Zenith

Zenith is one of the premium Swiss watch brands. Zenith watches operates since 1865 and today is a subsidiary of the luxury group LVMH (Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Hublot). Zenith produces all watch movements in-house and is famous for the 1969 El Primero calibre, one of the first automatic chronograph calibers. In 2012 the Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th watch has been released.

PORTFOLIO

Stopwatches at the Top: 7 Chronographs with In-House Movements

Looking for a chronograph with a completely in-house-manufactured movement? In this feature from WatchTime's June 2017 issue, we showcase some of the industry’s top picks, from seven power brands, from Breitling to Rolex to Zenith.

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Jan 21, 2023 by Alexander Krupp

Zenith Launches Defy Skyline Boutique Edition

At this year’s LVMH Watch Week, which took place in Singapore from January 10 to 12, Zenith’s Defy line took center stage. Among the four new models the time-honored Swiss brand introduced to this family, the Defy Skyline Boutique Edition is a picture-perfect contemporary luxury sports watch. Debuting in a 41mm octagonal steel case with...

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Jan 17, 2023 by Sabine Zwettler

Zenith Introduces Colorful Defy Skyline with a Scaled-Down Case at LVMH Watch Week

For most enthusiasts, the fascination of mechanical wristwatches comes from perfection of the form. From the numerals and indices to the hands, indications, and virtually all parts – fans and aficionados are captivated by the perfect balance of both aesthetics and performance. Such a harmonious appeal stems from precisely calculated proportions that are matched to...

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Jan 10, 2023 by Sabine Zwettler

Zenith Introduces Defy Extreme Glacier at LVMH Watch Week

Following the Defy Extreme Desert launched in 2021, Zenith is traveling to the opposite kind of landscape for its second edition, the Defy Extreme Glacier. Parts of the 45-mm and 20 bar pressure resistant titanium case, such as the pusher guards and the dodecagonal bezel, are crafted from chalcedony. This crystalline semi-translucent stone has a...

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Jan 10, 2023 by Sabine Zwettler

Hands-On Debut: Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton

The popularity of last year’s Zenith Defy Skyline was somewhat unexpected, yet wholly unsurprising. An integrated bracelet sports watch with sleek octagonal bezel and unique 1/10th second counter is compelling enough but the level of finishing and accessible price point took the Defy Skyline to the next level. Now, for LVMH Watch Week 2023 we...

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Jan 10, 2023 by Bilal Khan

The Dial as Canvas, Revisited: Five Timepieces from Artistic Collaborations

When watch companies collaborate with artists and designers, expect to see exciting results: we showcased six of them a few years back. As this year’s Art Basel Miami event wraps up, we explore other international celebrities and young cutting-edge artists that are enriching the watch world. In 2021, Hublot began a collaboration with a true...

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Jan 8, 2023 by Maria-Bettina Eich

Two is Better Than One: Zenith Introduces Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon

With the Defy Extreme Tourbillon, Zenith launches its most advanced and complicated chronograph movement to date. This high-frequency haute horlogerie chronograph beats at the rate of 360’000 VpH and can thus measure the 1/100th of a second. It is also equipped with two independent tourbillon mechanisms. While the one in charge for the time keeping...

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Jan 4, 2023 by Sabine Zwettler

2022 Year in Review: 8 Chronographs Ready for Action

Kicking off our annual tradition of recapping some of the most notable stories and watches from the year, today we’re talking about the watch world’s most common complication (after a simple date aperture, that is), in the chronograph. Equipping sports watches to formal pieces to everything in between, the chronograph is a complication as useful in...

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Dec 21, 2022 by Caleb Anderson

Hands-On Debut: Zenith Defy Classic Collaboration With Fusalp

Zenith and French ski-apparel brand Fusalp have just launched a limited collaboration with a pair of Defy Classic watches that I was fortunate enough to get a hands-on look at earlier this year. Limited edition collaborations are hit-or-miss (though, I suppose this is really true for just about any release) but they tend to be...

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Nov 16, 2022 by Bilal Khan

Zenith, Kari Voutilainen, and Phillips Unveil Unique Caliber 135-O With Salmon Dial & Niobium Case

Just about every watch enthusiast out there was abuzz with excitement when the Zenith Caliber 135 Observatoire Limited Edition in collaboration with none other than Kari Voutilainen was announced earlier this year. At the time of announcement, we saw the reveal of the set of ten pieces in platinum with black-finished sterling silver dial along...

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Sep 29, 2022 by Bilal Khan

A Brief History of the Mechanical Watch’s Fight Against Magnetism

In our latest visit to the global WatchTime archives, a look at how watchmaking has countered the threat of magnetism over the years, from using metals like palladium in 1915 to silicon in 2015. Magnetism has been the mechanical timekeeping’s nemesis through the years. It is to the mechanical watch what Prof. Moriarty is to Sherlock...

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Sep 18, 2022 by WatchTime

The Historic Vintage Watches From Zenith’s “Master of Chronographs” Exhibition

After a stint at Phillips in New York, the Zenith Master of Chronographs exhibition made its way to Los Angeles a few weeks back. Housed in Westime’s stunning new space overlooking Rodeo Drive, the exhibition serves as an interactive timeline of the brand’s rich history of chronographs stretching from the early 1900s to current day....

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Sep 9, 2022 by Bilal Khan

PORTFOLIO

Time Machines: 7 Automotive-Inspired Retro Watches

A classic car is a time machine into the past. But what about the smaller machines that measure time’s passage? Which watches would harmonize best with a vintage car’s styling? Fortunately, the retro trend in watches is bigger than ever. Here are seven suggestions, photographed by our own Nik Schölzel.

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Sep 3, 2022 by Jens Koch

FEATURE

Chronomania: The 50+-Year History of the Automatic Chronograph

Fifty years ago, the consortium of Heuer-Leonidas, Breitling, Buren-Hamilton and Dubois Dépraz vied with lone wolves Zenith and Seiko in the race to launch the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. How did these brands keep their developments secret? And how did the watch world change? We searched the past for clues.

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Aug 20, 2022 by WatchTime

FEATURE

On the Cusp: A Brief History of the Zenith El Primero

Zenith’s El Primero automatic chronograph caliber — unveiled to the world 50 years ago this year, in 1969 — is regarded as one of the world’s best and most accurate movements. In this historical feature from the WatchTime archives, contributor Thomas Gronenthal takes a look at its development.

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Jul 17, 2022 by WatchTime

Zenith, Kari Voutilainen and Phillips Join Forces to Revive a Historical Chronometer Movement (With Live Photos)

Zenith, Phillips and Kari Voutilainen have restored and hand-decorated a batch of Zenith Calibre 135-O movements, all of which took part and won in observatory chronometer competitions. The result is a chronometer produced in a series of only 10 pieces.

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Jun 2, 2022 by Roger Ruegger

Zenith Unveils the New Chronomaster Open at Watches & Wonders 2022

In 2003, Zenith debuted the original Chronomaster Open, which was designed to highlight its El Primero caliber in the best possible way. It was the first time in the history of watchmaking that a chronograph revealed its regulating organ and escapement through a cut-out in the dial. The same rings true for the new Chronomaster...

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Apr 5, 2022 by Sabine Zwettler

Feeling Split: Zenith Debuts the Chronomaster Revival A384 Lupin the Third, Final Edition

Few brands have so sparked interest in their historically informed family of chronographs in recent years so much as Zenith with their Chronomaster collection. With modern executions like the smoky A385 Revival, green hued “Safari,” all black “Shadow—” not to mention the 2021-introduced Chronomaster Sport and Chronomaster Original— the contemporary collection has consistently and substantively...

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Feb 6, 2022 by Caleb Anderson

Zenith Introduces the Defy Skyline, with Another Variation on the El Primero Caliber

With the recent release of its Defy Revival A3642, Zenith hinted that it would be turning the spotlight on its avant-garde Defy collection, at least in the early part of 2022, after a 2021 filled with interesting variations on its Chronomaster line. The main event occurred at the kickoff of the virtual LVMH Watch Week...

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Jan 24, 2022 by Mark Bernardo

Master of Precision: Hands-On With the Zenith Chronomaster Sport

Zenith’s most attention-grabbing release of 2021 was the Chronomaster Sport, whose revolutionary 1/10th-second chronograph display is intended to lead the El Primero-equipped series into the future. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, I give it a test drive. Zenith has always been all about pushing the boundaries of mechanical timekeeping precision. The Le Locle-based...

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Jan 19, 2022 by Mark Bernardo

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