In an exclusive interview, Land Rover?s Chief Design Officer opens up as Zenith launches the Defy Classic Range Rover

By Robin Swithinbank

It can be hard to know who profits most from the endless slew of watch and brand tie-ups, if indeed anyone. Sometimes there are shared technologies, although these are often spuriously applied and almost always shared in one direction, with the watch brands taking advantage. No, in the main, the win is the watch company?s as it piggybacks on the profile of a sport, film, car or ? more and more ? a contemporary urban musical artist.
The value, measured I know not how, is in association and reach, and perhaps even in some back-room data deal (naturally we’re making no claims here, lawyers). As it may be, it appears there?s still plenty of mileage in pairing up. There is a reason it is the route taken by Rolex, Omega, Hublot,  TAG Heuer and many others. The first watch produced under the Zenith x Range Rover banner
These days, that list includes Zenith; Hublot and TAG?s LVMH stablemate, newly planted in the fertile soil of the mainstream marketing bed on a mission to cross-pollinate (or something). Zenith has dabbled in the sticker game before, although not always with significant impact. Most viewers will remember Felix Baumgartner?s wonderfully mad jump from 24 miles up as being a Red Bull project, rather than for the Zenith logos strategically placed on his suit and capsule, or the (now sadly discontinued) Zenith Strato...