Clinton PVD Chronograph

It’s not every day that a truly original watch rears its head. The Porsche Design Chronograph from Orfina, however, is one such timepiece. 

Designed by none other than Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche (creator of the 911), it was a technological marvel released in the very midst of the Quartz Crisis. Available in stainless steel, it was perhaps more famously seen in black PVD-coated steel, making it the first commercially available timepiece to feature such a ‘blacked-out’ treatment. Porsche Design, Butzi’s design studio, would later partner with IWC on timepiece production, but its earliest watches were produced by Orfina. This particular take on the Porsche Design Chronograph, however, is arguably even more interesting: Signed "Clinton" on the dial but "PD" on the bracelet, it's likely that it was sold in the American market by Clinton Watch Company but still fitted with a Porsche Design bracelet — which was itself produced by Orfina or IWC. That's quite a mashup of horological history, and demonstrative of the way watchmaking relationships worked before the prevalence of in-house production. 

Dating to the  1970s, the watch is housed in a 41mm black PVD-coated stainless steel tonneau case with a signed crown, a mineral crystal, dual barrel pushers, and a smooth bezel. It features a matte black tritium dial with an inner tachymeter bezel, luminous indices, a 1/5th-seconds track, a matching, modified ‘sword’ handset, a triple-register chronograph, and a day-date display. Paired to a matching, PVD-coated folded 'H-link' bracelet with a Porsche Design-signed blade clasp, it’s powered by the Lemania 5100, perhaps one of the most significant and interesting automatic chronograph calibers ever developed. 

It’s a rare occurrence when one has the opportunity to snag such a cool model. You know what we’re gonna say:

Don’t sleep on it!

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.