For over a decade, Massena LAB has been a creative platform where contemporary watchmaking meets historical inspiration. Founded by William Massena, a long-time figure in the independent watch scene and former CEO of TimeZone.com, the studio has earned a reputation for limited edition collaborations with some of the most talented watchmakers of our time, including Raúl Pagès, winner of the 2024 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, who has become a recurring partner and shares Massena's passion for handcrafted mechanics and precision design.
Their latest collaboration, the TZ30 by Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès, commemorates the 30th anniversary of TimeZone.com, the online watch community founded in 1995. The watch continues the lineage of previous collaborative creations such as Magraph, Absinthe and Noctograph, each based on astronomical timekeeping traditions and understated sophistication.
The TZ30 features a 38.5mm Calatrava-style stainless steel case with a thickness of 10mm and a polished mid-century profile that combines modern comfort with vintage proportions. The sapphire crystal features a double-sided anti-reflective coating and the exhibition caseback is engraved with a tribute to TimeZone's three-decade milestone as well as the watch's individual serial number.
The dial is the immediate visual anchor: a deep, vertically brushed blue surface that changes from indigo to cobalt when exposed to light. The minimalist “observatory” layout references the Patek Philippe Ref. 2458, a one-of-a-kind piece built for JB Champion in 1952. At 9 o'clock, a small seconds subdial balances the “Observatory Precision” inscription at 3 o'clock, while the rhodium-plated feuille hands and baton indices provide a crisp, luminous contrast to the dial's texture.
The watch is powered by the Massena LAB caliber M690, a hand-wound movement based on the AMT Manufacture AMT6600 revised by Pagès. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of 60 hours. The finishing visible through the sapphire caseback includes Côtes de Genève, polished bevels and a perlage field surrounding the hand-engraved Poinçon Pagès, the small turtle that has become the watchmaker's trademark. As with previous collaborations, Raúl Pagès himself is not involved in the production or decoration of the movement, but rather it is manufactured under his supervision by a small network of Swiss contractors.
The watch is worn on a handmade Italian calfskin strap in warm mocha brown with white stitching, closed with a steel pin buckle. The TZ30 is available exclusively through Massena LAB at a price of $9,900limited to 30 individually numbered watches. For more information and to order, visit massenalab.com.
https://monochrome-watches.com/tz30-by-massena-lab-and-raul-pages-timezone-30th-anniversary-introducing-price/