Celebrating the legacy and future of Zenith

Historic watchmaking brand Zenith is celebrating 160 years of its legacy this year. We chatted with Benoit de Clerck, CEO of Zenith, during his recent visit to Dubai, on his plans for the anniversary celebrations as well as his future course of action for the maison

You were at TAG previously, then Panerai, and now you are at Zenith. Why Zenith?
I’m very grateful to my career in the watch industry. I’ve done a lot and I’m grateful to my previous jobs and the people who have trusted me in the past, who trust me today, and to those who will trust me in the future. Why Zenith? Because Zenith is a beautiful brand. It’s a brand that has a lot going for it – heritage, authenticity, and the human factor. It’s a brand name that I like. I had always wanted to manage a manufacture or a brand with its own manufacture. In Zenith, we have our own manufacture that has been there for 160 years, and it will be there for another 160 years. There are endless reasons why Zenith, but these are definitely the major ones.

You joined Zenith in January 2024 and have been at the brand nearly a year. Will there be any changes for the brand in the future?
There are already some changes because a brand has to evolve and adapt to the reality and expectations of the market and its customers. The brand needs to utilise its capital, which for Zenith is its history, authenticity, craftsmanship, and the savoir faire. The brand is known for its movements; the movements play a very important role in the development of the brand, and we have the famed Elite and El Primero movements as well as many others. We need to capitalise on the strength and the richness of the brand.

This year is Zenith’s 160th anniversary; what are your plans for the anniversary?
There are big plans, but I don’t want to do anything flashy or overt, because that’s not the brand’s style. The brand is all about authenticity and what you will see from this year, our 160th year, will be a bit more daring and unusual creations. We will continue to develop our innovation. You will see very daring and innovative watches, perhaps in limited editions of 160, for example. While we will continue with the same vision that the brand has had for the past 160 years, we will work with different materials, different designs, and so on. We are also  working on something very important in terms of movement and we’ll be able to share it once it materialises.

Zenith has long history in terms of watches’ designs; how do you decide which watch or line gets revived?
It has to be coherent and in line with the message that we want to give from the brand. For example, in 2024, we launched the Defy Revival Diver A3648 – The Orange One, and that inspired us to produce diver watches in the Skyline and the Defy Skyline collections, in limited editions. What’s interesting is that we managed to get inspired from a 50-year-old watch and, from that inspired new watch, we inspired ourselves to get the Diver.

What is your perception of the brand now and where do you see it in five years’ time?
Zenith is a brand for people in the know – for the connoisseur, for people who really know watch making. It’s all about the heart of the watch – the movement – and we are known for that. We are very design-oriented and  very much modern. This is where the brand is today and we have a lot of demand, which is good for us. Like other brands in the market today, we are hurting because there is obviously a slowdown, given the situation. Actually, it’s more like a correction in the market, but the brand still has a very strong appeal that targets a new generation of connoisseur, and this is very important for us and the way I see it, the brand will definitely be around for some more years.

What I don’t want is to create things that are not true to the brand – its design, movement, quality, and appeal – and this is very important. The next five years is a done deal. Our job is to make sure that we can celebrate another 160 years. My team and I are working towards that objective.

Which markets is Zenith strong in, and in which markets are you planning to increase your visibility?
The beauty of Zenith is that we are spread evenly region wise; approximately, one-third of our sales comes from Asia, another one-third from Europe, including the Middle East, and another third from America. We’re lucky because today markets fluctuate a lot due to geopolitical situations. We also have a strong customer base in Japan. The Japanese are a bit fanatical about details and we are the same. So, Japan is a strong market for us.

The Middle East is a strong market for us as well, and we’re growing double digits in the UAE. We’re in good shape in the Middle East and it’s an important market and very dynamic as well. We have a strong customer base in the Gulf, which is growing every day and is younger as well. This is also true about the demographic of the world today, and we resonate with that segment. America, which is an important pillar for us, is growing in double digits, and we have great plans for the brand there, especially in distribution. Things are lining up for us to grow in these three markets. Other markets are growing as well. Southeast Asia is growing, and we have a stronger customer base in Singapore, in Malaysia, and in Indonesia, where we are doing well.

Do you think the correction period has ended?
People say sales has slowed down, but if you compare this year’s sales to pre-COVID sales, it has actually increased. We can’t take the COVID period as an example because it was an abnormal time and we’re all blinded by the situation. What’s happening now is indeed a correction. We’re here for the long term, and there is never a straight-line pattern. There are always going to be ups and downs and curves and we have to adapt to the market. Because we are Zenith and we’re very well integrated, we have the flexibility and the agility that many other brands don’t have.

You had an issue with security on the first day of Watches and Wonders; what happened?
It’s an interesting story. On the first day of Watches and Wonders, I was very excited, and I went in early to the exhibition site – around 6:30 or so in the morning. I thought my team would be in the booth, but nobody was there. When I opened the door of the booth, I activated the alarm. Security heard the alarm, and everybody rushed in, and they all jumped on me. The security, police, and dogs were running everywhere. I felt very confused and had to then call our security guy, who had just woken up and was on his way to the site. The whole thing ended within 5 minutes; of course, they asked for my ID and business card, which I luckily had with me and then they called the CEO of Watches and Wonders who I know very well and who identified me.