Less Choice, More Clarity

Fine mechanics and thoughtful design have long shaped the way we see the world. Long before we introduced our watch collection, we laid its foundations in optics, engineering and a deep appreciation for how things work. Today, we carry that heritage forward with the ZM collection: watches designed to measure time with the same commitment to quality that defines our cameras.

Berlin-based photographer and director Paul Hepper brings that approach into focus. His work spans editorial, commercial and personal projects, with a visual language rooted in reduction. From New York City to Wetzlar, Paul sets out to explore the common thread between photography and watchmaking.

The strongest images often emerge when nothing unnecessary is left in the frame. That same principle also shapes Paul Hepper’s way of seeing: deliberate, restrained and guided by a clear sense of what to simplify. 

Our watch collection follows a similar logic. The ZM 1 and ZM 2 are built around the LH-01 calibre, developed exclusively for us, while the ZM 11 and ZM 12 extend the line with automatic movements developed in collaboration with Chronode. Across our collection, the focus remains on clean design and a carefully balanced relationship between function and form. 

The result is our collection, defined not by excess, but by a focus on the essentials. 

Photography is built on choices: where to stand, when to press the shutter, what to leave out. Watchmaking shares that same discipline. Every detail matters, but only when it serves a purpose. We describe the ZM collection as a tribute to the decisive moment and present our watches as precision tools rather than decorative accessories. Our ZM 11 and ZM 12 play with light and shadow through their dual-layered dials. Our ZM 1 and ZM 2 offer a more tactile, mechanical experience that especially resonates with Paul.

Paul’s work is not about excess. It is about editing, choosing and reducing until the frame feels inevitable. That same approach runs through the ZM collection, where nothing is there without a reason.

Our relationship with watchmaking is rooted in our wider micro-engineering heritage. We trace that DNA back to Ernst Leitz I, who learned watchmaking in Neuchâtel before returning to Wetzlar, where his training later shaped our optical instruments and cameras. We introduced the ZM 1 and ZM 2 watch collection in 2022 as a continuation of that tradition. The design of our ZM 1 and ZM 2 is defined by a domed sapphire crystal, bead-blasted surfaces and brushed and polished details. 

The design of our ZM 1 and ZM 2 is defined by a domed sapphire crystal and finely bead-blasted surfaces, refined through brushed and polished details. Our patented push-crown is inspired by the shutter release of our cameras, which makes the connection between camera and watch not only conceptual but also tactile.