Zenith energises with award winning calibres
Founded by a young talented watchmaker, Georges Favre, watchmakers Zenith began life in Le Locle, a small village in the Neuchâtel Mountains of Switzerland. After marriage, along with his name change, Georges Favre-Jacot altered the way he did business by overseeing the vertical integration of watchmaking, where all components were crafted under one roof instead of being outsourced to distant locations
As a proven innovator, Georges Favre-Jacot’s state-of-the-art industrial facility was the first in town to be equipped with electric lighting. Consistently ahead of its time, the founder strove to find ways to be innovative and one such system proved fruitful; where movements were able to accommodate interchangeable components. This approach saved time and money labelling Georges Favre-Jacot an effective and efficient businessman. From the 1870s onwards, 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.
Today, the Manufacture has earned recognition for the precision of its chronometers which has won 2,333 chronometry prizes in a century and a half of the brand’s existence. Zenith is also renowned for its legendary El Primero calibre – an integrated automatic column-wheel chronograph movement that was launched in 1969, 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. This year, new editions have been launched to complement the brand’s existing collections with a modern flair that retains classic high-precision calibres.
El Primero Sport
Taking place as the latest edition in Zenith’s El Primero collection, the sport timepiece has inherited the DNA of the iconic 1969 chronograph. Powered by the famous El Primero 400 B automatic chronograph calibre that beats at a rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour, the watch is undeniably masculine with a generous 45mm diameter case. The El Primero Sport houses several sporty functions that are secured behind a sapphire crystal glass to guarantee 200 metres of water resistance. The watch is offered in three different versions crafted in steel; the first model is classically understated with an elegant dark brown alligator leather strap, while the second model sports a slate grey dial with a comfortable steel bracelet. The third reference presented this year features a black dial with a matching rubber strap. The dial is relatively the same on all models, featuring broad faceted hour markers, rhodium-finished and coated with Super-LumiNova that are pointed to by sword-shaped hands. The watch also features a tachometric scale that now appears on the inner bezel ring.
Elite 6150
Equipped with a new Manufacture Elite 6150 calibre that earned the title “Best Movement of the Year” when presented at Baselworld in 1994, this model is the contemporary version of the famous Elite base movement developed in the early 1990s. The ultra-thin mechanical automatic movement is 3.92mm thick and hums at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour to power the hours, minutes and sweeping seconds. Long baton-style hands indicate the time on the cambered silver-toned dial, which features hollowed out hour markers. Storing an impressive 100 hours of power reserve, the timepiece is a work of horological genius expressed with complete simplicity that is built to last.
Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II
In tribute to the legendary explorer Christopher Columbus’ sea voyage, Zenith presents one of its most fascinating watch creations, decorated in a stunning display of flamboyant colours on the back of the watch. The exceptional exterior is proof of high-end experienced craftsmanship that features engraving and micro-painting that is truly artistic, illustrating Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America in 1492. Combined with precision technology used to craft the Calibre El Primero 8805, the timepiece is deemed a hand-finished masterpiece that is limited to just 10 pieces with a patented Gravity Control system, fusée-chain transmission, and an exceptional frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour. Three small gold sub-dials feature on the main dial in fine guilloché, white enamelled and fitted with blued steel hands and screws recalling the grand watchmaking tradition. The mainplate has been entirely hollowed out by hand, to reveal the Zenith logo in relief and a parade of stars; the hollowed parts have been filled with midnight blue lacquer. Such an exceptional model deserves an equally exceptional presentation box, therefore the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II comes in a precious mahogany box featuring ox bone inlays, which can also serve as a humidor with a capacity of 80 cigars.
Academy Georges Favre-Jacot
The famous enterprising spirit of George Favre-Jacot has been poured into this creation and to mark Zenith’s 150th anniversary, the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot is offered in a limited edition of 150 pieces. Energised by a high-frequency hand-wound El Primero 4810 movement that powers the functions of hours, minutes and small seconds, the watch also features a power reserve indicator that occupies the entire lower right-hand side of the dial, between 4 and 5 o’clock and topped with the inscriptions “Force constante” and “High frequency”. However, the feature that immediately catches the eye is located in the upper part of the dial, which reveals the fusée and chain transmission, with the barrel positioned at 10 and 11 o’clock and the fusée around which the chain wraps itself, positioned between 1 and 2 o’clock.
El Primero Stratos Spindrift Racing
Marketed as the ultimate sports watch, the El Primero Stratos Spindrift Racing timepiece was launched in celebration of the brand’s association as official timekeeper of the Spindrift Racing competition where the best skippers steer their vessels on an exciting, adrenaline fuelled transatlantic crossing. Featuring a bold and daring exterior that appeals to adrenaline enthusiasts, the watch is offered in a rose gold or DLC-coated stainless steel case. Manufacture Zenith, fitted a much needed chronograph function onto the dial, to enable an accurate measurement of time. Two particularities stand out on the technical dial; the first one is located at 10 o’clock, where a prominent escapement is fitted, making the watch the first Stratos to be equipped with this feature. The second is the telemetric scale that lies on the inside face of the inner bezel, bearing the inscription ‘Spindrift racing’ at 12 o’clock. The hours, minutes, chronograph and small seconds are powered by an automatic El Primero 4061 movement that boasts a minimum power reserve of 50 hours.
