Z-BRANCH

Home of our specialist R&D product wing, Z-Branch is the creative space where engineers and designers push beyond the expected, crossing the borders between fact and fiction. The result is a world of one-off pieces connected by time, horology and the stories that define every watch. It is also where design concepts become working ideas, strengthened by our commitment to true in-house watch manufacture.

Over the last two years, Z-Branch has been developing dial manufacturing and dial printing in-house, a major step towards the true essence of an independent watchmaker. From pad printing and testing to prototyping and finishing, this growing capability brings traditional and contemporary horological skills under our own roof, giving us greater creative control over the watches we design, build and refine.

Take our Time Machine: a shining amalgamation of aluminium, steel and brass, built gradually over a two-year period. Essentially, it is a massive gearbox with ratios so vast that by the time its movement reaches the end of its sequence, billions of years have passed. Is it art? An intricately engineered watch winder? Or a philosophical nod to the path we travel through time?

In the Z-Branch workshop there is room and time to think outside the box. One day we are creating a rocket from brass on a Myford Super 7 lathe; the next, we are 3D printing a watch case concept to see how its components look, feel and sit on the wrist. No two days, or weeks, are ever the same.

Some weeks are simply about play. Like Z’s assignment to create a spy case to house the DB-1 Blackout Lancaster. The brief: locate a retro Samsonite case, add a replica Walther PP semi-automatic, and design spy gadgets such as a miniature breathing apparatus that fits inside a cigar tube. Just add a little danger!

Or perhaps we create a pilot’s ejector seat to display in the studio. For us, it began with an invitation to the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company, whose founders were early pioneers of ejector seat technology. We photographed the ejector seat from the F-35 stealth combat fighter, drew our own version in 2D CAD, then laser cut a prototype in wood. The final piece was a stylish ejector seat made from aluminium, steel, brass and copper wire, a fitting example of the laser engraving, model making, 3D printing and lathe manufacture that define our Specialist Research and Development Wing Z-Branch.

Boundaries are broken when engineers have time to explore. Every angle researched. Every detail developed. Every story encapsulated in the timepieces we create. It’s the unwavering pursuit of perfection. It’s the Zero West way.