Porsche Design’s special auction lot - restored 1972 911 S 2.4 Targa

A restored 911 Targa and a unique matching timepiece are up for bids at an exclusive auction in December

Porsche Design is marking its 50th anniversary by offering two design icons in one auction lot. A restored 1972 911 S 2.4 Targa and a unique watch based on the legendary Porsche Design Chronograph I are going up for auction via Sotheby’s in December. The two items share a link with Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, founder of Porsche Design and designer of the 911 Targa. Part of Sotheby’s bi-annual multi-category Luxury Week series in New York, the auction will provide chronograph and car connoisseurs the opportunity to bid for an exclusive box containing the timepiece and the key to the 911 Targa, plus the car, with an estimated combined value of $275,000– $325,000 (£228,000–£269,000).

The Targa has been restored by Porsche Classic, working in collaboration with Porsche Design. It employs the colour scheme of the legendary Chronograph I, with black dominating. There are various “50 Years of Porsche Design” signifiers around the car and a restoration case containing detailed documentation covering the car’s rebirth.

The unique Chronograph 1 – 911 S 2.4 Targa watch was developed especially for the auction, based on the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition. The winding rotor on the back of the case, which corresponds to the Fuchs wheel on the Targa of the same year, makes it unique. Manufactured in Solothurn, Switzerland, the watch translates the movement of its wearer’s wrist into energy to drive the timepiece. Those who wish to purchase the watch on which it is based, the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition, have the chance to grab one of 500 pieces. Its design has remained true to the original; only changes necessary to bring the timepiece up to current standards were made, such as the use of titanium and the addition of a new movement and water-resistant case.