Zenith

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Baselworld 2012: Zenith

IWC and Zenith have a common point this year: 2012  will be under the Pilot's sign! But they don't choose the same approach. Zenith is very faithful to the strategy implemented by Jean-Frédéric Dufour based on the historical roots and complications taking advantage of the rich past of the Manufacture.

But if we sum up the 2012 offer only with the Pilot collection, we would bring a wrong feeling: it is much broader than expected and proposes a new 3 hands nugget: the Espada.

I propose to browse these novelties I had the chance to see and to handle during my appointment at Baselworld.

The new Pilot collection contains all the ingredients of Zenith strategy but with a little pinch of something else: the use of a historical movement.

I often wrote here that I regretted that these was no true handwind movement in current Zenith catalogue. With the Pilot Aeronef Type 20, Zenith found a provisional solution through a LE of 250 pieces: right back from the past, this impressive (in any meaning of the word) watch houses the famous pocket watch movement, the 5011. Obviously using a pocket watch movement in a context of a wristwatch is not piece of cake: the watch has to be large enough to host it... especially when the movement by itself has a 50mm diameter. So we get a very bulky timepiece with a 57,5mm case but which is totally justified by the pleasure to see the 5011 back to life.

The Pilot Aeronef Type 20 is excessive, almost unwearable... but it is not a problem here: the watch is dedicated to the lovers of the brand who wish to enjoy the pleasure to wind and to observe the 5011. The 5011 is a typical movement dedicated to chronometry: large balance wheel, fine adjustment, low frequency, large mainspring to reach 48 hours of power reserve. More than its beauty, it is the feeling of depth which is impressive. With its 10mm height, we have the sensation to observe a pit when we look at the balance wheel. Zenith had the good idea to preserve the decoration style and avoid the X-Mas tree effect. Beauty of the movement comes from its architecture not from its sober finishings.


To improve the comfort on the wrist, Zenith took the decision to use titanium for the case. A bit surprising for the coherence but understandable in a pure efficiency oriented strategy.

I was less convinced by the dial. I don't like the way the second subdial cuts the figures and the red hand of the power reserve which brings too much contrast.
 
The Pilot Aeronef Type 20 is mainly dedicated to collectorsd or Zenith fans and they won't be disappointed by it. Excess is a part of the magic of this timepiece.








The beauty of the 5011 architecture:







Finishings of the dial figures are perfect:









We come back to current world now with the Pilot Big Date Special. The watch is not surprising almost logical: not the first time we see the combo El Primero & Big date, not the first time we see a Pilot Chronograph.

I like a lot this watch. Zenith managed to create a more elegant watch than the Pilot Chronograph (the first watch of the Pilot collection) thanks to the use of figures instead of the bold indexes which destroyed the harmony of the dial. Frankly speaking, this watch was almost a relief for me. My only concern is about the font used for the big date. I don't know why but I think it doesn't 100% match the design of the watch. But on the other hand, designers did a great job: with its 42mm, the watch remains very balanced despite the movement (El Primero 4010) diameter (30mm).














World Time is one of the fav Zenith complications and Zenith couldn't miss the opportunity to propose it in the context of this collection. But Zenith went much further with the Pilot Doublematic: this 45mm watch features a World Timer display, a chronograph, a big date... and an alarm.... a watch which gathers all the functions for the perfect traveller!

Dial lay-out seems to be very busy, almost confused but once we get used with it, things become much easier and we appreciate this organisation even if I would have located the big date below the 12.  I was also pleased to see a power reserve for the Alarm  which is very useful.
 
With the Pilot collection, Zenith unveiled 3 interesting watches: one very classic (chronograph), one very complicated (Doublematic) and... one very original with the Aeronef Type 20.  A same spirit, a same atmosphere and a very varied collection.

















I propose you to land with the Espada.

Espada, that's a famous name in Zenith world. For me Espada was synonimous of a very wide collection which gathered a lot of miscellaneous calibers and cases: difficult to find the coherence in this past collection. The use of the name for this elegant 3 hands watch is very surprising because the new Espada plays a different tune. But, well, this  name is nice.

How can we describe the Espada? The Espada is a line of 3 hands watches, with date window which feature a big central second hand with Zenith star, large indexes and a fluted inner ring. Several dial colours and case materials are available along with the ability to choose between a strap or a bracelet. But the main interest, if we forget the elegance and the nicely executed design is the used as a simple caliber of the El Primero. The consequence becomes obvious: the Espada is a 5hz frequency watch what gives a good reason about the use of the central second hand.

The SS version is for me maybe one of the best ways to enter Zenith world with a 3 hands watch.

Please note that case diameter is 40mm.








Thanks to the El Primero base, movement diameter is better for the case and we can see it thanks to the date window location:











Zenith star does a revolution on the dial:




Zenith also enlarged its Captain collection with a "simple" Tourbillon which is currently the only one without a chronograph function. The Espada gave a lot of ideas to Zenith because as we can imagine it, the Captain Tourbillon is also a 5hz watch. Case diameter is 40mm.

I'm not a great fan of the Tourbillon located at 11 o'clock: it gives a feeling of unbalanced dial especially when the other displays are removed. Moreover the quite thick Toubillon bridge and the second hand over it reduce a bit the pleasure to observe the Tourbillon behaviour.

The watch is affordable for a Swiss Manufacture tourbillon but I have to confess that it was not the Zenith watch which impressed me the most.


















Two other Captain were added, actually they were variations of existing models: a 3 hands one and a chronograph but with new dials: a domed dial with sunrays or fumé finishings (combined with applied indexes) for the 3 hands watch and a "frappé" one for the chronograph.





































By the way, speaking about the chronograph, do you remember the Red Primero? This year, Zenith proposes the Blue Primero. It is the same recipe and the change of colour, less aggressive or better said, quieter, works pretty well (limited edition of 500 pieces).




The main advantage of the Captain Chronograph is that it avoids the subdials overlapping:














This Chronomaster Open with big date and Moonphases display was also presented. I'm not a lover of the Open dials and I will not change my mind with this one. There is something which doesn't work here: it is quite complicated to get a harmoneous result when you combine a large opening and lot of displays. My point of view is that the Chronomaster Open is much more convincing with  the power reserve than with this lay-out. Anyway, it is just a matter of taste and sure that some will prefer these additional features. Case diameter is 42mm.
















I much prefer the black dial here:









Ladies were not forgotten with these two nice cushion shaped watches with set bezel. One has a moonphases display, the other one has an open dial chronograph. Without any doubt, first one is my fav thanks to its poetic approach. I wonder why Zenith doesn't propose a men's version of a watch with moonphases display without date. It would be great.





















I finish my report with these two Ladies' watches. As you saw it, it was a quite busy year for Zenith which built with the Pilot line a new strong pillar in its collection. Of course, I still have the same expectations with such Manufacture: I expect a true successor to the 135 handwind movement. And I also expect enlarged versions of calibers to really match the 42mm and more cases.

But at the end of the day, 2012 collection is a solid one with a superb new 3 hands watch (Espada),  two growing lines (Pilot and Captain) and a wide range of styles.

Thanks a lot to the Zenith team for the warm welcome.

Fr.Xavier

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