Andrew & Zenith Chief Products Officer Romain Marietta look back on the Zenith x Time+Tide Surfer Trilogy
Zach BlassBy now, you have likely seen our third and final edition in the Surfer Trilogy: the Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic. Though we announced it last week, later today, the watch will officially be available worldwide. It’s a big milestone for Time+Tide, and a fitting end to the saga of our Surfer collaborations with Zenith. This is why Andrew and Zenith’s Chief Products Officer, Romain Marietta, came together in our London Discovery Studio to reflect on the journey.
It all began with the Defy Classic Skeleton Night Surfer in 2021, with the now-discontinued line eventually informing the design of the next collaboration, the Night Surfer El Primero in 2023, and eventually concluded with the new White Surfer Ceramic. In the video above, Andrew and Romain explore the evolution of the watches, focusing on the technical and aesthetic advancements from the first Night Surfer edition through to the ceramic White Surfer. The conversation shifts to the reasoning behind expanding the Night Surfer project from a single collaboration to a trilogy, mostly as a result of unexpected enthusiasm for the first edition, which motivated the continuation and iteration of the story. The Night Surfer El Primero introduced a blue skeletonised movement and a midnight blue rotor, evolving the design and technical complexity further.
The final piece in the trilogy made a noticeable pivot, embracing a white ceramic case and an icy blue gradient dial, designed to evoke a summery beach aesthetic and give a visual identity distinct from its predecessors. The pair also discuss the design challenges and decisions, such as moving away from the original electric blue gradient to avoid redundancy with Zenith’s own upcoming releases. The white ceramic case and bracelet maintain a lightweight feel on the wrist, with elevated scratch-resistance, but its refreshing marble hue drives home the ultimate summer watch vibe. A new turquoise colour was introduced for the movement, a tone that had never been previously used by Zenith. The final watch also includes a white rubber strap with a quick-change system for added versatility and comfort.
The video concludes with personal reflections on the trilogy, including a light-hearted moment where Romain admits he has yet to acquire a Night Surfer or White Surfer for himself. Stay tuned until the end to find out which of the three he would personally pick. And if you’re keen on picking up a White Surfer yourself, make sure to head to the Time+Tide Shop on July 11, 2025, at 12:00 UTC. As a limited edition of 100 pieces, there won’t be too many to go around… Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: “Excellent choice”
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Learn which watches you love, buy what you like, and you will greatly minimise purchase regrets. Let others pick for you, and it may not be an “excellent choice” down the line.
Wristshot of the week: Super-Settimo!
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The latest generation of Rolexes has begun to make their way into the wild, but are as incredibly rare to catch organically as a Mewtwo. The first 1908 on a Settimo bracelet spot (to my knowledge) was on the wrist of actor David Corenswet, promoting the Superman film reboot. He has been wearing a lot of S-themed watches as of late, notably also spotted with a Speedmaster and Santos in the days and weeks prior. “S” is for Settimo and for Superman, I guess….
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Dennison ALD Collection
With shapely, smooth cases and natural material dials, Dennison is reviving a household casemaking name in style. Originating in Britain in 1874, Dennison was a supplier of cases for Rolex, Omega, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, with one of them also reaching the summit of Mount Everest, as the Dennison Aquatite-cased Smiths on the wrist of Edmund Hillary. The modern Dennison has departed somewhat from their tooltastic efforts of the 1950s and ’60s, but has hit the nail on the head in terms of current trends. For the full exploration of what makes the ALD Collection tick, make sure to check out Borna’s article.
Discover the entire Dennison ALD Collection in the Time+Tide Shop, as well as our Melbourne and London Discovery Studios in the Hot Drops section. Price: A$1,250, £640
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
A Matter of Time Official Teaser Trailer, 15:00 BST 13/07/25 Series Premiere
It was only a matter of time until we did this.
Join us at the table for the series premiere of A Matter of Time on Sunday, 13th July, at 15:00 BST, when it all gets underway with Episode 1: What is the best first luxury watch?
What is A Matter of Time all about? It’s three watch experts getting together to talk about a subject they love – watches. Three minds. One passion. All the time in the world. A Matter of Time features Eleonor Picciotto (The Eye of Jewelry, The 1916 Company), Kristian Haagen (Author, Scandinavian Watch Fiend Extraordinaire), and our own Andrew McUtchen. All full episodes of A Matter of Time will be posted right here on the Time+Tide YouTube Channel.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Perpetual Calendar is an education in minimalist design
While the Tonda PF line not only brought Parmigiani right up to speed with modern trends but also set it apart as a tastemaker, the revival of the Toric has served as a masterclass of restraint. The new Perpetual Calendar shows this in a truly unique way, and Russell has all the details.
It’s the fourth and final episode of our podcast mini-series with IWC
One podcast starts, one podcast wraps up. All good things must come to an end, and so it is with this short, sharp podcast series that has taken Andrew McUtchen and Chris Grainger-Herr, IWC CEO, on a journey through the brand’s history in F1, what goes into designing a watch for those at the very top of the sport, and the massive partnership that IWC struck with the new F1 movie starring Brad Pitt. And in this final episode, we get more depth, detail, and anecdotes about the making of that film and IWC’s involvement.