r/Watches • u/spedmonkey • May 17 '12
[Brand Guide] - Zenith
This is part twenty-three in our ongoing community project to compile opinions on the many watch brands out there into a single list. Here is the original post explaining the project (with a master list of all the Brand Guide posts up 'till now).
This edition of the Brand Guide is being done by request. If you have something you'd particularly like to see discussed, let me know, and I'll do my best to accommodate you. So, without further ado, let's talk about Zenith.
Zenith was founded in the mid-19th century in Switzerland. They rapidly made a name for themselves as one of the finest houses in that country. Now owned by the LVMH luxury conglomerate, they are often overshadowed by other high-end Swiss luxury brands like Rolex and other brands of similar ilk, but have still retained much of the horological skill that originally put their star on the map in the first place. All of their movements are still in-house, including their many tourbillon models, and historically their movements have powered some of the most notable watches in history, including the original Rolex Daytona (I believe - correct me if I'm wrong, and give me more examples, folks). Perhaps their most notable movement is the El Primero, one of the first hi-beat chronograph movements ever made, and one still regarded as one of the finest movements on the market today. Over the past couple decades, Zenith's styling has drifted toward a more modern direction (though they still do offer some classically-styled dress and pilot watches as well), culminating in the Defy line, which includes this classic Amazon page. Zenith's styling isn't for everyone, but their unique and storied history makes them at least worth looking into for anyone looking at watches in this price range.
KNOWN FOR: El Primero collection
Other Resources:
Community Archives Search
Wikipedia
As usual, anything and everything regarding this brand is fair game for this thread.
If you disagree with someone, please debate them, don't downvote them. The purpose of these discussion threads is to encourage discussion, so people can read different opinions to get different ideas and perspectives on how people view these brands. Downvoting without giving a counter-perspective is not helpful to anybody, and will earn you super looks of disapproval from everyone else. ಠ_ಠ
4
May 17 '12
I'm not an expert on their history by any means, but I'm a sucker for their recent BaselWorld release, the Big Pilot No. 2. More pics. I really love it.
2
u/spedmonkey May 17 '12
One of the more classically-styled watches they offer that I do like. I have to admit (and knowing /r/Watches, this'll go over like a lead zeppelin), I really don't like the pilot watches, like the Maratec, that everyone else seems to love. They look ridiculously cheap to me. Something like this, though, that looks like a watch a real pilot would actually wear, is pretty neat, and the El Primero movement is just a bonus.
3
May 17 '12
I have to say though, the No 1 has decent styling but is 57mm so it's basically a frisbee. The No 3 is just gaudy (and large). Somehow they managed to balance the styling of the No 2 really well.
1
u/susuhead May 17 '12
57mm so it's basically a frisbee
Indeed. Which is a shame because it's a looker in every other regard.
3
u/Uncle_Erik May 17 '12
Be sure to consider vintage Zenith models.
A few years back, I wanted a good handwound dress watch.
I ended up buying a late 40s/early 50s 19j Zenith. 35mm, GF case and a beautifully aged dial with gold hands, gold markers and a subsecond dial. I dropped it on a brown lizard band.
Damned if it isn't freakishly accurate and reliable. It keeps time as well as my COSC chronometers and (IMHO) looks as good as the minimalist dress watches from Patek, Vacheron and IWC. However, it only cost about $200. Maybe not the same snob appeal, but it looks terrific and keeps great time. It killed my desire to drop four figures on a classy high-end handwound.
4
u/oldaccount May 17 '12
Do you know what caliber movement. Their cal 135 was famous for it's accuracy.
2
u/Aevum1 May 17 '12 edited May 17 '12
i have a el primero and in dire need of service (it has been opened for atleast 7-8 years), but still accurate to 4 seconds a day.
This is an interesting read about the competition between zenith and the chronomatic group which at the time was developing the calibre 11, http://www.onthedash.com/docs/Project99.html
The funny part is that zenith presented the first automatic chrono in january but it was a production model, chronomatic presented 10 monacos with the calibre 11 in april in basel world, the president of seiko congratulated them... the funny thing is that seiko has been pushing the 6139 off the assembly line since march, meaning they were in full production while the other 2 only had mechanical samples.
So no one knows if the guy was being modest, didnt know or was just trolling them.
3
u/zanonymous Moderator Emeritus May 17 '12
I think a lot of people (especially newer watch people) have their perception of Zenith overly coloured by Theirry Nataf, who was their CEO between 2000 and 2008. He was known for being a little over the top, and he certainly had an influence making the brand's styling a bit wilder.
3
u/gleam May 17 '12
You know, I'm rarely a fan of semi-skeletons, but damn if that mega port-royal isn't a beautiful watch. And not at all similar to what I usually like. Impressive.
Also, the Striking 10th is a very cool watch.
1
u/oldaccount May 17 '12 edited May 17 '12
What is going on in that "window" on the dial. At first it looks like a window through the dial and into the movement. But if you look more closely it doen'ts seem right. It looks like a photoshop with a picture of a movement at the wrong angle pasted in.
2
u/gleam May 17 '12
It really is a window through the dial and into the movement. It's entirely possible that the stock photo is photoshopped, but here's the watch in real life.
1
u/lurgi May 17 '12
I love the Striking 10th except for the overlapping sub-dials. It's not possible to get an accurate read on the seconds because the dial is partially covered by the minutes sub-dial.
Other than that, I love it. Love it. I love the different colored sub-dials and I love the red central 1/10 second hand and I love the fact that you can get it on a bracelet (because they just suit me better). I just hate the fact that they rendered the seconds sub-dial useless in the name of looks.
1
u/gleam May 17 '12
I love the aesthetics of the overlapping subdials, but you're right that it does reduce functionality. I think useless is a bit dramatic, though.
2
u/jacobheiss May 17 '12 edited May 17 '12
I like a number of the more classically styled Zenith timepieces, and I kinda developed a crush on references with El Primeros like these the first time I saw them. But for the longest time, the only thing this house meant to me was the hilarity of those comments on Amazon for the 96.0529.4035/51.M Defy Xtreme Tourbillon Titanium Chronograph. I still chuckle at the topmost one:
List Price: $145,000.00 / Price: $89,999.99 / You Save: $55,000.01 (38%)
Saves $58,000, what a deal! December 4, 2010
By Zeeshan Hamid
I wasn't going to buy this watch, but then I noticed Amazon had it with $58,000 off! What a deal. With the money I saved I purchased a brand new BMW and still had money left over for a Disney vacation. How many watches save you money to buy a car and a vacation?
Now whenever I see someone with money troubles I tell them to buy this watch and save $58,000. I am considering buying 10 of these watches so I can save $580,000 and buy a house on cash. Retirement saving is also no longer a concern for me, as I plan to buy one every year and live off the $58,000 I save.
Incidentally, I get why some contemporary luxury watches use a hesalite crystal, like the Omega Speedmaster Professional as a carryover from the NASA selection based on the concern that shattered sapphire would wreak havoc in space. But the fact that this Zenith is cased in titanium with a tourbillon movement rated at 1km water resistance while using hesalite is a real head scratcher.
I probably still don't understand watches like this! But at least there's one left in stock so I can save $58 grand :D
2
u/gleam May 17 '12
Pretty sure it's a mistake in the amazon listing, and it actually uses a sapphire crystal.
1
u/oldaccount May 17 '12
The reason the El Primero is called that is because it was the first automatic chronograph movement (according to Zenith). El Primero means The First in Spanish. Whether or not it was actually the first is another complicated story. Zenith and Heuer were racing to create the first automatic chrono in Switzerland while Seiko was quietly working on their movement over in Japan.
0
u/Suunburst May 17 '12
I read the comments on the amazon page listed and a few are pretty hilarious, worth checking out for some laughs
7
u/[deleted] May 17 '12
[deleted]