Explore the world of ZENITH, its new releases and the events staged by the brand with a guiding star.
For the recently inaugurated boutique within the Manufacture in Le Locle, Zenith sought to offer a truly exceptional ICONS set of vintage and historically significant watches sourced, restored and certified by the Manufacture. Curated specifically for the birthplace of the seminal El Primero calibre, Zenith’s Heritage Department has arduously searched for some of the earliest examples of “Mark I” El Primero models from 1969, denoting watches that belonged to the very first production batches of their respective references. Considered some of the most exceedingly rare and sought-after references from the birthyear of the seminal automatic chronograph calibre, the resulting set is a trilogy of historically significant and superbly preserved ZENITH ICONS that have finally returned to the Manufacture after over 50 years. They will be prominently displayed at the Manufacture boutique in a splendid presentation box, handcrafted from wood sourced from the forest areas surrounding Le Locle that looks like the wooden beams and flooring found in the renown attic of the Manufacture. It will also showcase prints of production plans and advertisements from the same era as the watches. For those who can’t come to the Manufacture this ZENITH ICONS set will also be made available for purchase through the Zenith online boutiques in Europe, Japan and the U.S.A.
During the 10th edition of the Only Watch biennial charity auction, the unique collaborative ZENITH x Felipe Pantone DEFY Double Tourbillon garnered the keen interest and passionate bidding from those in the auction room as well as phone and online bidders, ultimately surpassing the original estimate with the hammer falling at the price of CHF 480'000, well above its original high estimate of CHF 220’000. The sale of this one-off creation set a new record for any ZENITH watch sold at an auction. All proceeds from the sale, with no buyer or seller commissions, will be donated to the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies.
At the annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the world of watchmaking’s most prestigious annual award ceremony, the ZENITH CHRONOMASTER Sport was distinguished by the jury as the winner of the “Chronograph” category and represents the latest chapter in ZENITH’s longstanding legacy of exceptional chronographs.
The competition is definitely heating up at Extreme E. For the penultimate race of its inaugural season, of which Zenith is the Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner. The electric off-road championship headed to Capo Teulada off the coast of the Italian island of Sardinia for the Enel X Island X Prix. Marking Extreme E’s first European destination, the Teulada route took place in the Army Training area at Capo Teulada and provided a harder compact surface compared to the previous races.
ZENITH celebrates the launch of the first special edition of its most rugged chronograph to date, the DEFY Extreme Desert, with acclaimed nature photographer Kourosh Keynejad. Expressing the raw beauty of the desert environment through his eyes and lens, ZENITH and Kourosh are embarking together to showcase original and previously unpublished works by the photographer, inspired by the elemental watch. The photographs will be unveiled and sold during a traveling exhibition tour, beginning with FIAC in Paris before making its way to Dubai and Tokyo before the end of the year.
During an unlikely meeting of ZENITH CEO Julien Tornare and Time+Tide Founder, Andrew McUtchen at ZENITH’s Le Locle manufacture, the home of the brand since 1865, ZENITH and Time+Tide unveiled an exclusive Defy Classic Skeleton model affectionately nicknamed the “Night Surfer”.
During the first “MEET THE DREAMHERS” event, where guests were invited to discover a group of accomplished and outspoken women known as the ZENITH DREAMHERS, ZENITH unveiled a pair of Chronomaster Original models in diamonds with either a multicoloured mother-of-pearl dial or taupe tri-colour dial. Whether for women seeking a lavish chronograph or men who appreciate its flamboyance, the new Chronomaster Original adorned with precious stones and a playfully chic use of the iconic tri-colour dial are definite showstoppers.