Results for Zenith

LVMH Watch Week Dubai 2020: Zenith’s Novelties with Women in Mind

Dazzling dials dominate Zenith’s first female-focused watch, the DEFY Midnight.

LVMH Watch Week Dubai 2020: New El Primeros and Pilots from Zenith

The LVMH Watch Week has kicked off, as has Zenith’s 2020 watch releases, featuring new takes on the El Primero, and updated Pilots.

Introducing: The Zenith Defy 21 Land Rover Edition

A Defender-inspired limited edition in full matte grey.

Was this Zenith Manga cartoon homage the sleeper hit of 2019?

Lupin the Third, ever heard of it? We hadn’t either … that is, until Zenith made this, the A384 Revival Lupin The Third Edition. Turns out, Lupin The Third, or Lupin III as it’s otherwise known, is a Japanese manga cartoon created in 1967 by the doyen of the traditional Japanese art form, Monkey Punch. … ContinuedThe post Was this Zenith Manga cartoon homage the sleeper hit of 2019? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Interview: Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith

In mid 2017, Julien Tornare, became chief executive at Zenith, maker of the famed El Primero chronograph. This came after a 17-year stint at Vacheron Constantin, where his last job was running the brand’s operations in Asia, its most important market by a large margin. At Zenith, Mr Tornare was called upon to revitalise a brand that had been drifting for some time. Zenith was clinging on too tightly to the past – namely the landmark El Primero – to the exclusion of everything else the brand had achieved. The diversification beyond the El Primero is exemplified by the Defy, a product crucial to the brand’s resurgence. The collection swiftly became a bestseller since its debut two years ago, but also boasts a milestone for the industry at large with the radical silicon oscillator in the Defy Inventor. The Defy Inventor During the El Primero 50th anniversary event that took place late last year in Singapore, I sat down with Mr Tornare to discuss his vision for Zenith, and how his start-up approach to running the brand has helped propel it into the new decade. The interview was edited for length and clarity. It has been two years since you took over at Zenith. Do you think you’re past the toughest part of the job? The toughest was probably at the beginning; getting the team on board with my vision was the most challenging. You can only develop a brand when you have everybody with you, and when you come from an entirely different brand, that takes some time. The firs...

4 Watches Perfect For A Horological Detox From Nomos, Hermès, Chopard, and Zenith

A horological detox means going back to simplicity. Just the basics: time-only, preferably in a stainless steel case and fitted with a strap, not overly thick or large, and dial functional in design. These are not attention-grabbing watches, but the perfect choice to start the new year with.

Zenith El Primero’s Golden Moment

Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi from Phillips help design limited-edition Zenith El Primeros for charity.

Exceptional Movements In History: Zenith El Primero - Reprise

Loved the world over by collectors and watch brands alike, the Zenith El Primero has been keeping the world on time since 1969. And Rolex choosing to use the movement was high praise for Zenith indeed. The El Primero is still considered an exceptional chronograph to this day, and watchmaker Aston Tracy explains why.

Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon Review

The fifth rendition of the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 sees the brand giving the model a complete carbon look. After the black ceramic and rose gold versions were released in 2018 along with the titanium and black ceramic in 2017, Zenith introduced the Defy El Primero 21 Carbon edition during this year’s Baselworld. The Defy collection is leading Zenith into the future with the brand’s innovative watchmaking being utilized in their latest models. We had a chance to review the Inventor and Classic models from the Defy collection, which were surely eye-catching pieces, to say the least. (You can find the reviews to Inventor and Defy Classic here ). Make no mistake, however; the Defy El Primero 21 Carbon is just as pleasing to look at, even if everything seems as if it’s trying to blend in with its camo-style appearance.       The beauty of using carbon fibre is that due to the nature of the material and how the alternating layers of carbon fibres are always randomly arranged, each individual piece will be unique. As carbon fibre is used for the faceted case, round bezel, crown, chronograph pushers and buckle head, each of these pieces will vary in aesthetic appearance from one watch to another. This makes the watch that you buy a truly unique piece. The carbon fibre case and the round bezel is what gets your attention first in this piece. As said earlier, the way the carbon fibre is patterned gives off a subtle camouflage appearance. After wearing the Defy El Primer...

50 Years Of Automatic Chronographs And The Recent Debuts From Zenith, TAG Heuer, And Seiko Commemorating The Milestone Invention(s)

1969 marked the introduction of the world’s first self-winding chronographs. These were presented by Zenith with its El Primero, Seiko with the 5 Speedtimer, and an illustrious group consisting of Breitling, Heuer/Leonidas, and Hamilton/Büren, with the Chronomatic Caliber 11. Sabine Zwettler takes us through the history and looks at three of the latest-generation commemorative automatic chronographs by these early pioneers.

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure Review

Zenith introduced the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure as part of the unveiling for their 2019 Baselworld line up. The Chronograph was released alongside the Type 20 Extra Special Adventure which is the three-hand layout of the Pilot model.  Zenith does have a vibrant history with pilot models, which stretches back to the early 19th century. The Zenith Type 20 Montre d’Aéronef released around 1939 is a timepiece that closely resembles the current Pilot Type 20 editions. The iconic cathedral hands with the Gothic-font Arabic numerals and the large knurled bezel have all been carried over from the original Type 20 Montre d’Aéronef model. The pilot models only lasted up until 1960, where Zenith stopped production of their aviation watches bar one or two models so that the brand could more solely focus on racing chronographs.  In 2010 however, the brand came back to its aviation pedigree and once again started the manufacturing of pilots watches, which was when the modern Pilot Type 20 collection was born. It’s great to see a design of a watch remain unchanged for almost eight decades and shows how true to their history Zenith are.  Zenith has given the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure a more 21st century modern and urban look. Typically when thinking urban colours or colours of nature, one is drawn to the likes of green and brown. Zenith has utilized these colours extensively throughout the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure. The 45mm casing has been produce...

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero Defy 21 Carbon

Zenith’s streak of high-tech watches – including this year’s Defy Inventor and El Primero Double Tourbillon – began in 2017, when it unveiled the El Primero Defy 21. The watch is a chronograph with a dual-train construction that accommodates a high-frequency chronograph with a resolution of 1/100th of a second and a lightning seconds hand that whizzes round the dial once a second. Originally offered only in ceramic, titanium or gold, the high-frequency chronograph is available in a featherweight carbon composite case – arguably best suited to its styling and complication – with the launch of the El Primero Defy 21 Carbon. A familiar style The unusual movement of the Defy 21 is inspired by the similar constructed movement in the TAG Heuer Mikrograph, one of many high-frequency chronographs devised by Guy Sémon, the resident technical guru at TAG Heuer, a sister company of Zenith. Notably, the Mikrograph and the Defy 21 are the only serially produced, 1/100th of a second chronographs on the market today. Due to the movement’s dual-train architecture – essentially two independent movements on one base plate – the case is a large 44mm in diameter and 14.4mm high. But being carbon composite, it manages to remain lightweight despite the size. At the same time, the predominantly black colour scheme across the case and dial also makes the watch look smaller than it is, especially compared with versions of the Defy 21 in gold or titanium. Visually, the case i...

Zenith Defy Classic Blue Ceramic Review

The future of watchmaking for Zenith can be narrowed down to one word: Defy. The Defy collection started with the release of the Defy El Primero 21 back in 2017, which was the quite amazing hundredth-of-a-second chronograph. This was followed by the first-generation Defy Lab (known now as Defy Inventor), which Zenith states is the world’s most accurate watch with its new ground-breaking monocrystalline silicon oscillator. Luckily enough, we had a chance to review the Zenith Defy Inventor as well, which you can check out here. Zenith has added a mini collection of three ceramic models to the Defy Classic range. The models in the Defy Classic Collection has a three-hand plus date feature and comes in three colour variations: White ceramic, Black ceramic and Blue ceramic. The piece we have on our hands today is the elegant Defy Classic Blue Ceramic. Having a colour outside of the typical white and black in a ceramic, which is the norm, definitely brings something different to the table. Although the colour blue may have its limitations with what it can be worn with, compared to all black and white ceramic watches. Despite this limitation, the blue ceramic certainly is an eye-catcher when on the wrist. Like the other two models in the Zenith Defy Classic Ceramic range, the blue ceramic comes with its own matching blue rubber strap.  Sometimes having too much of the same colour throughout the watch can be too “in your face” as well. The blue used by Zenith for this cera...

Zenith Introduces the Defy El Primero 21 Southeast Asia Editions

Produced for the key markets in an important region, the Defy El Primero 21 South East Asia Edition is based on Zenith’s well-priced, 1/100th of a second chronograph, with one edition each for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. All three watches share the same red and white livery – reflecting the colours found in each country’s national flag – but with a respective national landmark printed on the case back. The Defy El Primero 21 is one of two true 1/100th of a second chronographs on the market that are serially produced – the other being the Mikrograph produced by Zenith’s sister company TAG Heuer. Both share a similar movement architecture, but the Mikrograph came first and inspired the construction of the Zenith calibre. Landmarks The colour scheme of the trio is a nod to the flag of each country, all of which happen to include red and white. The power reserve, minute counter, chronograph hands and crown are accented in red. The watch is otherwise mechanically identical to the standard version. It is powered by the self-winding El Primero 9004 movement, which utilises two independent sets of mainsprings, gear trains and balance wheels. The timekeeping escapement runs at a frequency of 5Hz, while the chronograph escapement runs at 50Hz, allowing the watch to resolve to 1/100th of a second. And more so important in a high frequency movement, the escape wheels – the fastest rotating wheel in the transmission system – and pallet forks are made of silicon...

Zenith & Phillips Watches Join Forces to Create Two Limited Edition Ref. A386

Zenith Introduces the El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition

In a first for watchmaking, an establishment watchmaker has collaborated with an auctioneer in creating a pair of limited edition wristwatches, resulting in the El Primero A386 designed by Phillips. The tie-up has resulted in a pair of watches, one in steel with a “tropical” dial, and the other in striking black and gold – with the total number made being just 69, a nod to the year of the El Primero’s launch. The two watches are actually part of the same creative process that spawned the platinum El Primero A386 One-Off that will soon be sold for charity. Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi of Phillips were responsible for conceiving the look of both watches. According to Phillips, the duo imagined being designers of the brand-new El Primero in 1969, rather than looking back from today and creating a modern remake. The yellow gold El Primero is consequently a combination that was common back in the day – think Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” though never produced by Zenith. And the steel version is not actually a “tropical” dial, rather it is a reference to the brown colours fashionable in design and apparel during the 1960s. Hence it has its sub-dials in three shades of brown, a riff on the “tricolour” registers of the original A386. And the steel watch comes with a bonus: a steel “ladder” bracelet with straight end links that’s a replica of the same found on the original A386. Key facts and price El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition Ref. 30.P38...

Hard stone and heavy metal come together for what might be the coolest Zenith El Primero yet

Imagine, if you will, that you’re a watch fan in the 1990s or even early 2000s. Through some incredible new complication (I suspect Urwerk’s invention), you’re jumped forward in time to 2019. While some things remain the same, the changes are pretty incredible. Take, for example, this watch. It’s a one-off piece made by Zenith, designed … ContinuedThe post Hard stone and heavy metal come together for what might be the coolest Zenith El Primero yet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Zenith Defy Inventor Review

Zenith’s reputation for developing groundbreaking technology and movements in their watches have once again been redeemed with the release of the Zenith Defy Inventor. Back in 1969, Zenith first released the El Primero self-winding chronograph movement. To this day after slight tweaks, it is still being used in their El Primero line of watches. The El Primero movement is regarded as one of the finest movements in the watchmaking industry, succeeding in having a high frequency while putting out a power reserve of approximately 50 hours.  In 2017, Zenith once again manufactured a timepiece that would be revolutionary for not only the brand but the watch industry as a whole. The Defy Lab contains what Zenith claims as the world’s most accurate mechanical movement. Operating at 15Hz, the movement in the Defy Lab is much faster than most mechanical watches in the industry, including the brands very own El Primero movement, which operates at roughly 5Hz.  What made the Defy Lab so special was the proprietary “Zenith Oscillator” developed Guy Semon from LMVH. The Zenith Oscillator in a nutshell, takes into consideration real-world scenarios, which includes environmental and temperature changes, vibration and also shocks. The Zenith Defy Lab, however, was limited to a run of 10 “piece unique” watches, which meant that the general public would find it hard to acquire these impressive timepieces.  Fast forward to Baselworld 2019, where Zenith released the Defy Invento...

Trick or treat with the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton

Editor’s note: One of my main criteria for a banger watch these days is wearability. Sure, looks are important, but fit reigns supreme. Luckily, the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton delivers on both fronts …  The story in a second:  Contemporary design and classic size make this a winning combination. It’s no secret that the Defy … ContinuedThe post Trick or treat with the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: The Zenith El Primero One-Off In Platinum For Phillips

A unique, precious El Primero to celebrate the watch's 50th anniversary.

Interview: Julien Tornare, Zenith CEO

The Zenith CEO talks about the need to look forward, whilst respecting the heritage of the company that created the El Primero.

Rolex Unicorns Part I - Ref. 4113 Split-Seconds Chronograph

If I had a million dollars, or maybe two, to buy a Rolex chronograph, I could perhaps buy one of the five unique “Zenith” Daytonas in platinum, a Datocompax “Jean-Claude Killy” (as Davide Munari did), a “Paul Newman” Daytona (not), or a ref. 4113 split-seconds. Of the many ways to spend that much money on a Rolex chronograph – and not any other complication – the ref. 4113 is the most unusual, interesting and horologically complex. At the same time, the ref. 4113 was also a dead-end for Rolex, because it never furthered development of the split-second chronograph and instead relied on standard chronographs for all its auto-racing activities. Produced in 1942 in a run of just 12 watches – with case numbers “051’313” to “051’324” -the ref. 4113 is the only split-seconds, or rattrapante, chronograph ever made by Rolex. Phillips will soon sell ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” – the watch pictured here – at its upcoming November watch auction. Ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” The Valjoux 55 inside The racing connection Though formal documentation as to its origins no longer exist or are unknown, the story behind the ref. 4113 is by now familiar thanks to research over the years as examples emerged at auction. In 1991, a pair of these emerged at Christie’s, at its Geneva and London salerooms respectively. The first, with case number was “051’313”, was sold in May 1991 at Christie’s in Geneva for 82,500 Swiss fr...

Introducing: The Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01 x Collective

A new version of the El Primero, for a new kind of watch club.

Zenith Introduces the Chronomaster El Primero Radar

Having been one of the first brands to work with watch customiser Bamford Watch Department, Zenith has one gone one further with the Chronomaster El Primero Radar. Featuring a striking aesthetic reminiscent of the 1970s, it was designed by Bamford for Zenith, and will only be available at the watchmaker’s boutiques. In short, it is an official boutique edition designed by a former aftermarket customiser. Bamford Watch Department was founded by George Bamford, an entrepreneur who made a name for himself selling customised watches and clothing, but who also happens to be the son of a construction equipment tycoon. His watch division made its name customising Rolex watches, but has now become the official customiser for Zenith, TAG Heuer, and Bulgari, all companies of luxury conglomerate LVMH. According to Zenith, the red and brown livery of Chronomaster El Primero Radar was inspired by a 1916 pocket watch Mr Bamford spotted during a visit to Zenith’s factory in Le Locle. Mr Bamford used that to create the “retro-futuristic aesthetic” of the El Primero Radar. The dial is a graduated brown, while the sub-dial at three has five hashmarks that are the “negative of the [Zenith logo of a] star”, according to Mr Bamford. Dial aside the watch is identical to the standard Chronomaster El Primero, with a 42mm steel case that contains the El Primero 400 B movement.   Key facts and price Chronomaster El Primero Radar (ref. 03.2082.400/02.R830) Diameter: 42mm Heigh...

Retro-Future-Vision: Chronomaster El Primero Radar

The Bamford Watch Department has collaborated with Zenith to create a retro-futurist Chronomaster inspired by archive pieces and radar.

White light - the Zenith Defy Classic in white ceramic

Editor’s note: Who knew that a fully white ceramic open-worked watch would be one of this year’s freshest looks? No one, that’s who. But that’s OK, a surprise hit wouldn’t be a surprise if everyone saw it coming. Which is somewhat ironic as everyone will see you coming if you’re rocking this bad girl on … ContinuedThe post White light – the Zenith Defy Classic in white ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Zenith Introduces the El Primero A386 “One-Off” in Platinum

With this year being the 50th anniversary of its defining movement, Zenith has unveiled several limited editions to mark the occasion, including a three-piece set and a remake of the El Primero A386 in 18k gold. Now the ultimate anniversary watch has just been announced: the one-of-a-kind El Primero A386 in platinum with a lapis lazuli dial, and a 50-year warranty. This one-off watch – it’s marked as such on the case back – was designed in collaboration with Phillips, the auctioneer led by Livia Russo and Aurel Bacs. And the watch will be sold by Phillips in November, with all proceeds going to a Swiss charity that helps children with cancer. It’s the first ever El Primero in platinum, and also the first with a lapis lazuli dial. Commenting in the announcement, Zenith chief executive Julien Tornare states unequivocally: “This will be the first and sole El Primero in platinum.” Materials aside, the rest of the watch is identical to the standard A386 remake. The case is 38mm, fitted with sapphire crystals front and back, while the movement is the El Primero 400. Key facts Diameter: 38mm Material: Platinum Water resistance: 50m Dial: Lapis lazuli Movement: El Primero 400 Functions: Time, chronograph, date Frequency: 36,000bph, or 5Hz Winding: Automatic Power reserve: 50 hours Strap: Blue calfskin Price and availability The Zenith El Primero A386 in platinum will be sold at the Geneva Watch Auction: X that takes place on November 9-10, 2019. It has n...

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01 for ‘Collective’

Zenith’s limited edition Chronomaster El Primero C.01 is an ice-cool rendition of the 1969 original to salve our chronograph fever.

The Mysterious Rolex Daytona Zenith “Luna Rossa” at Sotheby’s

The most talked-about watch at Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches auction in Hong Kong is lot 2300, a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona powered by a Zenith El Primero movement that’s described as “a possibly unique… chronograph wristwatch with a red dial”. And as with all high-profile watches, the auctioneers have given the watch an Italian nickname, “Luna Rossa”, which translates as “red moon”. The reason the “Luna Rossa” is controversial is because such a red dial has never ever been seen before. Usually unicorns are known and whispered about, even if seldom seen, but the “Luna Rossa” has surprised everyone. Experts and insiders I approached have neither encountered nor heard of such a dial, which makes it quite a revelation. But they all agree it is correct – in the sense that all elements are identical to known Rolex dials of the period – though of unknown origin. Sotheby’s itself hasn’t provided much background about the watch, either officially or unofficially. Unlike the unique platinum Daytona “Zenith” that Sotheby’s sold last year, setting a record price for a modern Daytona, which had a backstory that was I managed to uncover, the “Luna Rossa” remains a mystery. The dial is glossy red lacquer, with gold indices and sub-dials When such unusual dials emerge, the immediate question is one of authenticity. The “Luna Rossa” passes the test – the dial is correct in its details. The element usually regarded as crucia...

Zenith takes on GPHG 2019 with 5 seriously hot watches

It isn’t hard to imagine that Zenith is probably feeling pretty darn confident about being given more than one award at this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Not least for the fact that five of the Swiss marque’s timepieces have been given the nod by the prestigious event’s judges across no fewer than five … ContinuedThe post Zenith takes on GPHG 2019 with 5 seriously hot watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.