Introducing the Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with J.N. Shapiro

The Double Signed Program 

Named after Zenith founder Georges Favre-Jacot, the G.F.J. collection, introduced at Watches and Wonders 2025, provides a contemporary home for the legendary Calibre 135, one of the most awarded observatory chronometer movements in watchmaking history. It also serves as a platform for the manufacture’s Double Signed program, which brings selected independent watchmakers on board.

For its second collaboration, following the inaugural edition with Naoya Hida & Co., Zenith has partnered with American watchmaker J.N. Shapiro on the G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with J.N. Shapiro, a 25-piece limited edition in pink gold incorporating the meticulous guilloché work and decorative style of its founder, Joshua Shapiro.

Founded in 2018 in Shapiro’s home workshop in California, J.N. Shapiro initially focused on hand-guilloché dials before expanding into movement development and watchmaking. Today, the American watch manufacturer produces its own Caliber 26 as well as the Resurgence and Radiant collections, combining traditional decorative techniques with in-house engineering and manufacturing at a very high level. Its ambition is to preserve and advance the tradition of American watchmaking.

The Art of Guilloché

The silver dial is entirely crafted in J.N. Shapiro’s workshop and features three different hand-executed guilloché patterns. A barleycorn motif decorates the outer section, while a basketweave pattern fills the center. The small-seconds display at 6 o’clock features Shapiro’s signature “Infinity Weave.” Applied 18-karat pink gold rings, hour markers, and plates frame the individual sections. The latter carry the double signatures of Zenith and J.N. Shapiro alongside the G.F.J. initials. The hands are also made of solid gold, matching the 39.15mm pink-gold case, which measures a slim 10.5mm in height.

American Decoration for a Legendary Swiss Calibre

The collaboration extends beyond the dial to the movement itself. Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the hand-wound Calibre 135 features bridges decorated with damaskeening, a traditional finishing technique associated with historic American pocket watches. Combining elements of Côtes de Genève and guilloché, the decoration lends the Swiss movement a distinctly American aesthetic.

The Calibre 135 traces its origins to one of the most successful observatory chronometer movements in watchmaking history. In its modern incarnation, it retains characteristic features such as a large variable-inertia balance wheel with a Breguet overcoil and Charles Fleck’s double-arrow-shaped regulator for fine adjustment.

Operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour, or 2.5 Hz, the hand-wound Calibre 135 provides a 72-hour power reserve and incorporates a stop-seconds mechanism. Regulated to within ±2 seconds per day, the movement is officially certified by COSC.

Three Straps

Zenith delivers the G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with three interchangeable straps: brown Cordovan leather, beige nubuck alligator leather, and black calfskin. Each is paired with an 18-karat pink-gold pin buckle engraved with the G.F.J. initials. An additional pink-gold bracelet is available upon request.

The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with J.N. Shapiro is priced at CHF 68,900, or approximately $84,072 when converted to U.S. dollars.