The last chapter of the collaboration between Zenith and the Japanese saga Lupin III has been announced.

Watches and comics, although at first glance it may seem a rather unlikely match, have a very long history. The combination of the seriousness of the timepieces and the playfulness of the cartoons proved to be a winning move right from the start.

The very famous Snoopy by Omega, the funny Mickey Mouse characters by Gerald Genta and the more recent Black Panther by Audemars Piguet are in fact just a few emblematic examples of a long-lasting intertwining.

Lupin III

In this case, however, the collaboration is different. It almost seems that the two sides have reversed.

In 1969 the iconic El Primero was launched and the artist Monkey Punch was fascinated by it. In 1971 the first series of the famous manga Lupin III was released, developed by Monkey Punch himself around the vicissitudes of a thief, grandson of the famous Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc, and his companions.

Among the main characters is Daisuke Jigen, best friend of the protagonist, who in the course of the series wears two fictitious watches, which clearly refer to the legendary model of the Zenith house.

In 2019, the maison therefore decided to release a limited edition of 50 pieces, dedicated to Japan, which paid homage to the first of the two timepieces illustrated in the comic, based on the Zenith El Primero A384 with a black and gray dial with gold accents.

But, as we said, it’s not just the dark-toned version that appears in the series. In the final episode of the first season Jigen wears a new watch with a panda dial, once again inspired by the Zenith El Primero.

So in 2020, on the occasion of the opening of the Ginza boutique in Tokyo, Zenith presented the second edition, this time limited to 200 pieces, featuring a panda dial with rhodium-plated finishes.

The final edition

For 2022 Zenith has announced the third, and final, edition dedicated to the character.

This time it is literally a union of the two previous ones, not only for the number of pieces (250 pieces) but above all for the dial.

Eventually, the dial is diametrically divided into two (from 2 to 7 hours). In the upper left part it presents all the characteristics of the first edition, while in the lower right we find all the elements that distinguished the second edition.

The hands, taken from the first edition, and the faceted indexes, filled with beige SuperLuminova ®SLN, contribute to uniform the overall design.

According to what was said by the artisans who had to give life to this particular dial, it was extremely difficult to obtain the desired result, as a minimum error could have caused smears of one color inside the other. Reproducing an element of such difficulty for an entire series will have been a challenge, but it was certainly worth it.

Technical details

Framing the whole thing is a 37 mm titanium barrel case which, with satin and glossy finishes, reproduces that of the A384 from 1969.

The case is then accompanied by a scale titanium bracelet, very distinctive of Zenith and originally designed by Gay Frères, which gives that retro touch that match perfectly with the rest of the design.

The movement used is an updated version of the original caliber that animated the 1969 El Primero. It is a column-wheel chronograph, a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of over 50 hours. Although the architecture has remained broadly unchanged, the chronometric precision and reliability have significantly increased thanks to the tighter tolerances during the manufacturing process.

Our take

At first glance, the watch certainly does not lack personality and the fact that, despite being inspired by a manga character, it does not carry the effigy on the dial, is certainly a big plus.

The duality of that quadrant is not a common solution, especially made diagonally, and almost gives sensations from Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, always at hand reminder of the contrast between Yin and Yang present in life and in man and much dear to Japanese culture.

Without a shadow of a doubt it is a timepiece that fascinates and stimulates curiosity with its uniqueness and it is certainly not its link with the famous comics that makes it interesting, rather a decidedly successful and innovative design that heralds only the best for the year just started.

Ref 95.L384.400/50.M384, list price € 9.700,00.

To know more about it, visit Zenith official website.

Author: Pietro Pilla