Porsche Design, the company, has a very clear design philosophy : functionality and aesthetics in perfect tune. Those of you who have experienced the Porsche Design luxury, would know exactly what this means and the P’8478 is yet another example of this rich and exclusive design philosophy.
Mention ‘Porsche Design’ and visuals of perfection, function and aesthetics come to mind. It’s been 40 years since the legendary Chronograph I, the world’s first black watch, was launched and to some, it might have given a glimpse of what’s to follow but to the maker, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, it was very clear. His words – ‘If you analyse the function of an object, its form often becomes obvious’ – seems almost like he had prophesized about what to expect from the house of Porsche Design. 
There have been numerous classic products from the company and in every product there have been four things that have been fundamental : function that is reduced to its basic principles; clarity of form that is based on the function; the manufacturing, which pairs perfect craftsmanship with innovative technology; and carefully selected materials that have been specially chosen to suit the function of each and every product.
From such a clear design philosophy, comes P’8478, one of the most successful sunglasses in the world to this day endorsed by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Boris Becker, David Beckham and Brad Pitt to name just a few. And now as part of the the 40 years celebration, Porsche Design is issuing the P’8478 pilot spectacles in an exclusive special edition.
When you first hold the product, it’s hard to believe that the product design still is the same as in 1978. Yes, it remains untouched and this is, in itself, a tribute to the design and the vision of the maker. Something that can be considered a vintage, but is perfect for today and by the looks of it will be perfect even 50 years down the line has every right to be termed a ‘classic’. And P’8478 is just that – a ‘timeless classic’.
The only adjustment that has been made is that the choice of the material matches today’s technology with ultralight titanium.
We’ve been informed that it has been made of sandblasted titanium in matt silver-grey combined with brown, silver-mirrored and progressive tint lenses. The classic aviator shape adds to its timelessness and it holds the distinction of being the world’s first sunglasses with replaceable lenses. If not just for the perfection, the design and the history of the product, then just the timelessness of the P’8478, we believe, makes it the perfect collectible..
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Classic for Collectors
The ‘40Y of Innovation’ collector’s box is being presented for Porsche Design fans for the anniversary. The box, which is limited to specimens from 1972, as a reference to the year the brand was founded, contains the P’8480 Y, P’8418 Y and P’8494 Y sunglasses in addition to the P’8478.
They are all classics of the Porsche Design Eyewear collection, which have been reissued for the brand’s birthday, and are available exclusively in this format.
Another anniversary edition is the ‘40Y of Iconic Products’ box. It contains two very special icons of Porsche Design: the world’s first black wristwatch from 1972, the so-called Chronograph I from the ‘Iconic Style’ collection in exclusive, matt silver-grey, as well as the world’s first sunglasses with replaceable lenses, the P’8478 in the special 40Y design. The logo on the sides and the inner sides pick up on the shade of red of the second hand of the Chronograph I paying homage to the history of the luxury brand. The number of collector’s boxes is limited to 911.
