Classic Porsche cars, as defined by Singer Vehicle Design

Singer Vehicle Design has quickly become legendary in a few years; here is an American brand providing Porsche cars prestige more than any AD campaign could have ever done. You can’t define it solely as a ‘customizer’; it is not; Singer Vehicle Design re-engineers vintage 911s while preserving their style.

‘Almost everything’ undergoes a thorough re-engineering; the chassis and the electrical assembly, the damping system, and the engine all undergo a redesign, and the carbon-made hood replaces the original one.

The same goes for the interiors, whose tailor-made craftsmanship is a reference. Rob Dickinson, a well-known British guitarist, founded the workshop.

You can step into any Porsche dealership and buy a fully-loaded 911 or list for a vintage-inspired 911 by Singer, whose NA flat-six has been developed and tuned by Cosworth, and the chassis equipped with track-ready Öhlins suspensions and much more.

There’s nothing comparable to SVD in the industry, making Singer Vehicle Design the primary Neo–Vintage take on the legendary Porsche 911.

The Singer Reimagined Track 1 Chronograph

Rob Dickinson joined the watch-making industry with the same approach, building on Singer Vehicle Design’s experience and knowledge to set up a similar branch across the cradle of watch-making: Switzerland. Its name is Singer Reimagined, and its vision is to craft high-end watches.

Rob’s passion for a chronograph comes alive with the Track 1 project. In contrast to customizing a 911, making a watch from scratch allows for no constraints, technically and aesthetically.

The launch timepiece draws inspiration from a dashboard counter, with enhanced functionality in mind; therefore, time measurement holds centre stage on the dial, while hours and minutes stand on the outer rings. The Singer Reimagined Track 1 mimics a large stopwatch, usually found on any old-school racing track, housed in a 70s-looking tonneau case.

Marco Borraccino, the designer, runs his design studio in Geneva, has worked in Panerai, and has acquired longstanding experience in the industry. Singer Reimagined is based in Geneva. For this project, Dickinson could have quickly partnered with any watch-making brand; instead, he chose Jean–Marc Wiederrecht from Agenhor – an independent Haute-horlogerie atelier – who developed a mechanical movement on purpose.

All the time measurements are coaxial and easy to read; the hours and the minutes are arranged on two PVD–treated aluminium rings, while the indexes are coated with SuperLuminova.

The calibre houses 477 components with a column-wheel mechanism and a new clutch device that ensures a softer activation than any ordinary one. The rotor is hidden under the dial, thus revealing all the movement’s levers.

This masterpiece by Dickinson, Borraccino and Wiederrecht retails at a price close to €40,000, but it is undoubtedly the beginning of a long story.

(Photo credit: courtesy of Singer Reimagined)

Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®