Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Top Gun: Maverick – The Return of the Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph?
It seems that, 34 years later, Maverick will still rely on his PVD-coated chronograph.
In the 1986 hit action film Top Gun, Tom Cruise starred as Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who was selected to attend the TOP GUN programme, at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School. No need to talk about the cult status of the movie, about how cool the music was, how many of us imagined ourselves behind the yoke of the F14 Tomcat… And as you’re reading MONOCHROME, well you should know that there was a watch involved in the 1986 movie… And it seems that the Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph Black-PVD will be back on the wrist of Tom Cruise, in the 2020 sequel Top Gun: Maverick. And that is quite something!
The watch Tom Cruise wore during Top Gun was a Porsche Design chronograph in stainless steel, with a black PVD-coating, produced by Orfina, and powered by a Valjoux 7750, with central minutes and seconds. This watch was one of the first on the market with a black PVD coating, not for fashion, but because the matte black treatment reduced reflections.
You can see the black Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph clearly on Maverick’s wrist, throughout the entire film. Here is a photo taken at the end of the film with Cruise embracing Val Kilmer’s character, Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. It provides a great shot of the watch.
In June 2020, we will see the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 film, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as Maverick. The second trailer was just released yesterday and while watching it, I noticed a familiar-looking timepiece on the wrist of Cruise’s character.
At the 51-second mark of the trailer, we see Cruise shifting the throttle while flying and we get a glimpse of his left wrist. Clearly seen is a black PVD watch with the familiar bracelet pattern of the Porsche Design Orfina chronograph.
At the 1 minute 20 second mark, we see Cruise examining a plane and the watch is visible once again on his left wrist.
It’s been thirty-four years since the first movie was released, and for Tom Cruise to potentially be wearing the exact same timepiece in the new film is very cool, considering the watch gained the nickname “Top Gun”, after the first film. Top Gun: Maverick will be released on June 26, 2020.
Photo credits: Paramount, Getty Images, classicheuer.de
15 responses
This is interesting. Is this a paid placement by the manufacturer in the film? Is this Tom Cruises’ personal watch? Or are the prop guys on the Top Gun films just really thorough?
Generally, a paid product placement in a film is much more obvious. ……ahem John Wick Carl Bucherer….ahem….. But in Top Gun the watch wasn’t prevalent enough to be a paid placement. In 2020 I’d be surprised if they paid to have that watch featured. But what do I know, I’m just some idiot on the internet.
This is not a Lemania 5100 driven watch. Your description does not match the pictures.
Thanks Carsten for pointing that out. Correct watch picture in place 🙂
To answer your question Tom, I don’t think the watch is paid placement and there is a likelihood it is Mr Cruise’s watch
Interesting indeed. So, after 34 years, the movie character still owns and wears the exact same watch? Will he still be riding the same Kawasaki GPZ900R and dating the same gal?
Definitely not dating same gal. Have you seen what 34 years does to that chick. Maverick is a guy that has a girl 34 years younger than him.
If it’s the same watch that’s pretty cool. If it’s the same watch and his own one then even better , it shows he takes care of his timepieces.
There is a nice chopard showcased in 6 underground through paid placement though
Porsche Design P’6540 Heritage Chronograph
👋 the watch worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun film (1986) is an Orfina Porsche Design with Valjoux 7750 movement.
Strap is correct for the Lemania 5100 PD Orfina, Can’t see the face but I own 3H military version. If this is in the 2020 movie that will be beautiful.
Very cool touch if in fact he is wearing the same watch, or perhaps even a newer version of the model. It’s not uncommon for military members to remain loyal and have a certain level of comfort and familiarity with a certain product/tool, etc. For most of my 20 year military career I wore a Timex expedition and would occasionally replace one with only another expedition. Now, what would be an even better touch and put me completely over the top is if in addition to the new H2 he now rides, he still has that beautiful GPz900R in the garage as well.
Maybe the black Dan Henry 1972 !?
The watch Maverick was wearing in Top Gun does NOT have the Lemania 5100 movement. In the picture with Iceman it can clearly be seen, that the numbers on the little scale at the top of the watch face are NOT at the 0/3/6/9 o‘clock positions as they should. Instead they are at the 0/4/7 o‘clock positions. This corresponds to the version with the Valjoux 7750 movement which has a thirty minute scale in that position. No doubt about it 😉
Though the bracelets of both watches are the same type of NSA bracelet, the earlier one appears worn through the PVD in many areas while the latter watch appears new. And yes, it looks like the earlier watch has the 7750 movement.
Remember that PD switched to the Lemania 5100 (in -78 or -79 ?) so that it could be sold to militaries as it is one of the best shock proof calibers. “the 5100 is one of the only chronograph movements where shock has very little effect on the chronograph second hand’s movement. Most chronograph mechanisms utilize an intermediary wheel to drive the chronograph second hand, which is susceptible to stopping when exposed to shock. The 5100 forewent that design, opting for a direct drive system, a move that made it virtually impervious to shock-induced stoppage, aside from cases of extreme shock. For many years, the German military found the 5100 to be the only acceptable movement for its purposes, largely due to the outstanding shock resistance.” The story goes that Tom Cruise wanted to wear the same watch as the real Top Gun pilots and bought the PD watch himself :). Maybe he got an early version with the Valjoux 7750 by mistake ? The real military/Pilots watch is the never version with the Lemania 5100 inside.
In the original Top Gun, Maverick can be seen wearing a Rolex Submariner at about 00:10:55 into the film. He is ignoring the order to land, going back to help Merlin. His hand is in the cockpit, operating the throttle (notable error: he’s pulling power back to idle when he should be firewalling it for a go-around). Anyway, the watch is clearly a Submariner (or a close homage.)