Exclusive timepieces configured to match the vehicle

• MHP designs customer journey for Porsche Design wristwatches
• Established Porsche online configurator for vehicles extended to include high-quality timepieces
• Individual wristwatches to match the customer’s favorite vehicle from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as well as the performance-oriented 911 and 718 GT models and all 911 production vehicles 

Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart – Porsche Design is giving Porsche customers the opportunity to wear the configuration of their favorite sports car on their wrist. In other words, the timepiece matches the exterior and interior colors, materials, and rim designs of the 911 and selected 718 models. Interested individuals can go online and configure their own timepiece from Porsche Design. 

This has been made technically possible since 2020 by Porsche Design's online configurator, which has now been fundamentally optimized by the management and IT consultancy MHP. The immersive tool has been used by renowned car manufacturers such as Aston Martin and Pagani as well as the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. Now, for the first time, the configurator is being used for high-quality, mechanical wristwatches.

Federico Magno, Group CEO at MHP: “At MHP, we are committed to immersive excellence – characterized by proven technology, partnership, and uncompromising quality. Together with Porsche Design and Porsche we have developed the custom-built Timepieces Configurator using Amazon Web Services (AWS) – an immersive solution based on our Elastic Content Platform, which offers customers exceptional added value and a virtual customization experience. We are delighted to be able to express our dedication to innovation with this state-of-the-art performance and outstanding visual quality.”

Strap to match the 911 made of genuine Porsche interior leather and yarn

The individual timepiece can be configured from millions of variants and is produced in line with clear specifications in Porsche’s own watch factory in Solothurn, Switzerland. Customers can choose from a selection of wristwatches to match the particularly individual Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur vehicles as well as the performance-oriented 911 and 718 GT models and all 911 production vehicles. The case and bezel, strap, and winding rotor can be individualized, while personalized text can be engraved on the timepiece. The strap, for example, can be selected to match the color scheme of the 911 leather interior – with contrasting stitching made of genuine Porsche vehicle yarn.

Stefan Büscher, CEO of the Porsche Lifestyle Group: “Introduced in 2020, our custom-built Timepieces Configurator is a revolutionary concept that gives our customers the opportunity to perfectly match a luxury watch to their Porsche sports car or to design it however they wish. We are committed to the same levels of quality and precision for our online configurator as the vehicle engineers at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach. The fundamental technical and visual overhaul of the state-of-the-art configurator allows an ultra-realistic presentation of the configured watch, while creating an even more intuitive and faster user experience that has been taken to a new level in a manner that is typical of Porsche.” 

There are no limits to the individual design options for the vehicle watch from Porsche Design Timepieces. Even the winding rotor is a faithful reproduction of the rim design found on the actual vehicles – including center locking nut featuring the current or historic Porsche crest. Or the dial, which visually matches the instrument cluster and the rev counter of the Porsche 911. It is incredibly easy to use the online configurator, which is available in 14 language and country versions: Customers can intuitively configure their favorite watch in just a few clicks and change it again just as quickly.

Unreal Engine provides the basis for the product visualization

What happens in the foreground for users in real time in a matter of seconds is the result of complex technical processes running in the background. MHP’s online configurator is based on the Elastic Content Platform (ECP). The main technology is Unreal Engine built by computer and video game specialist Epic Games, which was used to create the battle royale hit Fortnite, for example. On the ECP, the game engine is used as a machine for rendering the graphics in real time. However, in using Amazon Web Services (AWS) the product visualization process can actually run in a stable and secure manner and be scaled in real time. This setup ensures that the application can also be made available online to a large number of customers and interested parties as a 3D live stream.

Emma Schröder, Senior Manager and Project Manager at MHP: “The configurator helps to provide a new, more innovative, and personalized experience, which in turn creates an even stronger bond between Porsche and Porsche Design and their customers and enthusiasts. The focus is always on creating the best product experience and generating more traffic and sales.” 

In addition to sales, the ECP can also have a positive impact on the total cost of ownership. The latter is the case when it replaces the conventional production of images. This usually involves an agency being commissioned to pre-render content or take photographs – but with the platform, these costs are completely eliminated. In turn, there are streaming costs if the solution is operated in a cloud. Overall, however, the total cost of ownership is significantly lower in the vast majority of cases – often by up to 50 percent.

Another advantage: Once the platform is filled with content, it can be used for any number of use cases – not just real-time configurators, but other applications, such as a suite for dialogue marketing, tools for events, or interactive instructions for the after-sales business. 

Porsche Design eventually plans to offer its customers these new visualization options both within the sales touchpoints and in other business areas, always with the aim of giving customers and interested parties the best possible experience in line with the luxury concept.

The online configurator can be found here: https://shop.porsche.com/de/de-DE/porsche-design-timepieces-custom-built-timepieces
 

Fuel consumption information
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS (WLTP): Combined fuel consumption: 11.0 – 10.4 l/100 km, combined CO₂ emissions: 249 – 236 g/km, CO₂ class: G