Zenith

Tim_M
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Agreed: History and innovation require a balance

Magnus,

Thank you for the kind words.  You captured the essential strengths and weaknesses of the Nataf approach.  He was an iconoclast and bold, but there was no counter-weight to add a competing voice within the design process. Without a strong internal advocate for the history of the brand and its station within the watchmaking hierarchy, there was, perhaps, too much upheaval.

As far as I can judge, it seems the problem during the Nataf years was the fact that he was President, CEO, head designer, and even had substantial engineering input. Outside of tiny independents (i.e., companies that manufacture dozens or hundreds of watches annually), I cannot recall another case in which one man exercised so much control within a manufacture.  Even the Sterns don't claim to design every single PP model.

Considering Thierry Nataf's investments in materials innovation and complications, his might have been a golden era for Zenith if there had been a JFD-style traditionalist working alongside Nataf to prevent a complete departure from Zenith's roots. I cannot recall a single case in which JFD claimed to have personally designed a watch, but there was a very cohesive design ethic during his term of leadership. This practice of setting a corporate direction and letting the artists complete the picture seems to be a winning approach in this industry, and Zenith from 2009-present has been a shining example.

There have been other instances of bold adventurers challenging the traditions and assumptions within established firms.  Consider the decade of the 2000s and Magali Metrailler's compressor designs at Jaeger-LeCoultre.  The key difference between her and Nataf is that 1) she didn't also run the company and 2) traditional designs and conservative references remained in the catalog alongside her avant-garde models.

The second half of the Nataf era witnessed the launch of tribute models like the Defy Rainbow and the extremely retro New Vintage lineup, so I feel like part of his legacy segued into the Dufour era.  The large number of tributes and vintage-style Zenith releases during the last five years seems to confirm this.

Ideally, Zenith will have a mind like Nataf and one like JFD working in tandem under the new management. That would be something to celebrate.

Best,

Tim