Just 17 watches. The Chopard Superfast Porsche Motorsport 919 Limited Victory Edition is similar in concept to the Chopard Mille Miglia 2016 XL Race Edition, with the same movement. It has a more elaborate design, with a rose gold bezel, and as a result it costs about €4,000 more. It celebrates the Porsche Motorsport team which won the 2015 World Endurance Championship. Chopard has sponsored the team since 2014, and it has won 17 titles so far. The series comprises a number of 6-hour races, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours, which must be particularly gruelling for the drivers, spectators and viewers. Perhaps Chopard has a ready market in the privateers and amateur drivers who can take part in some categories and for whom I’m sure a watch like this would be the perfect way to commemorate their participation.
The watch is 45 mm in diameter, 15.18 mm thick, with a 100-metre water resistance rating. The bezel is in rose gold, fastened by eight black screws that give it a very tough, technical look. The crown is screw-down, with a steering-wheel motif in black rubber. Other features continue the references to motor racing, such as the stripes on the side of the case (like cooling vents), the silver-grey metal colour of the dial, and the Porsche 919 logo. The long chronograph seconds hand reaches the quarter-second scale inside the bezel. The strap is in smooth black rubber, suggesting slick-tread racing tyres, and it has a polished stainless steel folding clasp.
In-house movement
The Superfast Porsche Motorsport 919 houses a self-winding flyback chronograph movement with column wheel control. The Chopard Calibre 03.05-M is chronometer-certified by COSC. The movement can be glimpsed through the display caseback, though the various logos obscure the view a bit. It provides 60 hours power reserve, and runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hertz.
Price and reference
The Superfast Porsche Motorsport 919 Limited Victory Edition is reference 168535-6001, a 17-piece edition sold exclusively in Chopard boutiques. It costs €13,890, 14,100 Swiss francs, US$14,100.
