Ornatus-Mundi
[Zenith]
7136
The Captain Collection
Chronograph
The legacy Zenith watch with a lot of design cues taken from the past. We were shown a 42mm El Primero chronograph in red gold with an appealing frappé ‘dial (egg-shell’-like in both colour and surface):
An easy watch to wear, well proportioned and with a timeless design. It plays on the classical theme like Vacheron-Constantin, albeit at a more affordable price point but with equally high yet very different horological significance.
If you can live with the logically flawed dial (subdials for permanent seconds and chronograph hour counter same design, chronograph minute counter different – did the designer work on Piguet 1185 movements before?) – strongly recommended!
Elite
The entry-level Zenith watch and the only ‘standard’ men’s novelty this year that does not come with an El Primero derivative. Instead, it is equipped with an Elite movement, beating at 28.800 vph and sharing with the El Primero a power reserve of 50h.
The fumé-effect on the dial gives an interesting twist to an otherwise ‘safe’ watch (‘safe’ in terms of risk avoidance).
It is clearly aimed at those who want to enter into the world of manufacture movement or those who just want to have a nice watch – and this is exactly what it is:
Available on the marketplace
Baselworld 2012 - Official PuristSPro Report: Zenith
[ Note: due to an exhausted batterie our main 'horological' camera was defunct, thus we had to rely on a compact camera. For 'better' picture please take a look at François-Xavier's report ! Apologies from our side!] Zenith was one of the most anticipated...
The Pilot Collection
The focus of Zenith’s offerings this year were perfectly clear even to the least sensitive and uninitiated person once the booth was entered: The company reconsidered its rich history in aviation timekeeping which encompassed board instruments like altime...
100% convinced !
Thanks for this post Magnus! I want need that Montre d'Aéronef type 20. The case, dial, hands the look perfect. The movement? No discussion, that IS perfect. The size,? Big but who cares ? But the Pilot big date and the Doublematic are amzing pieces too. ...
+1 to that Bruno
Dear Oliver and Magnus thank you for another great report.. definitely worth waiting for Best Damjan
I applaud...
...the audacity of the revisited Type 20, but much like the Panerai Egiziano, cannot imagine wearing one! I do like the new pilot chrono, but wish Zenith would've omitted the big date. Still, it is attractive -- and wearable at 42mm! I'm loving your write...
The El Primero Collection
Espada The El Primero family gets a new addition with the introduction of the time-only El primero calibre 4650 B. Essentially it’s the famous calibre stripped of its chronograph mechanism – just like the ETA Valgranges movement is to the Valj...
The Captain Collection
Chronograph The legacy Zenith watch with a lot of design cues taken from the past. We were shown a 42mm El Primero chronograph in red gold with an appealing frappé ‘dial (egg-shell’-like in both colour and surface): An easy watch to wear, well proportione...
the egg-shell like dial is awesome
must see it irl I think I'll have to cancel a Panerai .... Zenith is imo more interesting this year
The Ladies Collection
For the female audience Zenith offers two new watches in a cushion-shaped case with either a moon phase (Elite-based) or a chronograph (El Primero-based) complication: The dial diameter is almost as large as the outer dimensions of the case, leaving four ...
The Academy Collection
Christophe Colomb Equation of Time A watch that at first was presented to us by Mr Nataf, in a - please excuse! - rather horrendous case design. That design we guess was in part responsible for the initial rejection of this watch by a large group of watch...
I had the good fortune to put on wrist the bubble tourbillon
at the Zenith boutique in HK (causeway bay I think it was) and while it is not for me, it is very very interesting and surprisingly, not uncomfortable to wear.
Are we not lucky that you are like chalk and cheese?
Dear chaps, Since you have such diametrically challenged wrists, perhaps all wrist reviews should be on the Oli-Mag wrists? To assess the aesthetics and comfort.......... Regards, MTF
We are happy to deposit our addresses...
for the upcoming truckloads of watches that will arrive at our doorsteps. We are also accepting the immense burden that comes with it ;-) Cheers, Magnus
Our Conclusion!
The “crazy” days are over and Zenith bethinks its own roots. Zenith is back and the wide range (classical basics … sophisticated complications) looks like they are ready to attack Omega, IWC, JLC, Blancpain etc. Like in the past they offer serious watchma...
Thanks for the detailed report and the fine pics.
In what way are the hands flawed? And what was wrong with the subdial design of the Captain Chrono? Is the large seconds hand on the Doublematic running seconds or for the chrono? So to be able to tell the time somewhere you have to turn the crowns every ...
Some answers...
1. ) Captain chrono - as we have written in the watch's description the dial has a logical flaw: "subdials for permanent seconds and chronograph hour counter same design, chronograph minute counter different – did the designer work on Piguet 1185 movement...
Small error on your behalf ...
On the Captin chrono, it is indeed the minute counter that has the same design as the permanent second, while the hour counter is different. Please note, this is not the Piguet, which has the permanent second at 6. The Captain design makes sense, since cl...
Thanks for the clarification
I really couldn't see the logical flaw that Magnus was seeing. The Captain Chrono has the same subdial layout as every other EP. The complain then was that the hour counter doesn't have a ring around it? Like Marcus says, that was probably to give it a ce...
Its still wrong in my book...
ok, I mixed up the hour and the minute counter of the chronograph (thanks Marcus for pointing this out), but that does not change anything substantially regarding the point we wanted to make. The criticism is more conceptual, because the function and desi...
Not an easy change though
I wouldn't call it a design error on Zenith's part. It's very logical- a matter of function. The EPs development follows from pocketwatches, hence the running seconds is opposite the crown and not at an angle as with later movements (JLC/AP/VC/BP). I forg...
Rick, ...
where did I ask to relocate the counters and subdials? I also was not criticising that the different subdials are located where they are. I was just saying that the design of the subdials does not match their function and thus is inconsistent and lacks lo...
Thanks
So the Doublematic doesn't have a running seconds, right? After reading your description, the Doublematic seems far less practical than I thought. The hour hand represents time at your site of departure. To tell time at some time zone you are travelling i...
Great job!
Thank you for the detailed report and excellent photographs! The only discrepancy has already been addressed by Marcus, that is, the El Primero has the hour subdial at "6" while the FP1185 has the seconds subdial (continuous running) at the same position....
Many thanks for another great report, Magnus and Oliver
I saw most news at the after-Geneva-Basel exhibition at Türler in Zürich - except the Montre d´ Aéronef Type 20 and the Christoph Colomb. The doublematic offers a very desirable combination of functions, but the dial layout didnt win m...
Excellent reportage
Thorough, well-organized and with intelligent discussion. Gentlemen, this is head & shoulders above anything available on the 'net to date. Thank you.
The zenith of purists' report
Thanks Oliver and Magnus for the report that I finally finished reading this week. Yes - it took that long! In the last 3 years, Zenith has changed towards another zenith in their history, we hope. Regards, MTF