To properly celebrate the 50th anniversary of its El Primero movement this year, Zenith organizes an event each month in a different city, bringing together some fifty guests. The event, which is more than just a dinner, is called "Grenier Club". It is a way, of course, through this name to pay tribute to Charles Vermot who saved the plans, the tools, the machines from the destruction to avoid the definitive disappearance of the movement following the decision of the then owner of Zenith to dedicate the full production exclusively to quartz watches. And it was in the attic of the factory that the boxes containing all the elements allowing the resurrection of the El Primero would be found. This resurrection which would come several years later, in 1984.
The Grenier Club visited Paris a few days ago. Guests (customers, retailers, journalists) were able to discover the 50th anniversary set and the 3 watches it contains. But they also had the opportunity to see through several displays the main watches that marked the history of El Primero.
The place in which the event was held proposed, to complete this very horological approach, a more artistic exhibition that presented pictures of students from the ECAL (Cantonal Art School of Lausanne) depicting the universe of Zenith. These photos, most of them very daring and contemporary, reminded us that the El Primero movement is not only a thread between the past and the present of the Manufacture. It will, more than ever, preside over the destiny of Zenith as evidenced by the new dynamic brought by the Defy El Primero 21.
Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith, recalled this new impetus during the event and the many projects that will shape the future of the Manufacture. The brand moves and even finds again its essence by putting innovation at the heart of its approach. While Zenith relies on the capabilities of the watchmaking division of LVMH, the fact that Zenith watches materialize and implement these developments is consistent and brings a lot of hope to the brand.