Zenith

Marcus Hanke
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"Eye-bleeding finish" - LOL ...

I love that phrase!

I think that the affection for such a movement finish is also a question of the duration of enthusiasm for mechanical timepieces. Of course one is more easily impressed the earlier this stage of infection is: I recall when I was speechlessly fascinated by the - rather crudely - engraved Valjoux movements offered by Dubey & Schaldenbrand. Better even, the first purely machine-skeltonized and -finished ETA movements that are still offered at cheap prices were for me the greatest thing since sliced bread. This changed leter, after experiences with real engraving mastership. the senses bacem newly calibrated on a much higher level.

The same happened with those "eye-bleeding" mvoement finishes you meant. Starting with the hammer finish of the most basic Unitas, that for me as a beginner was perceived as "decoration", in reality but a machined surface to reduce ejection problems, my path went over the El primero's technical finish up to the striking finishing of a Lange. However, and this is the strange thing, the development seems to have found a reversal, to a certain degree:

I found that certain "high-finished" movements did not perform better, or more reliably than those with a simple, but technically indicated finish: polished levers of a chronograph mechanism, cleaned edges of wheels' teeths, for example. Today, I am personally satisfied if the movement performs how it should, and I am even inclined to prefer a closed steel caseback, maybe with a nice engraving or stamped decoration, over a displayback.

However, i admit that this is not valid for all watches: For example, I would not buy a watch with the El Primero for the latter's beauty. Aside all its benefits, there are more "beautiful" chronograph movements than the El Primero. So I would be perfectly satisfied if Zenith continues the finishing grade that guaranteed flawless operation since decades (well, maybe the rough pusher operation could be improved a bit). However, I would not buy a Lange Datograph for its functional chronograph operation, but for the beauty of its movement. here, the movement itself is the canvas, on which mirror-polished surfaces and bevels, perfectly blued crews, golden chatons, aesthetically designed column wheels, and so on, are the painted elements, forming a picture. These are two different sides of the "mechanical watch" complex.

Regards,
Marcus