An auspicious occasion calls for the best revival.
If you are a watch enthusiast and sports watches are your passion, this brand needs no introduction. Zenith, as we all know today, is one of the pioneers of the Hi-Beat or High-Frequency Chronograph movement. However, long before its fame, it was already a renowned watch brand established in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot. The founder’s objective was to produce the finest and ‘the perfect watch’, emphasising the highest precision and the most reliable timepiece, which he named Zenith. Did he achieve his goal? You bet! It quickly became one of the most revered watch brands in its heyday.
One hundred sixty years later, in 2025, Zenith still commits to the same principle and mantra, as we have numerous iterations and generations of their technical ingenuity and innovation over a decade or so, and constantly out-doing themselves to live up to their 160 years of objective and achievement.
Apart from their iconic high-frequency movements, their nominal and respectable frequency movements are just as impressive, to celebrate their 160th Anniversary, Zenith has unveiled the G.F.J. edition at Watches &Wonders. And it is a classic beauty with a modern twist! At one glance, you will instantly be hit by the intricate yet subtle details that have gone into the dial which can only be crafted by their master watchmakers.
There is an unwritten rule regarding aesthetics: “There should never be more than three patterns in or on a body.” G.F.J. seems to adhere to this principle. The dial is decorated with three different sets of details. On the outer flange is a series of brick-like dark blue guilloche patterns featuring alternating vertical and horizontal grids inspired by the brickwork at the manufacture. The main central dial is made of lapis lazuli, showcasing its natural mottled pattern, with a lighter blue mother-of-pearl small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock. The three gradients of blue create contrasting effects, making the dial playful and fun. Adding a touch of classic elegance, long, slim, faceted white gold baton hands for hours and minutes sit centrally, indicating the faceted white gold hours and small riveted minutes and applied indexes and a white gold small seconds indicator complements them.
For this exceptional timepiece to celebrate milestones, Zenith has drawn from its collection of historical calibres, specifically, the historic calibre 135 from 1950, designed by Ephrem Jobin and decorated with a ‘Brick’ pattern on the bridges. Although all the movements share similarities, they have been re-engineered where applicable using the latest technical solutions and newly developed high-tech materials to enhance what was already deemed ‘perfect’. The watch features an oversized balance wheel, which helps to improve precision and stability, and boasts a power reserve of 72 hours instead of the 40 hours typical in the 1950s. It includes a new gear train and a balance wheel that operates at a decent 2.5 Hz or 18,000 VpH, paired with the sophisticated Breguet overcoil for near-perfect isometry, evoking a sense of old-school wonder. Lastly, it has a stop-second function for precise time setting down to the second. The new hand-wound Calibre 135 holds COSC certification for its accuracy.
The classic modern beauty is preciously housed in a 39.5mm matte polished platinum case, to aptly toast and celebrate Zenith’s 160th Anniversary, the only way it can, handsomely and elegantly!
