Better together: Why these watch collaborations stand out

Fine watchmaking has a reputation for being a little aloof. Blame the eye-watering price tags, the never-ending heritage flexing, and the kind of technical jargon that makes you wish you’d paid more attention in physics class.

But horology also has a friendly side; there are brands that delight in collaboration – both within and beyond the watch world – and while the results can be unexpected, they are always a great deal of fun.  

ZENITH X PORTER  

Leaving the country is, ironically, something of a national pastime, and you’ll want this Zenith and Porter collaboration for your next weekend escape. Porter is the cult Japanese label under Yoshida & Co, known for its well-crafted, functional bags, and this partnership yields two models in Zenith’s longest-running collection: The Pilot Automatic Porter and the Pilot Big Date Flyback Porter, both clad in a ceramic case of olive green – or “khaki”, as Porter devotees would recognise.  

The time-and-date model comes in at 40mm and is powered by the El Primero 3620, while its complicated cousin measures 42.5mm and runs on the El Primero 3652. Both feature grooved dials co-signed by Zenith and Porter, with bright orange hands – a nod to the cheery linings of Porter bags, which themselves are inspired by high-visibility interiors of aviation jackets.  

Each watch comes with two straps: One in military-leaning nylon (complete with orange Velcro accents and Porter’s stitched logo), the other a Cordura-effect rubber strap with a black PVD steel folding buckle, and these can be switched easily thanks to a quick-release system.  

Naturally, the packaging is part of the experience: The watch box nestles inside a Porter messenger bag, khaki on the outside and Zenith blue within. Each model is limited to 500 pieces.  

ULYSSE NARDIN X AMOUREUXPEINTRE  

Kyrgyzstan-born designer Vsevolod Sever Cherepanov – a name as layered as his resume – has done the rounds in fashion and interiors, collaborating with the likes of Nike and Alyx, launching his own brands Sever and Genesis, and overseeing his own creative studios Home 2.0 and Solutions 2.0. His aesthetic? Stark minimalism, monochrome moods, and a deep commitment to upcycling. 

Now he’s taken his pared-back philosophy to the world of horology with the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre], a limited edition of just 29 pieces. The 42mm case and bezel are rendered in sandblasted titanium, and the sapphire crystal is frosted front and back using a precision laser technique, with a smoky fume effect achieved through delicate metallisation. It took two years of development to get the effect just right, and the result is a kind of intentional blur, like a half-remembered dream. Beneath the veil is the skeletonised Calibre UN-371, though you’ll probably have to squint to see it.  

MB&F X BVLGARI  

When MB&F and Bvlgari first teamed up in 2021 for the LM FlyingT Allegra, it was a feminine fever dream of flying tourbillons and rainbow jewels. But don’t expect a sparkling sequel – their second collaboration, though inspired by the jewellery brand’s Serpenti, is a far more technical looking piece. 

The case resembles a streamlined automobile – no accident, given that both MB&F founder Maximilian Busser and Bvlgari’s watchmaking chief Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani are self-confessed petrol heads. Curved sapphire crystal “windows” offer clear views of the movement inside, which is based on MB&F’s HM10 calibre. 

The serpent’s “eyes” double as domed hour and minute displays, machined from aluminium to keep things light, while its “brain” is the oversized 14mm flying balance wheel, held in place by a balance bridge engraved with both brands’ names. The movement has also been decorated with the Serpenti’s hexagonal scales, giving the impression of a car grille. At the rear lugs, two crowns styled like car wheels let you set the time and wind the movement respectively.  

Three versions are available, each limited to 33 pieces: One in titanium with blue eye domes, another in 18k rose gold with green, and a third in black PVD-coated stainless steel with red accents. 

LOUIS VUITTON X KARI VOUTILAINEN 

Louis Vuitton may be a fashion juggernaut, but when it comes to watchmaking, it has a soft spot for the little guys. In 2023, the maison launched the Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives, a biennial award complete with a cash grant and a one-year mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. That same year, it kicked off a new series of high-profile collaborations, debuting with Rexhep Rexhepi and a wildly complicated double-faced chiming chronograph.  

For round two, Louis Vuitton reached out to Kari Voutilainen, another horological maverick and a jury member of said prize, making this collaboration feel a little like a “here’s how it’s done, kids” demo. The watch is the LVKV-02 GMR 6, a globe-trotting GMT with roots in last year’s Louis Vuitton Escale watches and all the visual opulence one can expect when Vuitton and Voutilainen shake hands.  

While mechanically not in the same league as Rexhepi’s monster of a movement, the LVKV-02 GMR 6 is a visual show-stopper. The dial alone is a four-part masterclass in craft. The outer hour ring features 28 colours and took 32 hours of painting and another eight hours of kiln time to achieve its stained-glass glow – all courtesy of Louis Vuitton’s metiers d’art workshop. The centre dial bears Voutilainen’s signature guilloche, riffing on LV’s iconic Damier pattern and executed using 18th-century machinery.  

Voutilainen’s team was also responsible for the hand-engraved sun and moon of the day/night indicator, as well as the design, assembly, and finishing of the movement, though Louis Vuitton contributed a final psychedelic flourish with the hand-painted mainspring barrel. Only five pieces will be made, and yes, each one will arrive in a custom Louis Vuitton travel trunk, hand-painted to match the dial and cheerfully signed off with: “Louis cruises with Kari.” 

SARPANEVA X MOOMIN  

Five years ago, Finland’s most poetic watchmaker paid tribute to Finland’s most beloved fictional family. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Moomins, Stepan Sarpaneva created a charming homage under his more accessible SUF Helsinki label to sell-out success. So he turned up the horological volume the next year, releasing a higher-end version under the Sarpaneva name, complete with layered, hand-painted dials and his signature scalloped case. 

Now, with the Moomins turning 80, Sarpaneva returns with yet another endearing edition, available in two variants: A monochrome dial or a multi-coloured version. Both feature a three-part dial depicting a scene from Comet in Moominland (1946), an odd choice for an anniversary tribute given its slightly apocalyptic plot, but is charming nonetheless. Especially since the model adds a “shooting star” aperture between 11 and 1 o’clock that houses a dragging hours display that sweeps the heavens in slow motion. 

The fairy tale feel intensifies as night falls. Thanks to 10 different shades of Super-LumiNova hidden throughout the scene, both versions transform after dark into miniature, glowing dreamscapes. Each version is limited to just 30 pieces. 

LOUIS ERARD X SYLVIE FLEURY  

It’s practically de rigueur for an artist to subvert everyday notions of everyday things. For Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury, she’s directed that irreverent spirit into contemporary sculptures featuring everything from makeup to shopping bags.  

As it turns out, makeup palettes also make excellent watch dials. Especially when paired with the clean, vertical “three in line” layout of Louis Erard’s Le Regulateur. In the Le Regulateur Palette of Shadows, the glossy black dial serves as a dramatic backdrop for two recessed subdials: In coral for the hours and magenta for the seconds. Each subdial features a matching hand, while the central minute hand stays black. 

The case is 39mm in black PVD-coated steel, paired with black calf leather strap. Limited to 178 pieces, and not for the beige-of-heart.  

RADO X TEJ CHAUHAN 

When Rado launched the DiaStar in 1961, it looked like it had been teleported from the future. We’re now in that future – and it still looks like something from another timeline. That’s part of the charm: It has never quite fit in, and doesn’t plan to start now. 

For this new limited edition, British industrial designer Tej Chauhan brings his signature retro-futurist flair to the DiaStar, dialling up the fun without sacrificing its oddball appeal. It’s the perfect sequel to bright yellow Rado True Square he reimagined in 2020, which had a radar-patterned dial and plenty of popping colour. Now, the DiaStar gets a yellow gold-coloured PVD-coated steel case, a Ceramos bezel, and a pillowy light grey rubber strap. 

Between 9 and 12 o’clock, the scale is highlighted in bright cyan – Chauhan’s creative peak (or, depending on your lifestyle, peak party hours). The day-date display at 3 o’clock is wonderfully eccentric: Each day of the week appears in a different custom font and colour, while the date glows in neon red. Flip it over and you’ll find Chauhan’s logo on the caseback, along with a peekaboo sapphire window showing the R764 automatic movement.