ack in 2018, Singer Vehicle Design presented the results of the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study for the first time. DLS would explore the ultra-high performance potential of the Type 964 911, enabling a limited number of clients to restore their Porsche 911s in an extraordinary manner.
Employing exquisite material science, state of the art engineering and design, DLS would enable a new high watermark for performance, reach, and spectacle. The aspiration was to cap the golden air-cooled era of the 911 and complete an arc begun in 1963 - and no less.
During Monterey Car Week 2021, together with the first client car representing the results of the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study, Singer Reimagined presented the Singer Track 1 - DLS Edition chronograph.
Singer Track 1 is the award-winning sports chronograph from Singer, recognised with the watchmaking world’s highest accolade, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve.
A very special Track 1 DLS may now be commissioned to accompany the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study restorations. Only owners of DLS restorations will be able to purchase and personalize the Track 1 - DLS Edition chronograph.
The Singer Track 1 - DLS Edition has been conceived to embody the lightweight and performance-driven philosophy behind the Dynamic and Lightweighting Study.
The unique, forged carbon watch case was engineered with the intent of reducing mass. A new, open-work design has been conceived to further emphasize lightness and to echo the signature air-intakes developed during the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study.
All Grade 5 Titanium components – bezel, pushbuttons, winding crown and back-case – mirror polished by hand, can be finished in a variety of diamond-like carbon (DLC) shades to match trims and details of each DLS restoration.
The exclusive DLS dial design, in brushed anthracite finishing, features applied luminescent indexes. Personalizable elements – the flange, luminescent indexes color, luminescent hour & minute arrows – may further accentuate the connection between the watch and its related car.
Each car restored using the results of the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study is unique. In the same way, each DLS Edition chronograph will be a unique, bespoke execution. The design of every watch will be finalised to match the owner’s car’s specifications, colours and trim.
The Track 1 - DLS Edition is presented with a lightweight, technical textile strap and complimentary bespoke leather band - handmade using leather matched to each DLS restoration. Each watch is further connected to its related car with the commission name and VIN number engraved on the caseback.
Inside each car, the central instrument of the dashboard is the rev-counter. Sharing the same performance-driven philosophy, the Track 1 - DLS Edition features a central dial, fully dedicated to elapsed time.
Three central hands, operated by the bull-head push-buttons, allows for precise timekeeping of elapsed times, able to measure up to 60 hours of an event.
Two rotating discs, on the dial periphery, indicate time-of-the-day hours and minutes. Their minimalistic design has been conceived to enhance even further the central dial elapsed-time readability.
The AgenGraphe, the caliber powering the Singer Track1 stands apart from all previous chronograph movements. The result of a decade of development, this groundbreaking piece of mechanical ingenuity completely redefines fundamental principles that have remained unchanged for decades.
The underlying idea that led to the invention of the AgenGraphe was to enhance the legibility of the chronograph – which is usually poor – with the use of small counters spread out across the dial. Thanks to a radically new architecture, the AgenGraphe brings together all the chronograph functions in the centre of the watch, allowing for an easy and intuitive reading of elapsed time. To further enhance legibility, the chronograph incorporates jumping minute and hour indicators.
To connect the chronograph mechanism to the timekeeping gear train, the AgenGraphe features an innovative clutch mechanism. The coupling is made horizontally which requires less space, yet it is made using friction, just like a vertical clutch. The dial-side rotor (made possible because the hands are on a central axis) leaves an unimpeded view of the movement and its 477 meticulously finished parts.