When Sergio the man, the myth, the legend behind Direnzo first asked me over a year and a half ago if I would be interested in collaborating on a special edition of the new DRZ 04R_38 Mondial, It was an absolute no brainer. YES PLEASE! In fact it must have been written in the stars as I had been thinking how cool it would be if Direnzo made a watch inspired by the epitome of retro futuristic fun. The Jetsons. Specifically, in my opinion the deeply underrated Jane Jetson. I pictured her, floating through space in her violet ensemble, hair perfectly coiffed, voice confident, and always just a little ahead of her time.

The Jetsons are an instant nostalgia for me. As a kid watching early morning reruns on the weekend with my little green mug of tea with my name on it (my dad still has that mug). All I could focus on were the fabulous outfits, the incredible architecture and all that futuristic technology. It was a far cry from the mediocrity of suburban England I was used to.

That was the seed of Space Girl: a watch that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking, as if Jane herself might have worn it while gliding through Orbit City.

The Mondial Reimagined

Direnzo’s Mondial line has been one of the micro-brand world’s big success stories. An integrated-bracelet design with a clear-as-day design aesthetic in 40mm. The new DRZ 04R refines that DNA with a 38 mm case, fantastic new colours, and a sleek, more ergonomic silhouette.

Among its nine vibrant variants which opens for pre-sale on the 15th of November (delivery expected in December) sits our collaboration the Space Girl Edition, just 20 pieces available worldwide featuring a blue-to-purple fumé dial, orange Super-LumiNova markers and skeleton hands, and a mint- green lollipop seconds hand also lumed. Together, they tell a space age story in colour and motion.

Designing Jane’s Universe

Every detail of the Space Girl was drawn from Jane herself. The dial’s vibrant blue-to-purple fade mirrors her signature outfit, that perfect intersection of playful and poised, retro and futuristic. Under Direnzo’s radial fumé finish, the hues shift like satin caught in star light.

The orange Super-LumiNova accents recall Jane’s fiery hair, adding warmth and personality to the cool tones of space. The lollipop seconds hand, with its soft mint-green tip, is my favourite detail, which was Sergio’s idea. A subtle nod to the Jetsons’ flying spaceship, forever circling her world.

It’s whimsical, yes, but balanced in an unconventional and quirky way. Every colour serves a purpose, every curve aligns with Direnzo’s architectural precision.

The Joy of Collaboration

The process of working with Sergio was, quite simply, a joy. We got straight to work and within a very short time frame of my describing the colours I plucked from the sky and the inspiration behind them, Sergio had already started creating the first preliminary renders.

From there, it was months of wonderful back-and-forth and Sergio, like a mad scientist, testing gradients, refining tones, and countless trials on his end with the manufacturer. And then, one morning, the first prototype dial landed in my mailbox.

I’ll never forget that moment. It felt like all my childhood birthdays and Christmases rolled into one. The instant it hit me that this was really happening. All the ideas, all the conversations, all the tiny tweaks had finally come together in a dial that just worked. 

That’s when Space Girl truly came to life.

The Details. Back To The Future

Beneath the colour play beats a Swiss heart: the Sellita SW-200-1 Elaboré movement with Incabloc shock protection. The case and bracelet, both in 316L steel with HV 800 scratch-resistant coating, give it the strength to match its immaculate polishing and brushed details and the crown is satisfyingly large and balances brilliantly against the tonneau case. I particularly enjoy the double faceted bezel which is brushed and highly polished, which frames the dial perfectly.

A flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, screw-down crown and caseback, and 100 m water resistance ensure that while Space Girl is dreamy, she’s also durable. At 38 mm across and 10.8 mm thick and a lug to lug of 46mm, she’s perfectly proportioned, wearable, elegant, and timeless for any wrist size. This watch is from the future, but at its heart the traditional automatic movement reigns supreme. A delight you can admire from the exhibition case-back.

Wearing Space Girl

On the wrist, Space girl evokes joy, with its unusual, but playful colours and in sunlight, the dial radiates hues of electric blue and purple; in shadow, it subdues into a rich dark hue. The orange markers glow warmly at night, while the mint-green seconds tip traces its perfect little flight path across the dial. It’s not loud. It’s luminous. And above all, it’s joyful.

Of course you can pair this watch with jeans and t-shirt, but where’s the fun in that?! So I’ve gone all out to highlight some of the various colours on this Space age watch and go full throttle on the retro futuristic aesthetic. Rest assured this watch pops no matter what you wear.

Saved the jeans and t-shirt for my other half El Grincho rocking one of the three possible customised integrated rubber straps (teal, white and black) available to purchase. The Teal colour transforms the watch completely giving Space age holiday vibes!

The Rest of the 04R Mondial Collection

While Space Girl shines bright with her retro-futuristic flair, she’s only one star in the broader DRZ 04R galaxy. Direnzo has assembled eight other variations for the new 38 mm Mondial lineup, each revealing a different facet of the brand’s distinct design DNA.

The core range brings a splash of colour with Light Blue, White, Yellow, Green, Black, and Pink dials. Each features Direnzo’s signature matte, bowl-shaped dial architecture and BGW9 Super-LumiNova, available either with or without a date window. These pieces open at a presale price of 750 CHF.

The limited editions push the concept further. First is the sand-blasted Muonionalusta meteorite dial. Its texture and turquoise lume give it an otherworldly depth limited to 70 pieces at a presale price of 930 CHF. For those who prefer stealthier styling, the Black PVD Meteorite houses that same rare material inside a black-coated case, restricted to just 40 pieces at the same presale price. And, of course, there’s our own collaboration: the “Space Girl,” limited to only 20 pieces, with a blue-to-purple fumé gradient dial punctuated by orange and mint accents (850 CHF presale).

Across all variations, Direnzo provides the same technical foundation: a Swiss automatic movement, sapphire crystal, HV 800 scratch-resistant coating, 10-ATM water resistance, and the integrated stainless-steel bracelet with its optional on-the-fly adjustment clasp.

Together, these nine watches form a vivid constellation. Each one a carefully balanced expression of Direnzo’s mastery of proportion, finishing, and design storytelling. From the quietly sophisticated to the boldly cosmic, the Mondial lineup proves that imagination and precision can, indeed, share the same orbit.

Final Thoughts

Space Girl isn’t just a collaboration. It’s a celebration of imagination. Of that magical moment when design meets storytelling. Jane Jetson might have lived in a cartoon universe, but her spirit is confident, curious, a little glamorous with a touch of silliness, which feels right at home on a modern wrist

But she doesn’t travel through orbit alone. The broader DRZ 04R Mondial collection stands as proof of Direnzo’s growing design universe: vibrant yet refined, playful yet precise. From the minimalist white dial to the daring meteorite editions, every version carries a distinct personality united by the same architectural geometry and Swiss-made integrity.

Space Girl may be the dreamer of the group, but every watch in this release stands out and is clearly Direnzo.

As previously mentioned, only 20 pieces of the Space Girl will leave orbit, each carrying a spark of that retro-futuristic optimism, which I hope resonates with you. Because the future, as Jane taught us, should always be stylish and maybe just a little bit purple. Huge congratulations to Sergio on another fantastic collection. They really are out of this world (I’ll stop with the space puns now)!

Pre-sale launching tomorrow, Saturday the 15th of November at 15:00 CET.