Some time ago the collaboration between Zenith X Kari Voutilainen X Phillips was presented, a limited series of 10 watches (+ 1) in collaboration between the brand of the LVMH group, the independent watchmaker and the auction house.
The history of this new collaboration stems from the synergy between these three realities. Zenith and Phillips worked together on various unique pieces. This time, ten are created, with a very fascinating history.
The collab Zenith X Kari Voutilainen X Phillips
Zenith has gone in a direction that we personally approve with great enthusiasm, although it is an edition of only 10 watches. For the first time, the Maison collaborated with renowned independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen to work on 10 135-O calibers and refurbish them.
To give you some context, however, this is not the first time that a watchmaking brand in the LVMH group has tested the ground in collaborations with independent brands or watchmakers. We have already seen the case of the Bulgari designed by Fabrizio Buonamassa in collaboration with Max Busser’s Mb & F.
The origin of the project
The story of how the collaboration originated is really curious. I was talking about it this summer in Sardinia with the CEO of Zenith, Julien Tornare. When the idea of creating this series using the award-winning calibers 135-O came to Julien, he thought of a master watchmaker in particular, an exceptional name for watchmaking: Kari Voutilainen.
You should know that these independent watchmakers produce very few pieces per year, sometimes not exceeding 20-30 watches. So you can imagine the waiting lists that there are, after collectors have started to discover these creations so niche.
Initially, the project was proposed to Kari but he was not entirely convinced. Working on 10 watches would have changed the prospects of his personal production. At the same time, when he came to Le Locle to see the calibers in question, he was completely bewitched and fascinated. The project had to be completed.
Zenith Caliber 135: 10 mechanisms from the past in 10 new watches
More than 230 chronometry awards make Zenith the brand that has amassed the most awards in this area. Right in the mid-1900s, the peak moment for timekeeping competitions, there is a mechanism that stands out undisputed in the world of watchmaking: the Cal. 135-O.
At the time, this movement was produced in two variants, one intended for trade and therefore for actual watches, and one intended for competitions. To differentiate the latter, the letter “O” was added for Observatoire, therefore Cal.135-O.
The caliber won the chronometry competition for 5 consecutive years, making Zenith the absolute leader of those years. If you are a fan of children’s watches, you’ve probably asked your parents or grandparents if there were any watches you could see, and in many cases one of them must have been a Zenith time-only with a gold case. In the 1950s it was truly one of the strongest brands on the market.
A long process to bring them back to life
But bringing 10 dormant calibers back to life for about 65 years is a feat that requires patience and dedication, because anything can go wrong during a restoration. Between June 2020 and June 2022, Kari and her team dismantled each mechanism, component by component, restoring it and making it ready to be cashed. In doing so, his personal touch in the finish was also added: now they are real mechanisms signed “Zenith X Voutilainen”.
When the movement is finished, Zenith has chosen an important and elegant 38mm platinum case, with polished finishes on the lugs and satin finish on the sides. To top it all, there could only be a sapphire caseback to admire the 135-O, it would have been a crime not to be able to see the mechanism every time you have the watch in your hands.
A guilloché dial uniquely made for each piece
The work of the master watchmaker and restorer Kari Voutilainen did not stop at the mechanism, but also extended to the dial, another flagship that characterize his independent creations.
In the Zenith Caliber 135, inspiration obviously comes from the commercial Cal.135 watches of those years, which featured these faceted indexes in a well-defined circumference, the small seconds at 6 and the brand’s classic star at 12.
You can also see from these historical photos how the dial remembers the pieces of the time, with this bullseye, the writings, the indexes… it is a modern version of a historical watch.
The 11th caliber 135-O
But wait! Here comes the highlight. Phillips has announced an eleventh Zenith Caliber 135, which no one would have expected. It is a unique piece with a salmon dial and a special Niobium case. This metal is very unusual in watchmaking, perhaps it has never even been used.
The estimate for this piece unique is CHF 100,000 – 200,000. Phillips will beat the watch on November 5, 2022 and all proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, with which Zenith is not new to developing projects, such as the Chronomaster Original Pink presented some time ago.
Final take
We are happy to see these initiatives by the big brands, which are addressing a niche that the purists of watchmaking really appreciate. Often the latter are the ones who snub large productions to devote themselves only to the works of independents. In this case, the synergy of the 3 has led to the creation of 10 Zenith Caliber 135 watches that will make history over the years!
We at IWS will be in Switzerland, first in Le Locle to meet Kari Voutilainen and then in Geneva, at the Phillips auction, to show you these crazy creations firsthand.
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