Zenith continues to create legends
With new additions revealed at the Baselworld this year, the Manufacture Zenith introduces five remarkable watches that complement the brand’s existing collections, providing these iconic collections the fresh hints of modern flair while retaining the highly distinguished quality of its classic high-precision calibres
With a legacy that embodies the philosophy “Legends live forever”, Zenith takes pride in its rich heritage, tradition, passion and pursuit of excellence that makes it a prime source of style and substance to watchmaking connoisseurs all over the world for more than 150 years.
Tracing its roots from Le Locle, the heart of watchmaking located in the Neuchâtel Mountains of Switzerland, the history of the highly distinguished Swiss watch Manufacture began with the persistence of young visionary watchmaker, Georges Favre-Jacot, in 1865. Both an effective and efficient businessman, he played a pioneering role in developing his company on a global scale to raise brand awareness and at the same time he sought to secure his name as a registered trademark.
Over the years, the Manufacture Zenith has gained swift recognition for the precision of its chronometers, thus marking an absolute record in the industry on winning 2,333 chronometry prizes throughout its existence. Upon earning great respect for its iconic El Primero calibre – an integrated automatic column-wheel chronograph movement launched in 1969 and endowed with a high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour that ensures short-time measurements accurate to the nearest 1/10th of a second – the Manufacture Zenith has since developed over 600 movement variations.
Today, Zenith ranks atop among the select group of traditional luxury watch brands to produce all its movements in-house, the industry’s ultimate token of quality.
Academy Tourbillon Georges Favre-Jacot
Eloquently expressing the comprehensive manufacturing expertise cultivated by Zenith, the Academy Tourbillon Georges Favre-Jacot flaunts its mechanism in an entirely transparent manner. Issued in a 150-piece limited edition featuring a 45mm-diameter black ceramic case, this sophisticated watch fully reveals the contemporary architecture of its high-frequency heart.
Housing the new El Primero Calibre 4805, it is equipped with a tourbillon as well as a fusée and chain transmission system. These two horological complications, both specialities of the brand with the guiding star, are thus united for the first time in a Zenith high-frequency movement. Meanwhile, the dial-free hand-wound El Primero Calibre 4805 provides a perfect picture of its magnificent mechanisms and its powerful architecture.
It features central hours and minutes functions that are shown on a ring swept over by luminescent black facetted hands and hour-markers. Visible both on the display side and through the sapphire crystal case-back, the mainplate and bridges are coated with a deep anthracite colour adorned with alternating sandblasted, hand-chamfered and straight-grained finishes.
Water-resistant to 50 metres, the Academy Tourbillon Georges Favre-Jacot is fitted with a perforated rubber strap secured by a PVD-coated titanium triple folding clasp. It also comes on another 150-piece limited-edition in rose gold.
Heritage Pilot Café Racer
This 2016, a new model with a strong character proudly takes its place in the iconic Pilot collection composed of sleek, powerful watches: The Heritage Pilot Café Racer.
Inspired by the “Café Racer” bikers’ movement born in England in the 1920s, the new Zenith creation evokes these bikes and their strong character symbolising speed, originality and freedom. It features an imposing 45mm-diameter aged steel case and original pilot’s watch attributes – large oversized luminescent Arabic numerals and a wide fluted screw-lock crown – that take on a vintage character. The slate grey dial with a grained motif is punctuated by two counters and topped by a domed sapphire crystal. The facetted hands and numerals with their beige luminescent coating stand out clearly against the dial background, while the solid titanium back of the case, water-resistant to 100 metres, is engraved with the inscription “Café Racer Spirit”.
Flaunting the world’s most accurate chronograph calibre developed by Zenith in 1969, it houses the automatic El Primero Calibre 4069 beats at the impressive speed of 36,000 vibrations per hour, powering a tenth of a second chronograph display.
This remarkable watch drives central hours and minutes hands, small seconds at 9 o’clock alongside the chronograph functions, while delivering an over 50-hour power reserve. Setting the final touch is the oily nubuck rubber-lined wristband fitted with a titanium pin buckle, accentuating its authentic nature.
El Primero 36’000 VpH Classic Car
Building on its many partnerships, Zenith will be joining thousands of passionate classic car enthusiasts around the world at more than 50 events this year. To pay tribute to this prestigious world in which precision, reliability and endurance are expressed through sophisticated designs exuding timeless elegance, it gives birth to the new El Primero 36’000 VpH Classic Car.
Dedicated to those with a penchant for elegant speed machines, the watch comes with a 42mm-diameter brushed steel case fitted with a fluted crown and two round pushpieces. Its face expresses strength and distinction on an anthracite dial featuring an engine-type finish and punctuated by three counters in the original anthracite, blue and light grey colours. Enhanced by a tachymeter scale, this iconic watch face features a slim red central sweep-seconds hand as well as luminescent facetted hands and hour-markers.
Humming beneath the hood is a powerful and accurate engine: The El Primero 400B automatic chronograph calibre. Its fierce pace of 36,000 vibrations per hour, enabling tenth of a second display, along with its integrated column-wheel construction, hail from a legendary lineage of the world’s most precise series-made chronograph developed by Zenith in 1969. This 326-part movement wound by an oscillating weight adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif drives central hours and minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date functions, while delivering a more than 50-hour power reserve.
Water-resistant to 100 metres, the El Primero 36’000 VpH Classic watch circles the wrist of gentlemen drivers by means of a rubber-lined perforated chestnut brown calfskin strap, fitted with a steel triple folding clasp.
Elite 6150
Having gained immediate success right from its launch in 2015, the Elite 6150 model now comes clothed in rose gold, illuminating its curved 42mm-diameter case, its pure dial with engraved hour-markers and its slender leaf-type hands. With its classic design tinged with a hint of modernity, the Elite 6150 is a bridge between Zenith’s proud heritage and its resolutely future-oriented attitude.
At the heart of this rose gold case beats the new Elite 6150 calibre, entirely developed and crafted by Zenith, with a four-day power reserve. This ultra-thin automatic movement is the modern version of the famous Elite, presented by Zenith in 1994 and awarded the “Best Movement of the Year” title. The exceptionally slim Elite Calibre 6150, with its 195 assembled components measuring a mere 3.92mm thick, drives central displays of the hours, minutes and seconds, governed by the steady beat of the balance-wheel oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Water-resistant to 50 metres, this case with its pure, understated lines frames a domed silver-toned dial swept over by slim rose gold leaf-type hands. In a subtle trompe l’oeil effect, the stylised hour-markers are engraved and rose gold-coloured to create a sense of depth.
A brown alligator leather strap lined with rubber and secured by a rose gold pin buckle sets the perfect finishing touch to the inherent refinement of the Elite 6150 model. Meanwhile, it is also available in stainless steel and rose gold versions.
Elite Lady Moon Phase
While the recent Elite models can be admired on the wrists of men and women of discerning taste, the new Elite Lady Moon Phase distinctly embodies the essence of refined femininity according to Zenith.
The new feminine face of the Elite collection, this Moon Phase model conveys its elegance through five variations made of 18-carat pink gold or stainless steel. The ultra-thin pebble-shaped 36mm-diameter case, water-resistant to 50 metres, is fitted with a fluted crown enabling smooth moon-phase adjustments. Its exhibition caseback provides a chance to admire its mechanism powered by an oscillating weight adorned with a “Côtes de Genève” motif. Surrounded by a diamond-set or polished bezel, the pure mother-of-pearl dial is graced with a star-studded deep blue moon disc. Slender leaf-shaped hands sweep over stylised engraved hour-markers, or else slim Roman numerals on one of the versions.
The heart of this new ladies’ watch beats to the rhythm of the automatic Elite Calibre 692, entirely developed and crafted by Zenith. Bestowed with a more than 50-hour power reserve, this ultra-thin movement operating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and comprising 195 parts – measuring an exceptionally slim 3.97 mm – powers indications of the hours, minutes, small seconds and moon phases,
Exquisitely feminine in every detail, the Elite Lady Moon Phase is fitted with a glossy black or brown rubber-lined alligator leather strap secured by a stainless steel or pink gold pin buckle. These five new Elite references embody ageless elegance entirely in tune with the times.
