Zenith’s modern Calibre 135 revival has gained a more intimate voice with the arrival of a new G.F.J. created with Naoya Hida & Co.
Limited to just 10 pieces, the watch brings the Tokyo independent’s exacting sense of proportion, typography and restraint to one of Zenith’s most historically loaded movements.
It also marks the first release in Zenith’s Double Signed Program, a collaborative platform that gives selected independent watchmakers room to reinterpret the G.F.J. without diluting the character of the Calibre 135.
At a glance
- Zenith has introduced a 10-piece G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed edition with Naoya Hida & Co.
- The platinum watch features a solid silver dial with hand-finished engraved numerals filled with blue Japanese urushi lacquer.
- It launches Zenith’s new Double Signed Program, which will invite independent watchmakers to reinterpret the G.F.J. collection.
A Japanese reading of Zenith’s chronometer revival
The Calibre 135 is not just another historic name in Zenith’s archive.
Developed during the era of observatory chronometer competitions, it became closely tied to Zenith’s reputation for precision and formal timing performance.
The movement returned to collector attention in 2022, when Zenith used ten restored vintage Calibre 135-O movements from the 1950s for an ultra-limited series.
In 2025, Zenith moved from revival to reinvention with the G.F.J., named for founder Georges Favre-Jacot, giving the Calibre 135 a modern manually wound form for contemporary production.
The collaboration with Naoya Hida & Co. feels particularly well matched because Hida’s work is grounded in a similar respect for mid-century mechanical watchmaking.
Founded in 2018, Naoya Hida & Co. has built a following for watches that treat typography, case balance and hand finishing as central design elements rather than decorative afterthoughts.
Silver, engraving and urushi blue
The dial is where the watch most clearly becomes a Naoya Hida piece.
Made from solid silver, it uses a restrained layout that carries the disciplined atmosphere of Hida’s NH Type 1 and NH Type 2 watches while retaining Zenith’s G.F.J. identity.
Both Zenith and Naoya Hida & Co. signatures appear on the dial, but the more compelling detail is the treatment of the numerals.
The three Arabic numerals are engraved into the dial using a traditional pantograph engraving machine, then individually hand-finished by Japanese engraver Keisuke Kano.
After engraving, the numerals are filled with blue Japanese urushi lacquer, giving them a depth and texture that applied markers can’t easily replicate.
The hands follow the same measured approach.
The hour and minute hands are milled from solid gold by CNC, then hand-polished by a team led by master watchmaker Kosuke Fujita.
At six o’clock, the small seconds hand is made from steel and heat-blued, creating a quiet echo of the lacquer-filled numerals.
Platinum proportions and three Japanese straps
The watch is housed in a platinum G.F.J. case measuring 39.15mm across, 10.5mm thick and 45.75mm from lug to lug.
Those measurements keep the watch in a refined classical register without making it feel like a purely vintage exercise.
Zenith supplies the edition with three straps, each chosen to add a different Japanese material note.
The first is Himeji Kurozan leather, a textured leather finished through repeated applications of urushi lacquer.
The second uses Wagyu leather by Kyoto Leather, while the third is a deep indigo strap made from Japanese non-stretch denim by Kaihara in Fukuyama, Hiroshima.
A platinum pin buckle engraved with the G.F.J. initials completes the set.
The chronometer movement remains the anchor
Seen through the sapphire caseback, the manually wound Calibre 135 remains the reason this watch carries real weight beyond its collaborative dial work.
In modern form, the calibre runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour and offers a 72-hour power reserve.
It uses a large variable-inertia balance with a Breguet overcoil, stop-seconds, spring-mounted jewel settings for the balance staff and Charles Fleck’s double arrow-shaped regulator for fine adjustment.
The movement is COSC-certified and regulated to plus or minus 2 seconds per day.
Finishing includes broad Geneva stripes, hand-chamfered bridges and a dark ruthenium treatment with yellow gold-coloured engravings.
That darker movement finish gives the caseback a more contemporary edge, while the architecture keeps the historical Calibre 135 connection visible.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Zenith |
|---|---|
| Model | G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co. |
| Case size | 39.15mm diameter, 10.5mm thick, 45.75mm lug-to-lug |
| Case material | Platinum |
| Dial | Solid silver with engraved numerals filled with blue Japanese urushi lacquer |
| Movement | Manually wound Zenith Calibre 135 |
| Frequency | 18,000 vibrations per hour, 2.5Hz |
| Power reserve | 72 hours |
| Certification | COSC-certified, regulated to +/-2 seconds per day |
| Straps | Himeji Kurozan leather, Wagyu leather by Kyoto Leather and indigo Japanese denim by Kaihara |
| Buckle | Platinum pin buckle engraved with G.F.J. initials |
| Production | Limited to 10 pieces |
As the opening act for Zenith’s Double Signed Program, the Naoya Hida & Co. G.F.J. sets a thoughtful tone.
It doesn’t try to overpower the Calibre 135 with novelty, choosing instead to sharpen the watch through hand engraving, material nuance and a notably controlled sense of taste.
