Anime watch collaborations aren’t rare, but they typically don’t fall into the luxury tier. The notable exception is an ongoing series where Zenith brings to life its own watches as they appeared on the seminal Lupin the 3rd.
Zenith debuted the first Lupin the 3rd Chronomaster Revival in 2019 as part of the A384 50th anniversary celebration. Despite the two-faced “Final Edition” released in 2022, a surprise fourth installment has been revealed, and if you’re a vintage chronograph fan, it is the best one yet.
Zenith’s Chronomaster Revival Daisuke Jigen Edition is named after the sidekick to Lupin the 3rd’s titular gentleman thief protagonist. When the popular Manga was adapted to an anime series in 1971, Daisuke Jigen wore a watch clearly inspired by the Zenith A384, a cutting-edge mechanical chronograph at the time.
The first watch in Zenith’s Lupin the 3rd series mirrored the black dial with gray sub-dials, as it first appeared in the anime. The second watch in the series featured a classic panda dial, as seen on Daisuke Jigen’s wrist in later episodes.
The Chronomaster Revival Daisuke Jigen Edition, which skips the Lupin the 3rd naming convention of previous editions and gives credit where it is due, is more of a direct sequel to the second watch in the series.
It is a classic panda dial signed only with Zenith’s name and star emblem, as it appeared in the show. This time, the crisp white of the dial is replaced with a beige faux patina, and the steel case and bracelet are now microblasted titanium.
