Watch film – Zenith Watches
Two films. Two watches. One single solar system: that of Zenith, a flagship of high-end Swiss watchmaking. To showcase the Defy Fusée Tourbillon and the Defy El Primero 21, we left solid ground behind. Space—its silence, its grazing light—became our playground. An invitation to see time as a celestial body in motion. In every frame: the shadow of an orbit, a burst of sunlight shining through a skeleton dial. The watchmaking film steps into the realm of cinema: inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, with weightless shots and transcendent mechanics. A mise-en-scène where fine Swiss watches become stars in the sky.
Brands like Zenith uphold a precious heritage—the art of craftsmanship. That’s why the director doesn’t just capture the timepieces, but conveys on screen the spirit of an industry that master watchmakers have cultivated for generations.
The Challenges of Watch film
Shooting in macro means walking a razor-thin optical line. The zone of sharpness is measured in millimeters. Every movement becomes a risk, every focus a precision trial. Motorized rails, focus stacking, and calibrated lenses are our tools to master this unstable world.
Watchmaking celebrates polished steel, transparent sapphire, and mirror-like surfaces. To film them without betrayal, light must be shaped like a material itself. Our diffused lightboxes and mobile reflectors sculpt each highlight so that the truth of the watch survives the image.
In macro, the smallest speck becomes a mountain. The set turns into a cleanroom. Antistatic clothing, controlled humidity, microfiber cloths, and precision vacuums—our teams, true heirs to the watchmaking spirit, orchestrate a silent ballet of discipline before the camera even rolls.
A Watch Shoot
When Space Crosses the Dial
Zenith carries space in its name. We translated it into images. An oblique light like an orbital sunrise. A watch suspended, filmed like a satellite in full rotation. A dial that lets the stars shine through. The references are there: 2001: A Space Odyssey. But they fade, letting the materials speak. Because at Zenith, time isn’t read. It’s observed.
It’s also a tribute to the artisans and heirs of a centuries-old tradition from the Jura. In October, across the Jura Arc valleys, expert hands quietly pass on the knowledge born of farmer-watchmakers. This film is both a technical production and a poetic one — a slightly opened door into a well-kept secret.
