What We Know
Today, Zenith introduces a new “Double Signed” program for its Calibre 135-powered G.F.J. collection, and its first entry in this series is a collaboration with a Japanese independent that might not require all that much introduction around these parts—Naoya Hida.
The evolution of the G.F.J. line has not taken all that long, with its origins starting in 2022 with the Zenith Caliber 135 Observatoire Limited Edition, where ten Calibre 135 movements from the 50s were restored by Kari Voutilainen and introduced in watches done as a triple collaboration between Zenith, Voutilainen, and auction house Phillips. Just three years later, the Calibre 135 was revived as a modern caliber for a line called the G.F.J. (after Zenith’s founder Georges Favre Jacot). In just a little over a year, we’ve seen three small runs of this watch introduced in different stone-dial and metal combinations—platinum with a lapis lazuli dial, tantalum with an onyx dial, and an upcoming yellow-gold GFJ with a bloodstone dial.
In the meantime, this new Double Signed concept with Naoya Hida takes the G.F.J. in a very different visual direction. The hefty 39.15mm platinum case, with a thickness of 10.5mm and a compact lug-to-lug of 45.75mm, remains the same as other G.F.J. models. But that dial is unabashedly Naoya Hida, constructed out of solid silver with the distinctive hand engraving coming from the hand of master engraver Keisuke Kano, the man responsible for the hand engraving across all of Hida-san’s other creations. On these dials, all of the markings are hand-engraved, including the hour markers, numerals, and the double signatures of Zenith and Naoya Hida & Co. The engraved markings are filled with blue Japanese Urushi lacquer, complementing the heat-blued seconds hand on the subdial at 6 o’clock. The hour and minute hands, in the soft, rounded look taken from the Japanese brand’s Type 2 design, are machined out of solid gold.
Turn the case around, and the back shows off the Calibre 135, with the large balance wheel beating away at 2.5Hz with a Breguet overcoil, and decoration consisting of Geneva striping and anglage done by hand. The modern revival of the movement sports a hacking mechanism as well as a contemporary 72-hour power reserve, and the caliber is COSC-certified and regulated to +/- 2 seconds a day.
Adding a further Japanese touch to this double-signed watch is the trio of straps it is delivered with. It wouldn’t be surprising that the owners of these watches might also share an affinity for Japanese denim, so for those enthusiasts, one strap is made from indigo-dyed Denim from the Kahihara Denim mill in Fukuyama. Another strap is made in Kyoto from Wagyu leather, and finally, a blue strap with a unique lacquered, pebbled texture is made from Himeji Kurozan leather.
The G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co. is priced at $75,000 and is limited to 10 numbered pieces.
What We Think
This watch is quite a surprising collaboration, bridging a brand within the giant conglomerate that is LVMH with a small independent from Japan. The spirit of the project, to me, is quite fun, as it feels like a bringing together of two worlds that never would have quite fit together in conversations before. Thus, as a collaboration, I actually think this makes quite a bit of sense for both parties. The team of Naoya Hida & Co. gets a little bit more of a spotlight through a much larger mainstream brand, and Zenith gets to be discussed within the conversations of die-hard independent collectors. A win-win, it seems.
From a design perspective, I’ve always found Hida-san’s Type 2A to be my favorite design from the brand, and so naturally, I have an affinity towards this new release. There’s something about the hands that work so well with the silver dial here, and for those who have complained in the past about the movements behind the watches of Naoya Hida & Co., the combination of dial aesthetics from the brand and a legitimately interesting time-only movement from Zenith might hit that sweet spot.
The $75,000 price is eye-wateringly high, given that last year’s 160-piece platinum edition with a stone dial was priced at $49,900. I mean, with that money, you could just buy that platinum G.F.J. and a Type 2C-2, and be about even after tax. Though the price tag is sky-high, I suppose it’s not necessarily surprising given that neither the G.F.J. nor any watch from Naoya Hida has ever been a value proposition. They’re certainly both poised as watches for collectors with everything, and this is certainly a maximalist take that is designed to appeal to that very customer base, where the value proposition doesn’t quite cross the mind. From the news that all ten pieces are pre-sold, it seems like both brands need not worry.
What is interesting is that Zenith is announcing this collaboration not as a one-off, but as the first in a series of collaborations between the Swiss brand and “selected partners,” which means that we’ll see other interpretations soon enough. Whether or not the pricing will remain this ambitious, we’ll have to see ( though I assume it will). But after a run of different stone dials, this Double Signed program is sure to mix things up.
The Basics
Brand: Zenith
Model: G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed With Naoya Hida & Co.
Reference Number: 40.1865-2.0135/01.C220
Diameter: 39.15mm
Thickness: 10.5mm
Case Material: Platinum
Dial Color: Solid silver
Indexes: Hand-engraved
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 5 atm
Strap/Bracelet: 3 straps: Himeji Kurozan leather, Wagyu leather from Kyoto, and Japanese non-stretch denim from Kaihara
The Movement
Caliber: Calibre 135
Functions: Hours, minutes, small-seconds
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 2.5Hz
Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC-certified
Pricing & Availability
Price: $75,000
Availability: Zenith boutiques
Limited Edition: Yes, 10 pieces
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