ZENITH is popular for its elegant design represented by the ” El Primero ” watch. Not only the beautiful appearance, but also the craftsmanship of the company’s integrated manufacturing that has continued since its establishment is a point that deserves attention. In this issue, we will introduce the undiscovered charms of Zenith, a prestigious Swiss watch brand!
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What is ZENITH?
Founded in 1865, Zenith (ZENITH) is one of the oldest and most prestigious brands in Switzerland with a history of over 150 years. The quartz shock of the 1970s forced the company, like other Swiss brands, to abandon the manufacture of mechanical watches, but it was revived in 1984. Today, Zenith continues to solidify its position as a top brand with its diverse movement development and collections, centered on the ” El Primero ” and ” Elite “.
Zenith is the brand that created the concept of ” Manufacture
In the 1860s, watchmaking was generally carried out by craftsmen working separately in nearby workshops or at home. The founder of Zenith, GEORGES FAVRE-JACOT, had doubts about the division of labor in watchmaking, even though the parts that make up a complex mechanism are working simultaneously.
In 1865, at the age of just 22, Georges Fabre-Jacquot built a huge, light-filled building in Le Locle, Switzerland. He built a huge, bright, light-filled building in Le Locle, Switzerland. There, he had his craftsmen work on everything involved in watchmaking, from movement components to enameled dials and cases. For the first time in history, a manufacture was born.
This system of manufacturing, which brought all processes under one roof, was a major step forward in the development of wristwatches that met the strong need of the people of the time to keep accurate time. Zenith laid the foundation for Rolex, Omega, Panerai, and other brands that now have a kind of status as a manufacture that produces its own movements in its own factory.
The Zenith factory in Le Locle is now designated as a historical building. The building, with the initials “G.F.J.” of its founder Georges Fabre-Jacquot engraved on the walls, has been rebuilt several times, and there is a legendary episode that it took three days to find an employee. In the factory with its complex internal structure, engineers are still conducting research and development to bring about innovation.
The ” El Primero “, the world’s first self-winding chronograph developed by Zenith
El Primero” is both the name of the movement and the name of the model: the first El Primero movement, unveiled in 1969, was the world’s first all-in-one self-winding chronograph and created quite a stir.
The first ” El Primero ” movement (1969)
Zenith’s “El Primero” is still “the world’s best movement for a mass-produced chronograph.”
Surprisingly, more than 40 years after its birth, the El Primero is still considered one of the world’s best mass-produced chronograph movements. Its complex mechanism oscillates at a high speed of 36,000 vibrations per hour. While most watches are limited to 28,800 vibrations (measured in 1/8ths of a second), the 3,600 vibrations, which can be measured in 1/10ths of a second, are by far the most powerful. Furthermore, while an increase in the number of vibrations usually results in a shortening of the power reserve, the El Primero’s outstanding technical expertise has enabled it to achieve a power reserve of over 50 hours. The El Primero is a movement that successfully combines a high beat rate with a long power reserve.
This specification is by no means an update of the current version, but one that has been in place since the initial version 45 years ago. This shows how far ahead of its time Zenith’s movement development was.
Charles Belmo, Zenith’s “humble hero” for keeping El Primero alive.
The year 1969, when Zenith launched the El Primero, was a turbulent year for wristwatches, as TAG Heuer Breitling Hamilton jointly developed the Calibre 11 automatic chronograph, and Omega’s Speedmaster moonwatch was used in the Apollo program. The year was a turbulent one with no end to the topics related to wristwatches. Then, on December 25, 1969, Seiko revolutionized the watchmaking world with the launch of the Astron, the world’s first quartz wristwatch, and in the 1970s, quartz, a revolutionary technology, completely displaced mechanical watches, which had been thought to be the only ones of their kind. This was the so-called “quartz shock.
In 1975, Zenith Radio, an American company that was the parent company of Zenith, ordered to end the production of mechanical watches, including the El Primero, and to limit its production to quartz watches. With this decision, a large number of drawings, molds, and other tools were sold and destroyed, along with a century of tradition.
Blu eprint of the ” El Primero ” movement
Charles Vermot, the technical director of the workshop, who had been involved in the development of the El Primero from the very beginning and specialized in the manufacture of chronograph movements, decided to go against this order. He secretly hid more than 150 molds, drawings, cams, and cutting tools, weighing more than one ton, in a shoebox. Each part and tool was labeled, and the manufacturing process was meticulously documented in a file. They were stored in the attic in the corner of the manufacture.
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The attic where Charles Belmo hid his tools, first opened to the public in 2016.
In 1978, Zenith was again acquired by the Swiss financial investment group Dixie and returned to Swiss ownership. The company was bought back by the Swiss financial and investment group Dixie in 1978, and eventually revived the manufacture of mechanical watches, as the time was once again turning its attention to the value of mechanical watches. However, it was not easy to revive the business, as there were no prototypes, blueprints, or tools, and the watchmakers who had the know-how had left their jobs due to layoffs and retirements. As if he had foreseen this situation, in 1984 Charles Belmo showed the management a number of large crates that he had carefully stored for nine years. This enabled Zenith to resume the manufacture of chronographs without losing any of its traditional skills.
Charles Belmo believed that one day a superior mechanical mechanism would overcome the battery (quartz). Zenith honored him as a “humble hero” who saved the brand from the brink of bankruptcy, and in 2010 launched the commemorative “El Primero 36000 VpH Charles Belmo Tribute,” limited to 1,975 pieces worldwide.
El Primero on the Rolex ” Daytona “.
Created in 1969 with technology ahead of its time, the El Primero that Mr. Charles Belmo defended was the envy of all Swiss watchmakers. Many manufacturers coveted its performance, and El Primero movements were used in major collections by TAG Heuer, Panerai, Louis Vuitton, Hublot, and others. Among the most famous among watch enthusiasts was the inclusion of the El Primero in Rolex’s popular ” Daytona ” model.
The El Primero movement was installed in the previous generation Daytona (Ref. 16520), which was on sale from 1988 to 1999. The current Daytona (Ref. 116520) from 2000 onward is equipped with Rolex’s own El Primero-based movement, but the previous generation Daytona (Ref. 16520) was equipped with the El Primero movement. However, the popularity of the predecessor Daytona has not waned, and it is now a premier model with a price tag of more than 1 million yen.
El Primero movement in a Daytona (Ref.16520). Incidentally, the frequency was reduced from the original 3,600 to 2,8800 vibrations at the request of Rolex.
A collection of 26 in-house movements and 207 models in all
In its long history, Zenith has produced more than 600 different movements. Today, the company still offers a total of 26 different types of movements, with the ” El Primero ” for chronographs and the ” Elite ” for thin, three-hand models. With over 300 patents, the brand’s movements continue to pioneer the history of watchmaking. The brand’s movements, with more than 300 patents, continue to pioneer the history of watchmaking.
Zenith also offers the largest number of models in the world. The El Primero and the Elite are the two pillars of the brand, and when high-range models and limited editions are added, the number of models reaches 207. Each El Primero watch, the company’s flagship model, is made by 300 skilled craftsmen using 18 different metals and involving more than 2,500 production processes. The average production time is approximately 9 months. In 1969, Zenith was one of the first companies to introduce the open-work design, although today it is not uncommon to see skeleton-style wristwatches with a dial from which the movement can be viewed.
The highest-priced model was the ” Academy Christopher Columbus Hurricane Grand Voyage II. It is equipped with an ultra-precise gyroscope module and is a work of art. The price is an astonishing 36 million yen.
Introducing Zenith’s classic models
Zenith “El Primero Chronomaster Power Reserve (EL PRIMERO:CHRONOMASTER POWER RESERVE)”
This is one of the most popular El Primero models with small seconds at 9 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock. The El Primero’s classic design of a silver dial with sunray decoration and an open design that reveals the heart of the movement will never wear out even after many years of use.
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ZENITH “EL PRIMERO: SYNOPSIS” (EL PRIMERO: SYNOPSIS)
This is a simple model among the El Primero models, with only three hands except for the traditional openwork design. The indexes and hands on the silver dial are gold-plated and facet-cut for an outstanding sense of luxury. Despite its simplicity, it retains the powerful functions of 3,600 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of over 50 hours.
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ZENITH “EL PRIMERO CHRONOMASTER GRANDE DATE
This luxury model features a big date display at 2 o’clock and moon and sun phases at 6 o’clock. The deep blue color accentuates the presence of the various gimmicks on the dial.
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Zenith “ELITE:ULTRA THIN
The ” Elite ” is another flagship model of Zenith, the counterpart to the El Primero. With a thickness of only 8.30 mm, its ultra-slim case accentuates its dressy appearance. The box-shaped dial with applied hour markers adds a casually stylish touch. The frequency is 28,800 vibrations per hour, which is lower than that of the El Primero, but still of a high enough standard. The power reserve is 50 hours, the same as the El Primero.
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ZENITH ” ELITE ULTRA THIN
This watch in the same elite series has a completely different look. The lacquered white dial with black transferred Arabic indexes is as classic as it gets. The rhodium-plated facet-cut hands are also beautiful.
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