chronograph platform, taking the central-minute display and indicator arrangement of the Lemania 5100 as its reference. The distinction matters when considering the watch’s mechanical proposition: this is a current Porsche Design calibre, with COSC chronometer certification and a stated 60-hour power reserve. Its attraction lies in the functions it puts back on the dial, alongside the operating margin of a modern automatic movement.

The case measures 40.8mm across and 15.41mm high, with a listed weight of 146g. That thickness deserves attention from anyone considering how this instrument-style chronograph will fit into an everyday rotation. The proportions promise a substantial watch, and the photographs show a broad case surrounding a closely packed dial. Those are published dimensions and visual observations; a wrist trial would be needed to settle the fit. Porsche Design lists water resistance to 10 bar and a closed back bearing the individual edition number.

Titanium, then two ways to wear it

Uncoated titanium forms the case and matching bracelet, with a glass-bead-blasted finish. The matte black dial and white indices maintain the strong tonal separation expected of the Chronograph 1 design. A sapphire crystal receives seven layers of antireflective treatment on both sides, plus a hard coating, according to the product specifications. The historic Porsche Design logo and period-style lettering supply the retrospective detail. A small Ti marking near the top of the dial identifies the material, while the collaboration credit appears below the day-date display.

The supplied bracelet has a folding clasp, push-button operation and fine adjustment. There is also an Agave Green Bund strap made from leather used in Porsche sports-car interiors, with GT Silver stitching. Its separate leather backing adds another layer beneath the case, giving the same watch a different outline in the manufacturer’s photographs. A quick-change mechanism allows switching without tools. The package therefore gives buyers two complete wearing options from the outset, including a strap that extends the military-reference theme beyond the dial’s typography and arrangement.

A second chapter with a clear purpose

The partners’ first collaboration arrived in 2024, and Porsche Design identifies this edition as the second instalment of a planned trilogy. The manufacturer connects its layout to the military Chronograph 1 variants developed for air and naval forces during the late 1970s and 1980s. That history explains several choices, from the central-minute reading to the restrained case finish. It also gives the current collaboration something concrete to develop: an older functional arrangement can shape a new movement and remain useful in its own right.

Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility Limited Edition for Hodinkee pricing and availability

Manufacturer-listed prices are US$9,650 excluding tax; €8,950; £8,950; CHF8,950; PLN39,000; RON45,000. The edition is limited to 350 pieces worldwide, individually numbered on the back, and includes the titanium bracelet and Agave Green Bund strap. Sales were announced for 1 October 2026 at 5pm CEST through European Porsche channels and selected retailers, with US sales exclusively through Hodinkee and Watches of Switzerland. Porsche’s US product listing is currently out of stock. The Canadian listing says the product is no longer available.

The display earns the attention

The central jumping-minute indication is the element that makes this edition worth considering on mechanical grounds. A collector drawn to elapsed-time legibility gets a layout with a clear organising idea, packaged with current chronometer certification and two wearing options. The substantial 15.41mm height remains part of that decision, as does the limited allocation. The useful question is whether giving chronograph minutes the full dial improves the way you read and use a timer. Here, that question carries more weight than the collaboration’s commemorative details.