Introducing The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 ‘Double Signed’ With J.N. Shapiro
A champion of precision, interpreted by an American watchmaker.
The Zenith caliber 135 was one of the all-time champions in the observatory competitions – the movement, in the observatory version, caliber 135-O, won over 200 prizes during the years that it was produced, and won the first prize at Neuchâtel for five consecutive years, from 1950 to 1954. In 2022, Kari Voutilainen collaborated with Zenith and Phillips to produce a set of ten watches fitted with refurbished new old stock 135-O calibers, with Guillaume balances and blued steel balance springs, and with the distinctive “fork tail” regulator used in the 135-O calibers. A unique piece was also produced, which had an unusual niobium case, and which sold at Phillips in 2022, in a charity benefit auction, for CHF 315,000. Three years later, Zenith re-introduced the caliber 135 in the G.F.J. Caliber 135 wristwatch; the movement was in most respects identical to the original caliber 135-O, including the fork tail regulator and overall movement architecture – the only major difference between the original observatory movements, and the new caliber 135, was is the oscillator; the new version has a monometallic balance and a Nivarox type balance spring, and the power reserve, thanks to some optimizing of the going train, is now 72 hours. The G.F.J. Calibre 135 watches are adjusted and regulated to ±2 seconds per day maximum deviation in rate by the COSC – a significant improvement over standard chronometer precision, which is -4/+6 seconds, and which is comparable to both Master Chronometer (0/+5 seconds per day) and Rolex Master Chronometer (±2 seconds per day) certification.
Earlier this year, Zenith introduced two new limited edition versions of the G.F.J. Calibre 135, with bloodstone and onyx dials, with yellow gold or tantalum cases respectively. This was also the year that Zenith announced its “Double Signed” program, in which an independent watchmaker would collaborate with Zenith on the production of a limited edition G.F.J. Calibre 135, designed by the independent collaborator; the first of the Double Signed G.F.J. Calibre 135 watches were produced in collaboration with Naoya Hida, in a platinum case. Ten watches were produced, priced at $75,000. The second Double Signed watch was just announced this week, and it is, surprisingly enough, a collaboration with an American watchmaker who has taken on the task of producing made-in-America watches which are as much as possible, produced in-house in the USA, and using only American-sourced components: J.N. Shapiro. The G.F.J. Caliber 135 x J.N. Shapiro is, like the Naoya Hida, a limited although in a larger series: twenty five watches will be produced, with the US price at launch set at $83,150.
There are now five different versions of the G.F.J. Calibre 135, not including the NOS movement series created by Kari Voutilainen, and so far, despite the fact that they all use the same movement and the same basic case design, they succeed in all looking and feeling like very different watches. Aside from his use of, as much as possible, components produced in-house or sourced from US suppliers – obviously not a consideration in this instance – two of the distinguishing characteristics of J.N. Shapiro watches are the use of very intricate guilloché patterns on the dial, as well as the use of movement decoration derived from the “damaskeening” (a term used to describe engine-turned patterns on American watch movements from the 19th century) used in the American watch industry by titans like Waltham and Elgin.
There are three different guilloché patterns engraved on the silver dial – a barleycorn pattern outside the hour track; a basketweave pattern on the main body of the dial, and Shapiro’s signature “infinity weave” pattern on the subdial for the small seconds. The infinity weave pattern is a modified basketweave pattern, in which the squares of the pattern alternate between squares with horizontal straight line engraving, and squares which contain a subset of four smaller squares, each engraved with straight lines at right angles to the squares next to it.
The infinity weave pattern is especially intricate and demanding to produce – there is a quite fantastic video from Teddy Baldassarre, in which Shapiro describes the process of inventing the infinity weave pattern, and just how much of a nightmare it was at first to execute the pattern successfully – in the video, Shapiro says that the success rate at first was just 25 per cent, and that it took him about a week – and a very exhausting week – to make just the subdial.
The subdial and hour/minute chapter rings are in rose gold, as are the hands and applied markers and as you would expect and hope, quality of execution is very high and holds up irreproachably even under high magnification.
The second distinguishing characteristic of J.N. Shapiro’s watches, is the movement finishing.
Damaskeening is a term typically found in descriptions of American pocket watch movements, but the basic technique is the same as that used for making Geneva stripes (although of course there are considerable differences in technical specifics as well as in the finished product). The intricate patterns are produced with turning engines fitted with rotating laps, and as the laps pass across the surface of the movement bridges, they leave patterns which can be relatively simple (as in the case of Geneva stripes) or much more intricate, as seen in the Shapiro Resurgence caliber above – on American pocket watch movements, the patterns could be very ornate indeed, featuring all sorts of rather baroque flourishes, including intertwining sunbursts, floral rosettes, and intricate spirals.
There seems to be very little if anything to criticize – the movement is a modern version of one of the most historically important contributions from Zenith to the art of chronometry, and the fine adjustment and certification from the COSC ensures there is a practical connection between the historical production of 135-O movements, and the modern version. This is, although I’m a little hesitant to pick favorites, my favorite version so far of the G.F.J. Calibre 135 watches; Shapiro’s painstakingly meticulous approach to both movement finishing and dial production seems an especially good fit for what was, in its observatory incarnation, the Formula 1 car of watches.
The G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed With J.N. Shapiro: case, 39.15mm 10.5mm, with engine turned silver dial, all applied dial furniture; hours, minutes, and seconds hands in gold. Movement, GFJ caliber 135, with rhodium plating and damaskeening, Breguet overcoil balance spring, and running at 18,000 vph; certified by the COSC. Price, $83,150.
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