Porsche Restores a 1972 911 to Resemble a 1972 Porsche Wristwatch

• Porsche Design has restored this 1972 Porsche 911 Targa as part of 50th-anniversary celebrations for the industrial-design firm.

• The theme of the restoration: the look of the all-black Chronograph 1 timepiece.

• The car and watch will be sold later this month by RM Sotheby's at auction, with bid acceptance running from November 29 through December 14.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Porsche Design—an independent industrial design consultancy and brand—has teamed up with its vintage-vehicle cousin, Porsche Classic, to restore a 1972 Porsche 911 Targa. A factory-restored vintage 911 would be cool enough on its own, but this one has the additional lure (or ignominy) of having been rejuvenated to resemble a special wristwatch.

Founded by Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche—the original designer of the 911, and grandson of company founder Ferdinand Porsche—Porsche Design was meant to bring the German marque's intensely focused engineering and minimalist aesthetics to other product categories. The first commission came from the automotive company itself, to create a premium timepiece that could be gifted to deserving employees and clients.

The result was the Chronograph 1, the world's first watch with an all-black matte case and dial. Inspired by Porsche's signature non-reflecting dashboard gauges, the design flowed from Butzi's stated desire to "create a watch to match the car." Porsche Classic and Porsche Design have taken that instruction quite literally, sourcing a red 1972 911 T and converting it to matte-black spec, just like the Chronograph 1.

The donor car for this process was quite tatty when it was located. "We had rust, and a lot of corrosion on the body. And the engine wasn't running, or the gearbox," said Uwe Makrutzki, manager of factory restorations at Porsche Classic, who oversaw the process. Worse, it had suffered notable physical molestations during the Me Decade. "This was one very funny thing which was modified," Makrutzki said. "In the '80s, whale-tail spoilers were very fashionable, and so a lot of customers, like this one, changed this to make their cars become more 'sporty' looking."

Fortunately, Porsche Classic is skilled at cetacean amputation. Even more fortunate, it has excellent parts availability for restoring these cars. "90 percent of the new parts were available," said Makrutzki.