Watch worn in Top Gun Maverick: Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph 1
The movie "Top Gun" was released in 1986.
So, the movie is already 36 years old.
The volleyball scene where he showed off his beautiful physique and the popular line, "I feel the need for speed" (which in Japanese means "Let's do it! The battle is about to begin!") were both shocking, but I'm sure there are many people who fell in love with Tom Cruise because of this movie.
In the film, Pete Mitchell has the call sign "Maverick." A call sign is a nickname given to fighter pilots for anonymity or to distinguish them by name.
Here we will stick with Maverick.
Now, getting to today's main topic, what kind of watch do you think he was wearing while piloting that F-14 fighter jet?
It's the Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph 1.
Today we'll be looking at the lesser known Orfina watch used in Top Gun, and why this watch was chosen.
We will explain the following:
What are Orfina chronographs?
The Orfina was released in 1973, so there's a reason why Top Gun's original props people chose to have Maverick wear this nearly decade-old watch, but first, let's talk about the watch.
As the name suggests, the Chronograph 1 was the first Porsche Design watch ever produced by a Swiss watchmaker called Orfina.
Porsche Design is a Porsche group company that mainly designs accessories.
The Chronograph 1 is an early watch designed by a designer named FA Porsche ( Ferdinand Alexander Porsche ) with the concept of a "wearable speed motor."
* FA Porsche ( Ferdinand Alexander Porsche )
Its perfectly balanced layout and laser-like red seconds hand make it easy to read, a design that rival chronographs like Omega's Speedmaster Moonwatch can't match.
Of course, it goes without saying that most modern watches can't compete with Porsche Design.
The Orfina Porsche Design chronograph was also a pioneer in the black watch genre.
It has a beautifully jet black design, a color that remains true to Porsche Design products today (even the Tudor Black Bay Chrono Dark has a similar black design).
Orfina has succeeded in creating a completely black watch by using PVD coating ( a coating with excellent biocompatibility, matte color and excellent wear resistance) and DLC coating (diamond-like carbon).
As you can see from the photo, the matte black surface paint actually doesn't seem to be very durable.
Why was the Lemania Cal. 5100 adopted?
Now let's take a look at the movement that is housed in this sophisticatedly designed watch.
This watch is equipped with the Lemania Cal. 5100.
But why did they choose this automatic chronograph movement, even though this was during the quartz crisis?
In a commentary article about the IWC Porsche Design Titanium Chronograph, it became clear that designer FA Porsche ( Ferdinand Alexander Porsche ) was adamant about the adoption of this movement until the very end.
Without the movement, we wouldn't have been able to capture the strength that is so appropriate for the protagonist of Top Gun.
Only a very limited number of movements are able to achieve such a performance that even when subjected to shock, the chronograph seconds hand is barely affected, but this is the case with the Cal. 5100.
Most chronographs use an intermediate wheel to drive the chronograph seconds hand, and this mechanism is prone to stopping if it receives a shock.
However, the Cal. 5100 does not use this design, instead using a direct drive system, which means that it is virtually unaffected by any shocks other than the most extreme.
For a long time in the 1970s and 1980s, the only movement approved for military use by the West German Air Force was the Cal. 5100, and the main reason for this was that the Cal. 5100 had overwhelmingly high shock resistance.
Incidentally, this Cal. 5100 is also used in NATO military watches, and this movement was also used in the SINN automatic chronograph that was the first to reach the surface of the moon.
Originally, Lemania had a long history of supplying military watches to various countries, so it specialized in making highly durable movements that would not break.
Due to this reliability, FA Porsche chose this automatic movement over the extremely popular quartz movement of the time.
If you would like to know more about Lemania and the Caliber 5100, please watch this video.
summary
Its use in Top Gun has unsurprisingly caused prices for pre-owned Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph 1s to soar.
And with the release of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, it's likely prices will rise even further.
Be sure to check out Top Gun Maverick, which is currently in theaters, and the Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph 1 that appears in it, at your local cinema or online.
