Zenith turns 160: Honours milestone with exclusive collection

Famed Swiss maison Zenith is ringing in its 160th anniversary in style, with four limited-edition watches that epitomise its founder’s vision, honour its history, and carry the brand into the future.

In haute horlogerie, few names command more reverence than Georges Favre-Jacot. In 1865, the Swiss visionary was just 22 years old when he founded Zenith.   

Named for his celestial ambitions, Favre-Jacot’s pursuit of perfection has been the Maison’s winding force ever since. As the company celebrates 160 years of innovation and excellence, it is clear that Favre-Jacot’s storied legacy remains in strong, beautifully crafted hands.  

High calibre

The calibre 135 by Zenith was one of the most exalted movements in centuries of watchmaking. Produced from 1949 to 1962, it was the most awarded movement in the golden age of observatory chronometry.  

“Few movements have achieved the level of chronometric excellence and recognition,” says Benoît de Clerck, CEO of Zenith. “More than just a technical achievement, it’s an icon.”  

How better to commemorate the brand’s history than by resurrecting a classic?  

The new G.F.J. wristwatch pays homage to the calibre 135, retaining the original architecture while showcasing its maker’s technical evolution. An offset centre wheel improves precision and stability, a new barrel delivers a 72-hour power reserve, compared to the original 40 hours, and a stop-second mechanism sets the time to the exact second.  

“It’s about honouring its legacy while sharing it with a new generation of collectors,” says de Clerck.  

The eponymous timepiece

is a meticulously considered aesthetic tribute to Favre-Jacot’s enduring vision, seamlessly blending the brand’s DNA with vintage glamour and 21st-century sophistication.   

An elegant platinum case frames a dial in signature blue, with an outer ring representing the façade of the Zenith Manufacture in Le Locle. At the same time, a lapis lazuli centre, flecked with gold pyrite, evokes the heavens.  

“We have reimagined this legendary movement not simply as a nod to the past, but as a way to share a defining part of our heritage while offering a contemporary interpretation,” De Clerck says.  

Out of the blue  

As part of the festivities, Zenith has also unveiled a bold trio of quintessential chronographs that distil the brand’s history, identity, and modernity into a singular statement. The Chronomaster Sport, the Defy Skyline Chronograph, and the Pilot Chronograph have been reimagined in a monochromatic ceramic blue specially developed for the occasion.  

“Blue has always been a defining element of Zenith’s identity, symbolising our connection to the sky and pioneering spirit,” says de Clerck.  

The blue trilogy also marks a collaboration with USM Modular Furniture, which transformed functional design  

in the 1960s, while Zenith was redefining mechanical chronography.   

Together, these pillars of Swiss excellence have created a collection that fuses horological mastery with architectural rigour and 1960s audacity.  

Let’s be exclusive 

After 160 years, Zenith’s guiding star remains a fixed point. And with only 160 of the G.F.J. and each chronograph style produced, time is of the essence. 

Learn more at zenith-watches.com/en_au