The Fully-Lumed Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition

The connection between design studio and watchmaker Porsche Design and the automotive world is… obvious! Not only the company was founded by the man who, in 1964, designed the emblematic Porsche 911 – Mister Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche – but most of its watches are inspired by either cars or elements of the 911. In 1972, Porsche Design presented the Chronograph I, a watch that’s been greatly celebrated over recent years and that gave us numerous limited editions related to races or specific cars. Now, following watches inspired by Ice Race (previously known as the GP Ice Race), Porsche Design and F.A.T. International are back at it with the new Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition equipped with a fully luminescent ice-white dial. 

What’s behind this name…? F.A.T. International was a French logistics company that, in the early 1990s, set an ambitious goal: to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In close collaboration with Porsche and former racing driver Joachim Dauer, the duo brought back the legendary Porsche 962 racing car to the track. Thanks to innovative modifications and a smart interpretation of the regulations, the Porsche 962 with F.A.T. International livery claimed the overall victory at Le Mans in 1994. Years later, Ferdi Porsche, nephew of Butzi Porsche, set himself the goal to revive the name F.A.T. International as a modern motorsport community. The name is now synonymous with spectacular events, such as the F.A.T. Ice Race, a revival of the historic ice race in Zell am See, and the modern reopening of the iconic “Mankei” hut on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. More on that in this interview with Ferdi Porsche.

This weekend saw the 2025 edition of the F.A.T. Ice Race, which also meant the introduction of a new Chronograph 1. A follow-up to the 2023 edition you can see here, the new Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition switches tones with a blacked-out case and bracelet, and something glowing strong on the dial side… The opposite of the classic 1972 Chronograph 1, with its matte black dial with white hands and indices. What we have with the F.A.T. 2025 Edition is a titanium watch, sharing the classic 1972-inspired shape of all previous models, yet coated entirely in black titanium carbide and with glass-bead blasted surfaces. The watch is 40.8mm in diameter, 14.15mm in thickness, features a screw-down crown and solid screwed back, with a comfortable water-resistance of 100m.

The real deal for this new edition is the dial. The dial appears in radiant white thanks to a full coating of Super-LumiNova luminescent material, creating a mirror image of what we’re used to seeing on Porsche Design chronograph watches. The base, at least during the day, is entirely white with black printed markers, indexes, tracks and logos, ensuring strong contrast. All hands, except the red central seconds, are also black. And at night, as the perfect tool for a 24-hour race, the dial glows thanks to a fair amount of SLN. Two “easter eggs” can be found on this dial too. First, the silhouette of the Porsche 962 adorns the hour counter, while the F.A.T. International logo appears under the day-date window. The second trick is the said calendar function, as the English day display adds an extra distinctive touch, replacing “SAT” and “SUN” with “F.A.T.” in the signature red of F.A.T.

Inside the case is the proprietary caliber WERK 01.240, an automatic, COSC-certified, flyback chronograph movement based on the 7750 architecture. It beats at 4Hz and stores up to 48 hours of energy when fully wound. Echoing the look of the 1972 model, this new Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition is delivered with a black titanium carbide-coated bracelet, equipped with a titanium folding clasp with fine adjustment. Also, the watch comes with two additional straps;  a white textile strap with the F.A.T. Ice Race badge and the exclusive “F.A.T. Mankei Strap” in purple textile and leather. All are equipped with a quick-change mechanism.

A limited edition of 136 pieces, the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 F.A.T. 2025 Edition is priced at EUR 10,936 or USD 11,500 and is now available at porsche-design.com and shop.porsche.com and in Porsche Design Stores worldwide.